Cougars continue playoffs at top-ranked Opelousas Catholic

Record and resume don’t scare No. 17 Cedar Creek (15-18) ahead of the Cougars’ secondround playoff matchup at No. 1 Opelousas Catholic (26-6) today at 4 p.m.

Playoff matchups come down to seedings. It’s how teams determine who hosts and who earns an easier path through the postseason on the way to a state championship.

But thankfully for Creek, it’s not where games are played.

Sure, Opelousas Catholic is the top dog in the Division IV Select field, looking to avenge last year’s loss to Ouachita Christian in the state title game. The Vikings have the advantage when it comes to future college talent, playoff experience, and home field comfort.

In effect, “so what?” is part of the message Creek head coach Chad Yates knows his Cougars will play with as they try for another playoff upset.

“I’ve always told our guys to not worry about what’s on the front of the jersey and look beyond that,” Yates said. “ We have to stick with what we want to do. We need to pitch well and play good defense and compete our butts off at the plate. I know the guys are confident. They’re excited about playing a team like Opelousas where they know they’re going to be challenged.”

And challenging it will be. Opelousas Catholic averages nearly 8 runs a game while holding opponents under 5 runs in 27 games this year.

Mark Collins, a senior for the Vikings, is committed to Louisiana-Lafayette as a big bat in the lineup. Kross Gillen, a sophomore, has proven to be an ace for OC, allowing a single earned run across his last four appearances with 18 strikeouts.

Jordan Luna (LSUE commit) and Dontre Henry (Miles College) also make up a loaded roster for the top-seeded Vikings.

“On paper, they’re like the ‘27 Yankees,” Yates said. “They’ve got their three or four commits. They made the semifinals last year and lost to OCS and brought back seven starters. From everything we’ve seen, they do it the right way. They pitch. They catch. They hit. But like everything, we all have to go out there and play the game. The beautiful thing about the game is everyone has a shot. Whoever makes the fewest mistakes usually wins.”

With that said, Cedar Creek will roll with what worked in round one over Hanson Memorial, handing the ball to freshman Kade Luker to start, while senior Max Brister will wait in relief if needed.

Luker struck out 3 batters and allowed 1 earned in 4 1/3 innings in his playoff debut over Hanson, while Brister was lights-out in 2 innings of work with no runs allowed and 4 strikeouts.

If the duo gives the Cougars a quality outing and Creek doesn’t hurt itself, Yates said the team’s approach is good enough to win. It’s all a matter of execution now.

“The approach stays the same for us, regardless of who they throw,” Yates said. “We just have to compete and not chase when we get up to bat. All we have to do is compete and give ourselves a chance.”