LHSAA playoffs: Top 10 first-round high school football games with Acadiana teams

The road to the Dome starts now.

Louisiana High School Athletic Association opens its high school football playoffs Friday. Things will look a little different for teams this postseason: A few weeks ago, the LHSAA altered the format, consolidating the fields to eight divisions and allowing top seeds to receive byes.

Plenty of Acadiana teams made their respective brackets and will aim to reach state title games Dec. 8-10 inside the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

Here are the top 10 area matchups for the first round of the LHSAA playoffs:

TOP PERFORMERSHigh school football Week 10 top performers in Acadiana

STM SURVIVES LCASt. Thomas More survives wild finish with Lafayette Christian to win district championship

PLAYOFF, DISTRICT RACESBreaking down district races, playoff scenarios for Acadiana high school football teams

10. No. 18 Delhi (6-3) at No. 15 Jeanerette (6-4)

Delhi rides a four-game winning streak into the Division IV Non-Select playoffs, and despite having to travel for Round 1, it’ll carry plenty of confidence into its matchup with No. 15 Jeanerette. But the Tigers will be confident as well -- they haven’t given up a point in three weeks. Delhi scores on Jeanerette, but the home team prevails.

Prediction: Jeanerette 30, Delhi 20

9. No. 26 Rayne (5-5) at No. 7 Church Point (9-1)

It came down the wire and Rayne needed a little bit of help to make the Division II Non-Select bracket. The Wolves got it, sneaking into the field at No. 26. But they draw a ticked-off Church Point squad, whose perfect regular season was blown up at Iota last week behind an uncharacteristic six turnovers. Round 1 will be a temp check for the Bears, and they’ll bounce back.

Prediction: Church Point 53, Rayne 12

8. No. 21 Northwest (6-4) at Iota (8-2)

To make it into the Division II Non-select playoffs, Northwest needed to win its final three games. It did so, but it got a tough draw in No. 12 Iota. The Bulldogs have a ton of momentum and enter the playoffs after their biggest win of the season, knocking off Church Point 44-28. District 4-3A mates, Iota won the regular season meeting, 38-6. Expect the Bulldogs to stay hot.

Prediction: Iota 46, Northwest 6

7. No. 24 Riverdale (3-7) at No. 9 Acadiana (7-3) - Division I Select

It shouldn’t go without saying that Acadiana beat Carencro during the regular season, but the Bears received the No. 8 seed and final first-round bye in Division I Select over the Wreckin’ Rams. Acadiana will feel spurned and should be the most feared 9-seed in any bracket in the LHSAA.

Prediction: Acadiana 50, Riverdale 6

6. No. 18 St. Edmund (5-5) at No. 15 Opelousas Catholic (7-3)

These two District 6-1A rivals were already projected to play each in the first round of the Division IV Select playoffs before they met in the regular-season finale at Opelousas Catholic last week. The Vikings handled the Fightin’ Blue Jays, 60-21. There’s a saying in football that it’s hard to beat the same team twice in a season. But Opelousas Catholic doesn’t buy into that and rolls here.

Prediction: Opelousas Catholic 44, St. Edmund 27

5. No. 28 Breaux Bridge (4-6) at No. 5 Carroll (8-1)

Breaux Bridge sweated whether or not it was going to make the Division II Non-select playoff field as it closed the regular season with losses to Opelousas and Livonia. Luckily, it earned the final spot in the bracket at No. 28 and drew an interesting first-round matchup with No. 5 Carroll. The Bulldogs will be without first-year coach Brandon Landers and several of his assistant coaches, who were suspended following an in-stands dust-up with fans at Franklin Parish. As Carroll opens its playoff run, will it be affected by the absence of Landers?

Prediction: Carroll 23, Breaux Bridge 18

4. No. 18 Patrick Taylor Science Tech (5-5) at No. 15 Ascension Episcopal (5-5)

Talk about turning it on at the right time. The Blue Gators dropped their first four games, but that feels like ages ago. Ascension cruised to a district title and has won four straight heading into the Division III select playoffs. The biggest concern is the health of quarterback Cade Dardar, but the Blue Gators shouldn’t struggle without him in the first round.

Prediction: Ascension 35, Patrick Taylor Science Tech 14

3. No. 19 Lake Charles College Prep (4-6) at No. 14 Catholic-New Iberia (4-6)

Ask anyone seven weeks ago and they would’ve said Catholic-New Iberia might not make the postseason. But the Panthers righted the ship somewhat as district play started and won four of their last six games to reach the Division III select field. Lake Charles College Prep is a good team despite its record and will be a handful for Catholic.

Prediction: Lake Charles College Prep 21, Catholic-New Iberia 13

2. No. 20 Franklinton (5-5) at No. 13 Cecilia (7-3)

Franklinton was likely nine points away from being a first-round host this season. It played the 5A teams on its schedule close while going 3-2 in District 8-4A play. Cecilia didn’t close out the regular season the way it had hoped, losing to Opelousas and Iowa, the two toughest teams in their district by 15 combined points. Cecilia is the more talented team but this Division II Non-Select game will be close.

Prediction: Cecilia 12, Franklinton 7

1. No. 18 Eunice (6-4) at No. 15 Erath (7-3)

Eunice, despite a slow start to the season, won District 3-4A. The Bobcats likely don’t deserve a seed as low as No. 18 but that’s where they landed in Division II Non-select. Erath has won four straight games, finding something offensively during that stretch. This first-round matchup between Eunice and Erath will come down to the wire.

Prediction: Eunice 28, Erath 25

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LHSAA football playoffs: Top Acadiana-area Round 1 games, predictions