The Lincoln Prep Panthers and Arcadia Hornets could be facing a rollercoaster ride next week after reviewing the February 4 edition of the LHSAA power rankings. Both teams rose in the ranking, but some small variances exist between some key spots. Lincoln Prep moved up one spot to No. 3 with a win over Haynesville last week. The Panthers find themselves in a precarious position. They could find themselves between No. 3 and No. 7. The difference between the five positions is 0.64 power points. Lincoln Prep helped their position with a win over Calvary on Tuesday night. Arcadia also could get some swing in their position next week. The Hornets did move up one notch to No. 8 this week with a close win over Homer on Friday night. They also are in a tight squeeze on positioning and could switch between No. 8 and No. 10 next week as the three positions are separated by less than a power point.
Reclaiming the No. 2 spot for the week were the Doyline Panthers in Class B. The Panthers are stilling rolling on a 22 game winning streak. Doyline pushed up with a district win over Dodson. The Panthers are going to have to keep a look in the rearview as No. 3 Hathaway is on their heels just a little over of a quarter of a point behind No. 2 slot.
Summerfield, Calvary, and New Living Word stayed in their respective spots for the week. All three are pretty much locks for their positions in the playoffs. Summerfield is currently No. 4 in Class C. Calvary is No. 4 in Division IV. New Living Word is No. 6 in Division V.
Despite getting two wins since the last power ranking report, the Homer Lady Pels dropped a spot from No. 9 to No. 10. Homer finds themselves clear in the middle at No. 10, they are 2/3’s of a power point above No. 11 Lincoln Prep and 2/3’s of a point below No. 9 Logansport. Haynesville got a big win over Lincoln Prep on Friday night wasn’t enough for them to hold down the No. 5 slot. They dropped to No. 6 this week.
Summerfield continues to be in striking distance of the No. 1 slot in Class C as they sit at No. 2 for another week. They are less than a 1/4 of a point behind No. 1 Hicks. A win over fellow district mate Gibsland-Coleman helped close the gap for the No. 1 spot. Gibsland will not be phased by wins or losses for their spot. They are safely entrenched in the No. 5 slot in Class 5.
The ladies season ends next Saturday, February 15 and then playoffs will kick-off. The boys have two more weeks to go until Saturday, February 22.
The weekly power rankings by the LHSAA are unofficial due to not confirmed, not-played, postponed, dispute games. Stats also include out of state games and tournaments.
Here are the first-round predictions for each team. The position can be affected by the number of teams from each class. Teams may opt to stay out of the playoffs and that could affect the difference between a bye, home, or away game.
Girls
Bye- Summerfield, Gibsland-Coleman
Home- Haynesville, Homer, Lincoln Prep, Calvary
Away- Plain Dealing, Arcadia, Ringgold, Castor, Doyline, Saline, Dodson
Boys
Bye – Doyline, Lincoln Prep, New Living Word (Automatic second round; only 13 teams ), Summerfield
Home – Arcadia, Homer, Plain Dealing, Gibsland-Coleman, Calvary
Away – Ringgold, Haynesville, Magnolia School of Excellence, Dodson, Castor, Saline
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