Wildcats Are a Long Shot to Provide Coach Sid’s 16th Trip to State Playoffs

By Woody Jenkins, Editor, Central City News — CENTRAL — Playing in the toughest district in Louisiana’s 5-A football has a lot of disadvantages.  The main disadvantage is that it’s tough to win against two defending State Champions (Zachary, the State 5-A champion, and Catholic, the State Division I champion). It’s also tough to win against a State 5-A semifinalist (Scotlandville).

However, when Central hosts Liberty High (formerly Robert E. Lee) at 7 p.m. Friday at Wildcat Stadium, there is a long shot chance they will make the State 5-A playoffs. It would be Coach Sid Edwards’ 16th trip to the playoffs in the past 17 years.

There is one advantage to playing in District 4-5A. When you lose competitive games to highly ranked teams, you get points that make it possible to move into the State Playoffs, despite a losing record. 

Normally, the State 5-A playoffs include the top 32 teams.  Central is rated as No. 29.  The problem is, the rules were changed this year, and only 28 5-A teams will be allowed to compete in the playoffs.

Coach Sid said his inhouse expert on how playoff seeds are calculated is still working on the math, but somehow, someway, the Wildcats might just move up a notch and into the playoffs.

Several years ago, Central was ranked No. 33 in the state.  Because a team was disqualified, the Wildcats moved up to No. 32 and into the playoffs.  Then they proceeded to defeat Slidell, who was seeded No. l.  It was a year to remember!