Patterson High's football team runs onto the field before Thursday's game with Berwick. Patterson will play at North Webster in the first round of the playoffs.
The Review/Bill Decker
Five St. Mary teams in prep football playoffs
Five St. Mary prep football teams will be in action in the bi-district round of the state playoffs Thursday-Saturday.
Central Catholic and Patterson will represent east St. Mary, joining Hanson Memorial, Franklin and Centerville in the postseason.
Morgan City in Non-Select Division II and Berwick and West St. Mary in Non-Select Division III finished below the top 28 power rankings needed to qualify for the postseason.
Playing in the Nov. 9-11 bi-district round;
--Central Catholic, 7-3, has the 10th seed in Select Division IV and will host Hamilton Christian of Lake Charles in the bi-district round. Hamilton Christian has the 23 seed and is 4-6.
The winner will advance to the regional round against St. Frederick, which has the seventh seed and a bye with a 6-3 record.
--Patterson, 3-6, will play at North Webster. Patterson is the 19th seed, and North Webster, 6-4, is seeded 14th.
The winner will advance to play third-seeded St. James, 8-2, which has a bye in the bi-district round.
--Franklin, 5-5, is seeded 16th in Non-Select Division IV and will host No. 17 Grand Lake, 6-4.
The winner will face top-seeded Logansport, 9-1.
--Hanson Memorial, 7-3, has the 15th seed in Select Division IV and will host 5-5 St. John, the 18th seed. The winner will play Southern Lab, which has a bye with the second seed.
--Centerville, 6-4, is ranked 22nd in Non-Select Division IV and will play No. 11 Oberlin in the bi-district round. The winner advances to play either Mangham, 5-4, No. 6, or Lakeview, 3-7, No. 27.
Berwick, 2-8, saw its playoff hopes disappear with a 28-26 loss to Patterson on Thursday. The Panthers were ranked No. 31 in Non-Select Division III power rankings.
Morgan City High, 3-6, was ranked 31st in Non-Select Division II.
In Non-Select Division IV, West St. Mary, 1-9, was ranked No. 41.
In other games of local interest:
--Longtime east St. Mary coach Tommy Minton's Vandebilt team, ranked 13th with a 5-4 record, will host 5-5 Frederick A. Douglass in Select Division II.
--Vermilion Catholic, Central Catholic's arch rival, is the top seed in Select Division IV and has a first-round bye.
--Jeanerette is 8-2 and ranked fifth in Non-Select Division IV. Its opponent in the bi-district round will be West St. John, 2-8 and seeded 28th.