BY MATT VINES, The DeSoto Parish Journal
High school sports upended by ice, action picks back up tonight
With DeSoto Parish schools back in session beginning Thursday after the winter storm of snow and ice, high school sports action picks back up today.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Mansfield (6-13, 2-0 District 3-2A) has won its first district games against Many (69-40) and Jonesboro-Hodge (67-51) with district favorite Lakeview teed up tonight on the road.
The Wolverines have won three of its last four games after a 3-12 start.
Logansport (4-5, 0-1 District 3-1A) dropped its district opener, 44-30, at Northwood-Lena on Jan. 12. The Tigers head to St. Mary’s tonight in a matchup of two squads most likely to push Northwood-Lena in the district.
North DeSoto (5-3) is on a three-game losing streak after a historic 5-0 start. The Griffins fell to Doyline for the second time in two weeks, a 52-37 loss.
The Griffins start District 1-4A play on the road at power Huntington before squaring off again Monday with a Logansport squad that scored a 56-51 victory in early January. Caddo Parish schools are remaining closed today because of water pressure issues, so tonight’s matchup at Huntington may be postponed.
Stanley High (7-18, 0-1) had two District 3-B contests postponed with the winter storm, and the Panthers continue on with district power Negreet tonight.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Mansfield (12-7, 2-0 District 3-2A) continued its dominance of district opponents with a 52-9 beating of Jonesboro-Hodge on the heels of a win against Many.
The Lady Wolverines head to Lakeview tonight in a meeting of arguably the district’s two best programs. Lakeview enters with a 16-2 record.
North DeSoto (15-5) also gets the behemoth in their district as the Lady Griffins travel to Huntington, Caddo Parish schools are remaining closed today because of water pressure issues, so tonight’s matchup at Huntington may be postponed. The Lady Griffins have won six of their last seven games with the lone loss to Logansport.
NDHS got back on the right track with a 49-37 win against Doyline.
Logansport (8-7, 0-1 District 3-1A) dropped its district opener at Northwood-Lena by a score of 61-33. The Lady Tigers postponed a contest with undefeated LaSalle and return to action tonight at St. Mary’s.
Stanley (5-17) will attempt to snap a four-game slide tonight at Negreet, winners of five of their last six.
SOCCER
The North DeSoto girls are still eyeing the possibility of a district title, but the winter ice storm pushed its date with district favorite Caddo Magnet back to Jan. 27.
The Lady Griffins (12-4-4, 2-0-1)) have work to do to put themselves in a position to challenge Magnet in the District 1-II finale.
After a non-district bout with Pineville on Saturday, NDHS has district contests against Minden on Tuesday and Northwood on Friday.
The Lady Griffins snapped a three-match stretch without a win on Jan. 11 with a 8-0 win against Huntington. This stretch included a 2-2 tie against Parkway, which means North DeSoto will need a win against Caddo Magnet and not a tie.
The Lady Griffins are No. 6 in the latest Division II power rankings with No. 2 Magnet and No. 7 Parkway also occupying high slots.
The North DeSoto boys had Thursday’s match against Huntington postponed and will return to action with home matches Friday against Sterlington and Saturday against Haughton.
NDHS (4-10-2) have gone 0-6-2 in their last eight contests, including an 0-3 start to district play.
The Griffins sit at No. 34 in the power ratings, needing a late-season surge to make the 32-team playoff bracket.
NDHS has a crucial Tuesday home date against No. 32 Minden.
Thirteen seniors will play their final home match Tuesday, a contest that could send the Griffins to the playoffs in this defacto playoff game.