LHSAA Playoffs quarterfinal primer | Division-III Non-Select

Many Tigers

Jerit Roser November 23, 2023 @ 10:35 PM

Thanksgiving week brings plenty of traditions and significance — including, in Louisiana's high school football, the milestone of turkey-day practices meaning a team is preparing for the quarterfinals.   Each week, we'll give a quick update of some of the notable outcomes and top performers in each division and potential matchups to watch in the next round.   Check out the Division-III Non-Select capsule heading into the postseason's third round.     Quarterfinal matchups — Last meeting   No. 1 Jena vs. No. 8 Amite — Amite won, 46-12, at home in 2022 second round.   No. 4 Union Parish vs. No. 5 Bogalusa — Union Parish won, 50-0, at home in 2018 first round.   No. 3 St. James vs. No. 6 Many — Many won, 32-13, at home in 2022 semifinals.   No. 2 Sterlington vs. No. 7 Pine — More than 20 years ago, if ever.     Highest seeds remaining: No. 1 Jena, No. 2 Sterlington, No. 3 St. James, No. 4 Union Parish, No. 5 Bogalusa, No. 6 Many, No. 7 Pine, No. 8 Amite.   Lowest seeds remaining: Top eight seeds have advanced, so No. 8 Amite and No. 7 Pine.     Biggest second-round upset by seeds: No upsets.   Other second-round upsets: None.   Closest second-round game: No. 2 Sterlington over No. 18 Mansfield, 35-15.   Closest game thus far: No. 9 Jewel Sumner over No. 24 South Beauregard, 18-14, in first round.   Biggest second-round margin: No. 6 Many over No. 11 South Plaquemines, 45-0.   Biggest margin thus far: No. 6 Many over No. 27 Springfield, 61-0, in first round.   Biggest second-round surprise: None.   Biggest surprise thus far: No. 23 Avoyelles over No. 10 Kinder, 28-22, in first round.     Top second-round performers: 2024 Sterlington RB [player_tooltip player_id='285623' first='Trammell' last='Colvin'], 2024 Jena RB [player_tooltip player_id='678305' first='Zerrick' last='Jones'], 2025 Union Parish WR [player_tooltip player_id='1221195' first='Chase' last='Meeking'],   Other notes: The Division-III Non-Select bracket — or the Class 3A bracket before it — is typically considered one of Louisiana's most wide-open and prone for lower seeds making Cinderella runs. But for the first time since the 2016 Class 3A bracket, the top eight seeds have all advanced to the quarterfinals. In fact, every one of the eight teams won its second-round game by at least 20 points, and the teams have won 11 of their 12 postseason games thus far by at least 20 with Amite's 15-point defeat of Donaldsonville in the first round the only exception.     Most intriguing quarterfinal matchup: No. 3 St. James vs. No. 6 Many.   Most intriguing possible semifinal matchup: No. 2 Sterlington vs. No. 6 Many.

Thanksgiving week brings plenty of traditions and significance — including, in Louisiana's high school football, the milestone of turkey-day practices meaning a team is preparing for the quarterfinals.