From Staff Reports
Four area high school softball teams earned postseason berths Wednesday when the Louisiana High School Athletic Association released the brackets for the upcoming playoffs.
Ruston, Cedar Creek, Choudrant and Simsboro will all be playing in the postseason which starts as early as Friday.
One of the most impressive turnarounds in high school softball in north Louisiana came from the Ruston Bearcats (17-12). One year after winning just four games last year, head coach Lauren Garvie and Co. earned the No. 18 seed in the Non-Select School Division I bracket and will open the postseason Friday when they travel to face No. 15 seed Chalmette (15-9).
“I’m really, really excited for the girls,” said Garvie. “I remember watching them when I got hired and thinking if they’re hitting the ball like that, then we had the capability of doing great things.
“We don’t really know a whole of what they’re like just yet. We’re going to get in touch with some coaches and see if we can find anything out. But based on records, I feel like we’re pretty evenly matched.”
First pitch Friday will be at 4:30 p.m.
The Cedar Creek Lady Cougars (12-14) earned the No. 17 seed in the Select School Division IV bracket and will travel to face No. 16 seed Louis McGehee (13-4) at Butch Duhe Park Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
“We’re excited to be entering postseason play,” said Creek head coach Julie Riser. “We were really close to getting a home game but with the rain the last two days we weren’t able to play our scheduled games which hurt us in the power rankings. The team is focused and prepared to go compete. We had a really good practice Wedesday and will continue to prepare for Saturday.”
The Cougars enter the playoffs having won its last two games of the regular season with victories over Many (12-6) and Weston (17-5).
Choudrant is the No, 3 seed in the Non-Select School Division V playoffs and will play host and earned a first-round bye.
The Lady Aggies stand at 18-5 on the season and enter the postseason on a roll after winning 10 of their last 11 contests.
Choudrant coach Wayne Antley admitted Wednesday that he doesn’t know much about whoever ever this team will face in the second round — 14th-seeded Fairview or 19th-seeded Starks.
“I had no idea where we’d end up in the bracket until it finally came out,” Antley said. “Converse had a game with Natchitoches Central and Bell City was playing Barbe, and if they would have won those games they would have probably passed us up, so we could have ended up as a fourth or fifth seed.
“And I know nothing about either team we could end up playing in the second round. I’m going to have to go down and scout them. At least we have the bye to be able to do that.”
Simsboro (18-10) is the 15th seeded in the Non-select School Division V playoffs and will play host to 19th-seeded Evans at 5:30 p.m. Friday.
Attempts to reach Tigers coach Payton Bond for comments on their first round game were unsuccessful.
Tickets for that contest will cost $8.
