Louisiana Top 25: Final Power Rankings 16-25
The high school season is officially behind us, which means it is time to update our final power rankings for the Top 25. With the playoffs came tons of upsets, and we decided to place a premium in the polls on state champions. Therefore, without further ado, here are you final Top 25. We will begin with breakdowns for teams 16-25
Ranking | Team | Record |
---|---|---|
1 | Scotlandville | 25-1 |
2 | Sophie B. Wright | 24-3 |
3 | Rayville | 23-5 |
4 | Bossier | 21-3 |
5 | Peabody | 19-3 |
6 | St. Augustine | 23-3 |
7 | Madison Prep | 18-7 |
8 | Thibodaux | 20-2 |
9 | Walker | 19-9 |
10 | Ouachita Parish | 21-5 |
11 | Holy Cross | 21-5 |
12 | Landry-Walker | 13-7 |
13 | Bonnabel | 17-5 |
14 | Jesuit | 22-4 |
15 | Dutchtown | 15-5 |
16 | Catholic BR | 18-5 |
17 | Breaux Bridge | 22-3 |
18 | Woodlawn-Shreve | 20-5 |
19 | Jehovah Jireh | 26-4 |
20 | Dunham | 20-4 |
21 | Country Day | 15-7 |
22 | Ponchatoula | 18-5 |
23 | Wossman | 22-6 |
24 | Lafayette Christian | 20-4 |
25 | Live Oak | 16-7 |
Watchlist | Avoylles Public Charter | 19-2 |
Watchlist | Ville Platte | 19-1 |
Watchlist | Red River | 25-3 |
- U-High
U-High came up a game short of the state title, but in my opinion they were the third best team in Division II. There weren’t enough statement wins on the Cubs resume to move them up higher, only having two wins against other teams in the top 25. That in combination with some inexplicable losses down the stretch of the season leaves U-High just outside of the top 15, and without a state title for the first time in four years.
- Wossman
Wossman finished the season one game from the state title for the second year straight, this time losing to a Peabody team that was out for revenge after losing to Wossman in the Top 28 because of a half-court buzzer beater by Wossman’s CJ Jones. A state runner-up and a 25 win season is a very good finish for a team that started a paltry 2-6. All season Wossman played one of the toughest schedules in the state, and it seems to have paid off in the long run.
- Rayville
For a relatively small 2A school, Rayville played a very tough schedule, and got multiple wins against other teams in the Top 25. In the state championship game, they gave the top team in the state, in Madison Prep, absolutely everything they could handle, falling by only four. This is a team that is very far from their ceiling, as their top three scorers were all sophomores. I am really looking forward to seeing this team continue to grow over the next couple of years.
- Ouachita Parish
I am sure this isn’t the finish that Ouachita Parish was hoping to have, getting upset in the playoffs by West Monroe in the quarterfinals. However, being one of only four teams in the state to reach the 30 win mark is nothing to scoff at.
- Dunham
Dunham was a team that I was high on heading into the season, and realistically, they succeeded every benchmark that could have been set for them. They had some impressive wins, and reached the state title game. However, with all of the young talent on that team, I think that they are still a year or two away.
- Natchitoches Central
For the first time in Brandon Rachal’s four year career, he didn’t end this season in the state championship game. As a three seed, this was also the lowest seeding for the Chiefs over the last four years. Both of those are incredible accomplishments, and the seniors at Natchitoches Central should be proud of all of their accomplishments.
- Lafayette
If I am being honest, coming into the season I didn’t even think that Lafayette High would be a .500 team, and they would probably hover somewhere around the 10-15 wins mark. I could not have been more wrong. They surpassed the 25 win mark, and while a second round loss in the playoffs might seem like a failure, they only loss by a point to the eventual state champs in Landry-Walker.
- McKinley
The 22-13 makes it seem like they aren’t good enough to be included on this list, but there is a very simple explanation for that. For most of the season, Tyrece Radford was injured, and as a result they lost games that they most likely otherwise wouldn’t have lost. However, when they were at full strength, they made it to the Top 28, and had an 11 point lead in the fourth quarter over eventual state champion Scotlandville. I think they would have won that game if they wouldn’t have run out of gas down the stretch of that game, as they outplayed Scotlandville for all but three minutes of that game.
- Riverside
This was the first time since Coach Timmy Byrd arrived at Riverside Academy that they did not play in the state championship game. This was the first year since 2003 that Timmy Byrd did not coach in a state championship game. That is one of the most impressive runs in state history. On the plus side, Riverside’s team didn’t have a single senior on it, and they will be bringing back everyone next season, most notably top 5 player for 2018 Jared Butler.
- Brother Martin
I was high on Brother Martin heading into the season, but after a stretch that saw the Crusaders lose three straight, I thought their season was done. However, they proved me, along with the rest of the state, wrong. Once they got back their football players, they only lost three games total the rest of the year. Along with that, they were only a single point away from winning the state title game, after executing their game plan perfectly.