Morgan City hosts Livonia with eye on playoff run

When Te r e n c e McCutcheon put his name in for the Morgan City High School boys basketball position, he said he really had no idea what type of talent he was about to encounter.
Instead, McCutcheon, who came to Morgan City from Kaplan High School, was looking to get closer to the source of what brought him to Louisiana from Alabama, his college playing days at Nicholls State. He figured the closer he was to the Thibodaux area, the more likely his name would be recognized.
After applying for the job, he soon learned the potential of the Morgan City High School team this season and said he passed a few other jobs, fortunately being rewarded with the Morgan City head coaching position.
Now, after one season at the helm of Morgan City in which the Tigers have recorded multiple impressive victories in a b r u t a l s c h e d u l e , McCutcheon will lead the Tigers into the Class 4A bi-district round of the playoffs Friday when No. 9 Morgan City (24-6) hosts No. 24 Livonia at 7 p.m.
While Morgan City faced a brutal non-district schedule with games against such opponents as Breaux Bridge, Northside, Westgate, Dunham, Lafayette Christian and Madison Prep, McCutcheon wasn’t
familiar with all of the teams, so at first glance, he didn’t see the schedule as a tough one.
“Once, we got into the games and started playing, to make it through clean with no injuries, that’s always a blessing, especially with the way we play,” McCutcheon said. “We try to play tough, fast-paced, and a lot of times moving around like that, you come out with some injuries.”
The Tigers, who won a share of the District 7-4A title with a 5-1 mark, successfully navigated the schedule, including its most impressive win to date, a 56-52 win against Class 3A’s top-ranked team, Madison Prep, in its season finale.
McCutcheon said Morgan City really showed its potential in New Iberia’s tournament after losses to Breaux Bridge and Northside.
“I saw us turn the corner in two losses, rather than two wins,” McCutcheon said, explaining he felt that way because they accomplished some things, particularly their style of play.
With the schedule Morgan City has endured and the wins it has, coupled with the players’ playoff experience from a season ago, McCutcheon said he is confident entering the postseason.
“The main thing that I want my guys to do entering the playoffs is just to believe in themselves and understand to be aggressive,” he said. “We earned this. We don’t have any reason to come in timid or feeling like we can’t win because we’ve beat some very good teams. I think our resume speaks for itself, and at this point, it’s just being confident and going out there and playing with the effort that we need.”
Morgan City’s first-round opponent, Livonia, competed in a tough 4A district with St. Martinville, Breaux Bridge, Cecilia and Beau Chene and Opelousas and finished in a three-way tie for fourth place
in league play with a 4-6 mark.
The Wildcats, the No. 24 seed, were 19-8 overall in the regular season.
McCutcheon said Livonia was one of the teams he had his eye on during the season as a possible playoff opponent for Morgan City.
“I think we have a really good chance,” McCutcheon said. “Sizewise, I think they matchup with us for the most part, but I think my guard play is going to be stronger.”