The 2026 LHSAA boys basketball playoff brackets have been released. In contention to take part in “Marsh Madness,” which is what the annual state tournament is called, are Quitman and Weston High Schools from Jackson Parish and neighboring Saline High.
District 1B champion Quitman and District 1C runner-up Saline have the best road for an opportunity to play in Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles, LA, for the week-long affair in Lake Charles, LA as both have received first-round byes.
Perhaps even more important is that Quitman (24-5) is seeded #3 in Class B and Saline (21-13) is at #4 in the Class C bracket, meaning both schools will play every postseason contest on their home floor up to the state tournament, where the semi-finals and finals of each division and class are played.
Quitman High, which under the guidance of Michael Black, went undefeated during the months of December and January while reeling off 20 wins in a row to climb to their highest ranking since 2007, the last year the Wolverines made the state tournament. Bolstered by a deep roster that includes a pair of 1000 career point scorers, QHS will host the winner of #14 Glenmora (14-18) and #19 Episcopal of Acadiana 13-17) in the Regional Round.
Saline High awaits the winner of #13 St. Joseph – Plaucheville (13-20) and #20 Jehovah Jireh, which has a (10-16) record. The Bobcats, who finished 2nd in District 1C climbed from #5 to #4 on the final day of the season after head coach Klint Robinson shrewdly and strategically scheduled Division 1 #3 seed, Natchitoches-Central, and the #6 and #9 seeds in Class B, Stanley and Castor, to improve the Bobcats power points.
Weston High (11-20) has a much tougher road to take. After receiving the final position in the Class B bracket, the #20-seeded Wolves must play every game on the road. The good news is that head coach Jacob Otwell’s squads first-round opponent is a team they know well in District 1B foe Simsboro, who, at 12-14 on the year, was granted the #14 seed. Weston lost to Simsboro 64-50 at home on February 9th in a contest that was rescheduled due to the Winter Storm Fern event. The winner of that contest earns the right to travel to #4 seed Lacassine. Game time is set for 6:00 pm on Thursday, February 26th, with the doors to the Simsboro gymnasium opening at 5:00 pm. The cost of admission is $10.00 per person.
