With the LHSAA basketball regular season winding down, area girls and boys prep basketball teams begin their final push for either better seedings in the upcoming postseason tournaments or, for some, even making the playoffs. 

The official end of the regular season is February 21st, but the schedule for several local schools shows their seasons coming to a close much earlier, depending on when games that were forced to be cancelled by the recent Ice Storm are played. 

A look at the remaining schedule for each area school’s teams, not including games that are to be made up, that don’t have a date scheduled as yet, and their playoff possibilities is below.

Jonesboro-Hodge High School 

Remaining Schedule
Feb. 10 – at Glenbrook
Feb. 13 vs Cedar Creek
Feb. 16 at New Living Word

Playoff Possibilities – The Lady Tigers (12-15) are at #17 in the most recent power rankings, basically assured of being included in the 28-team Division IV postseason bracket. For the JHHS boys team, it is a different story as with a 5-20 record and a #35 ranking, the Tigers’ season looks to close after the remaining regular season games. 

Quitman High School

Remaining Schedule
Feb. 10 – vs Choudrant
Feb. 12 – vs PCA

Playoff Possibilities – Both the girls and boys teams are not only locks for the postseason but are in a great position to have first-round byes. The boys’ team has a stellar 20-4 record and, with a #4 ranking in Class B, is tied for the highest-rated boys team in the area. A first-round bye is assured, and victories in their final two games allow Quitman to play every playoff game before the state tournament at home. At #9 and with a 19-7 record, the Lady Wolverines need to win all their remaining games to secure a first-round bye. 

Saline High School

Remaining Schedule
Feb. 10 – at Stanley
Feb. 17 vs Natchitoches Central (boys)

Playoff Possibilities – With the boys (18-11) at #4 in Class C and the Lady Bobcats (16-13) checking in at #8 both are guaranteed to make the postseason and are in great shape to gain first round byes with the boys in position to host every playoff game at home until the state tournament. 

Weston High School

Remaining Schedule 
Feb. 10 – vs Dodson
Feb. 12 – at Castor

Playoff Possibilities – The Lady Wolves (16-10) have a #13 ranking and are in the postseason, while the boys team (10-17) sits squarely on the bubble at #20, the final position that will qualify for the playoffs. A strong finish is required to keep their season alive after the remaining scheduled games. 

Quitman High School reached the magical 20-win season plateau for the fourth straight year and moved into a prime position to claim its second district title under the guidance of head coach Mike Black. The Lady Wolverines also are in great shape to claim a second straight 1B titles, and along with the Saline boys are within an eyelash of staking claim to the 20-win club as well. 

The Weston girls continued their late-season run under first-year coach Matt Herring, while the Lady Tigers saw their hopes for a District 1-1A title take a serious blow. The JHHS boys team won their second in three games, and the Wolves saw a great chance to secure a playoff position go by the wayside.

Quitman 88 Simsboro 76 (boys) – Taden Thomas scored 23 points that included being a perfect 12/12 from the free throw line, and Brayden Smith compiled a “double-double” of 17 points and 12 rebounds to pace the Wolverines to their 16th straight victory and improve their stellar season record to 20-4 overall and 3-0 in District 1B play. Brayden Martin also came up big with 21 points, and Asher Schultz had the best game ever with a new career high of 14 points and 8 rebounds.

JHHS  68 Plain Dealing 53 (boys) – Jayce Wright scored a career high 14 points, and both Channing Gray Jr and JaQuan Qualls added 12 points apiece as the Tigers (5-20, 1-2) gained their first district victory of the year and moved out of the 1-1A cellar. JhaDarious Bishop also set a new career high in scoring as both he and JaQuan Qualls chipped in with 9 points. 

Saline 67 New Living Word 49 (boys) – The “dynamic duo” of Eli Ferguson and Gavon Dailey, both of whom passed the 1,000 career point plateau a few weeks back, scored 24 and 20 points respectively to move the Bobcats (18-11) closer to securing second place in District 1B with their 7th win in their last 8 games.

Georgetown 62 Weston 57 (boys) – For three quarters, it looked like the Wovles (10-18) were going to claim a critical, power rating boost, victory over the 5th-rated team in Class C, but losing the final frame by a 22-14 margin spelled doom. Brody Tidwell led Weston in scoring with 20 points, while Malachi Harris added 13 and Aiden Faulkner chipped in with 9 points. 

Quitman 52 Simsboro 41 (girls) – Anna Claire Leach scored 18 and both Allie Robertson and Hallie Kate Pullig joined the “double digit” scoring club with 12 and 10 points, respectively, to lead QHS (18-7, 3-0) to the victory.

Weston 68 Georgetown 33 (girls) Carly Jo Griffin posted 14 points to lead ten Lady Wolves who scored that paced WHS to their third straight victory in the non-district contest and solidified Weston’s position for a strong postseason run. 

Plain Dealing 49 JHHS 46 (girls) – Needing a victory to hold on to hopes of winning the District 1-1A title, the Lady Tigers (12-15, 2-1) gave a valiant effort to rally from a slow start but fell short. Jalenya Jackson scored 12 points, Derryn Osborne added 11, Sanaa Tatum tallied 10, and Nesha Johnson netted 9 in the well-rounded scoring effort. 

Saline 48 Claiborne Christian 20 (girls) – Kasidy Sims scored 16, and Morgan Cheatwood chipped in with 12 points to help lift the Lady Bobcats to the convincing District 1C victory that sets up a district championship winner-take-all matchup with Summerfield in the contest that was rescheduled from the January 30th date that was cancelled due to the ice storm that plagued north Louisiana.

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