BY MATT VINES, DeSoto Parish Journal
STONEWALL – The North DeSoto girls soccer team cruised through the first round of the Division II playoffs with an 8-0 win against New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy on Friday.
Now the No. 6 Lady Griffins (16-7-4) will have a home game against No. 11 David Thibodaux for a chance to advance to the quarterfinals for just the second time in program history.
The Thursday game will be at 6 p.m. in Stonewall.
The second round is a familiar place for North DeSoto as the program has appeared at this stage in nine of the last 10 years.
But the Lady Griffins have usually met their end in this round, winning just once in 2018 (beating St. Martinville).
North DeSoto has already set a program record for wins (16) this season, and the Lady Griffins would love to add a deep playoff run to match.
“Playing at home is a great advantage in the second round,” said North DeSoto coach Morgan Ersoff. “We won’t lose a day due to travel, and our girls get to have a normal day at school.
“When you have the same routine, it’s just a more normal environment.”
David Thibodaux STEM Magnet (9-8) hails from Lafayette and handled No. 22 Ellender in the first round, 6-0.
They’ve faced some of the top teams in that area, such as Lafayette (two losses), Barbe (4-0) and St. Thomas More (6-0 loss). David Thibodaux did knock off Division I Acadiana and Acadiana Renaissance Charter.
“David Thibodaux has done well this year, and they’ve had some strong results,” Ersoff said. “They will challenge us and make us work for the win.”
In the first round, North DeSoto scored four goals in the first half and put the match against NOMMA out of reach.
Leading scorer Melanie Windham recorded a hat trick with three goals with Chloe Phillips (two), Ellie Wagner (two) and Ella Cosby (one) contributing offensively.
The shutout is North DeSoto’s 12th of the season.
If the Lady Griffins win, their next opponent has already been determined.
No. 3 Terrebonne finished off No. 14 Tioga, 2-0, on Monday and will host the winner of Thursday’s contest.
NORTH DESOTO BOYS SEASON ENDS IN FIRST ROUND
The North DeSoto boys soccer team fought and clawed to pushed their way into the playoff picture, and the Griffins were rewarded with an 8-0 loss to No. 1 seed Holy Cross.
The No. 32 seed Griffins, and their 13 seniors, advanced to the postseason for the second straight year.
The Griffins finished the year with a 6-14-2 record.