Football playoffs begin Friday

Published 8:28 am Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Three Washington Parish High School teams — Franklinton, Pine and Varnado — have reached the playoffs and are five wins away from hoisting the state championship trophy.

Pine and Varnado are at home for the first round, while Franklinton is on the road.

Pine went 6-3 this season and is the No. 12 seed in Class 2A. The Raiders are hosting the 21st seed Jonesboro-Hodge. The winner faces either the defending Class 2A champion No. 5 Kinder or 28th-seeded Jeanerette.

District 8-1A champion Varnado made the Class 1A postseason as the seventh seed after posting a 6-3 overall record, and the Wildcats went 4-0 in district. The Wildcats are playing against No. 26 Ringgold.

The winner will face either No. 10 Elton or 23rd-seeded LaSalle.

Franklinton, which posted a 5-5 record this season, is on the road. The 20th-seeded Demons are facing No. 13 Warren Easton at Pan American Stadium in New Orleans.

The winner plays either fourth-seeded Tioga or No. 29 Washington-Marion.

All of the first-round playoff games are Friday at 7 p.m.