Knights’ Select title chances good; not so for SCC

    Let’s make one thing crystal clear before the actual hitting begins: St. Augustine will win the Select Division I football championship.
    You may have noticed I didn’t write “state” championship, because with separate playoffs for select and public school qualifiers, there will be no true state champion.
    This class warfare is the product of a disgruntled majority of public school principals who are tired of facing the fact that John Curtis and Evangel will continue to win football championships forever because the publics haven’t discovered the magical formula to take the advantage of being K-through-12 schools away from them.
    But back to more important matters.
    Anyone who watched St. Augustine play in real life or on television has  witnessed a football team loaded seniors who will be signing prestigious college free rides in February.
    Every position is filled by a quality student athlete who has size, speed and skills honed three-to-four years ago when they were just freshmen and sophomores. Now, under two different coaching staffs, the Purple Knights have enjoyed a breakout campaign.

A real Mr. Football
   

    Although the defense has allowed an average of three touchdowns per game during its 8-1 season, it is still as sound as any in the diluted 10-team playoff division.
    But more importantly, this team has the best running back in America in Leonard Fournette, an athlete who has finally become the darling of the local prep media.
    But as a 14-year-old freshman, Fournette was achieving incredible feats with a football in his hands.
    Now, as a senior most likely headed for LSU (he attended the game against Alabama last Saturday), Fournette is a master of every phase of offense.
    He is a threat to score as a ball-carrier, kick returner or pass receiver. He can throw a football downfield with the accuracy and efficiency of a highly skilled quarterback.
    He has been used as a linebacker and safety at times, and he has punted and kicked off on a few occasions.
    New Orleans has been the grooming grounds for two past Mr. Football honorees – Jesuit’s Chris Markey and John Curtis’ Joe McKnight.
    The only thing that would deny Fournette being the third this year to win the Louisiana Sports Writers’ version of a prep Heisman, is that he has been given so many tasks on the field that there will be others around the state with better numbers.
    But if he isn’t named Mr. Football, someone here’s not doing his or her job.

First round rematches    
    As the district champion, St. Augustine has earned a bye in the first playoff round.
So have Archbishop Rummel, the No. 5 seed, and No. 6 Holy Cross.
    Jesuit and Brother Martin will meet for the second time in two weeks when they play on Nov. 15. Jesuit, the No. 8 seed, defeated No. 9 Brother Martin, 20-0, in that meeting.
    The winner gets St. Aug on Nov. 22.
    Archbishop Shaw, the No. 10 seed, is at Hunter Stadium on Nov. 15 to take on No. 7 St. Paul’s in a 7 p.m. game.
    Another return engagement will result in the Select Division II playoffs when St. Charles Catholic hosts District 11-3A cohort De La Salle on Nov. 15.
    The two met in a district game on Oct. 18 with the Comets defeating the Cavaliers, 30-2. De La Salle was the home team that night.
    Unfortunately for the winner, the next opponent is John Curtis, also a District 8-3A member and the No. 1 seed in a 15-team division that includes both Class 4A and 3A schools.
    St. Charles would play Curtis at Bertolino Playground, and De La Salle would host the Patriots should the Cavaliers beat the Comets.
    Congratulations to Coach Pat Lambert and his Archbishop Hannan Hawks for their No. 4 seed in the Select Division III playoffs.
    The Hawks, who are playing as a Class 2A school for the first time since moving from Meraux to Goodbee, enjoyed an 8-2 season and a solid third-place finish in District  7-2A behind champion Northlake Christian (the No. 3 seed) and runner-up St. Thomas Åquinas (the No. 9 seed).

    All three are on the same side of the 14-team bracket, which means just one may play for a division championship.
    Hannan will host No. 13 Westminster, a school which has a 3-7 record, on Nov. 15.
And if the Hawks win, they will face the winner of the Pope John Paul II-Menard game, which will be played in Alexandria, also on Nov. 15.
    Hannan defeated John Paul II, 22-20, in a district game  played on Oct. 4 in Slidell. As a No. 12 seed, if the Jaguars upset the No. 5 Menard team, they would host Hannan again in the quarterfinal round.
    That winner would then play the No. 1 seed, Episcopal of Baton Rouge (10-0).

Prep Classic tales
    The Select schools will crown three champions on Dec. 12 and another two days later.
    Although Newman has been highly touted by the media throughout the regular season, the Greenies drew just a No. 7 seed in a 14-team division.
    No. 2 Calvary Baptist will be difficult to beat if Newman gets past Opelousas Catholic
in the first round. I don’t think the Greenies will get there. Look for Episcopal to  meet Northlake Christian in the 12:30 p.m. Select Division III finals on Dec. 12.
    There is just one team capable of denying Curtis a 26th championship. It’s No. 2 University High, which I feel will be on the opposite sideline in the Select Division II title game at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 12.
    Byrd High should be St. Augustine’s opponent in the Select Division I finals at 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 12. Byrd may be considered Select, but it’s still basically a public school, which has beaten just three opponents with winning records during its 9-1 season.
    St. Augustine has more than enough talent to win.        The final Select championship (Division IV) will be played at noon on Dec. 14. Ouachita Christian and Vermilion Catholic are the two high seeds. The top local is No. 3 Country Day, which will do well until the Cajuns meet multi-time champion OCS in the semis.
    The Nonselect, or public schools, will begin their five-division championship games on Dec. 13.
    The top four Class 1A seeds are No. 1 Haynesville, 2. Mangham, 3. West St. John and 4. Basile.
    This should be a true 1-2 final with Mangham edging West St. John, and Haynesville rolling over No. 4 Basile in the semis.
    The top seeds in the Non-select Class 2A bracket are No. 1 Many, 2. Winnfield, 3. Kinder and 4. Welsh.
    Look for Many and Winnfield to be in the finals of the 4:30 p.m. game. My pick for the championship is Many.
    My motive is selfish. The Winnfield principal was the main proponent of a playoff split, so I find it difficult to cheer for her school.
    Class 3A’s Non-select top seeds are 1. Livonia, 2.  Caldwell, 3. Union Parish and 4. Patterson.
    If there is an upset here, I think it will be Union Parish, which will win its first championship as a consolidated school. The finals will take place on Dec. 13 at 8:30 p.m.
    The championship game of the Non-select Class 4A bracket will likely be a rematch of the true state championship game of 2012 between defending champ Edna Karr and Neville.
    Neville is the No. 1 seed, while Karr is No. 2. And both should make it back for the 4 p.m. game on Dec. 14.
    The Tigers’ main obstacle will be No. 4 East Jefferson, which has been winning with half an offense. To prevail in this class, a team must have a capable passing attack as well. Until now, EJ has not needed one.
    On the other end, Karr’s main competition is Landry-Walker, a team it defeated, 26-22, in district play.
    Top seeds for the Non-select Class 5A title game (8 p.m. on Dec. 14) are 1. Acadiana, 2. Parkway, 3. East Ascension and 4. Destrehan.
    My instinct tells me that No. 6 West Monroe will beat East Ascension in the regional round, and Parkway will defeat the Rebels in the semis and Acadiana in the finals.
    Ron Brocato can be reached at [email protected]