High school playoffs upon us

It’s the time of year every high school football fan looks forward to, the playoffs.

It has been a successful season for St. Tammany Parish football. Eight out of 11 squads earned post-season berths, Two won district championships, Mandeville and Salmen, and four will be at home to begin postseason play.

In Class 5-A, the seventh seeded and District 6-5A champion Mandeville Skippers (8-1, 6-1) host district rival, the 26th seeded Slidell Tigers (5-4, 4-3) Friday at 7 p.m.

St. Paul’s (8-2, 5-2), the 12th seed and tied for second in district with Northshore, will take on No. 21 John Ehret’s Patriots at Hunter Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday.

Northshore’s Panthers (7-2, 5-2), the No. 16 seed and tied for district runner-up, takes on St. Thomas More in a 7 p.m. game at NHS Friday.

Covington (4-5, 3-4), No. 28, travels to Thibodaux (8-0), the No. five seed, to face the Tigers at 7 p.m. Friday.

In Class 4-A, District 9-4A champion Salmen Spartans (7-2, 5-0) the sixth seed, hosts the Bossier Bearkats (27th seed).

Pearl River’s Rebels (7-2, 3-2), the 18th seed, travel to the Westbank to take on the Archbishop Shaw Eagles (5-4, 5-0) in a 7 p.m. Saturday night game at Hoss Memtsas Stadium. The Eagles are on a five-game winning streak.

In Class 2-A, Pope John Paul II (5-4, 2-2), the 19th seed, heads to Baton Rouge to face the 14th seeded Episcopal Knights at 7 p.m. Friday.