ELM GROVE, HAUGHTON SPLIT GIRLS GAMES
The Elm Grove Lady Eagles and Haughton Lady Bucs split girls middle school basketball games Friday at Elm Grove.
Elm Grove won the seventh-grade game 36-26, and Haughton won the eighth-grade game 21-20.
Megan Laboy led the Lady Eagles seventh-graders with 16 points. Madison Laboy and Dionisha Wilson scored six apiece. Champagne Dennis topped Haughton with with 13 points, and Keanna Barber added eight.
Dy’unica Washington hit a 3-pointer with six seconds left to lift the Haughton eighth-graders to the win. Washington hit four 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 14 points. Mary Gladney added four points. Naya Fant led Elm Grove with six points and Cameron Cox had four.
The Elm Grove seventh-graders improved to 4-0 and are tied for first with Cope. The two teams meet today at Cope at 4 p.m. The Elm Grove eighth-graders suffered their first loss but can move into a tie for first with a victory over unbeaten Cope.
In other seventh- and eighth-grade games today, Benton hosts Greenacres and Haughton visits Rusheon. Today marks the end of the first half of district play.
WILL AIRLINE FINALLY CRACK 5A TOP 10?
The Airline Vikings may finally crack the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 5A top 10 rankings when the poll is released at midnight Monday.
Airline (8-1), which was No. 11 in the rankings last week, defeated Southwood 47-0 to wrap up a share of the 1-5A title last Thursday. Carencro, last week’s No. 10 team, lost to Westgate 27-20. In last week’s poll, Airline trailed Carencro by one point in voting based on 11 points for a first-place vote, 10 for a second, etc.
LSU, LA. TECH MOVE UP IN RANKINGS
The LSU Tigers moved from sixth to fifth in both the AP Top 25 and the USA Today coaches’ polls released Sunday.
LSU (7-1) had an open date Saturday. The Tigers host Alabama (8-0), the unanimous No. 1 in both polls, this Saturday. LSU moved up because Florida dropped to eighth in both polls after suffering its first loss of the season against Georgia. Florida defeated LSU 14-6 earlier in the season.
Louisiana Tech (7-1) moved from 24th to 22nd in the AP poll after defeating New Mexico State 28-14 in Las Cruces, N.M., Saturday. The Bulldogs also moved into the coaches’ poll at No. 23. Colby Cameron passed for 292 yards and Ray Holley rushed for 130, including an 83-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, to lead Tech.
NORTHWESTERN ST. EDGES NICHOLLS
NATCHITOCHES — John Shaugnessy kicked two fourth-quarter 42-yard field goals that made Jamaal White’s blocked extra point in the first quarter the margin of victory Saturday night as Northwestern State rallied past visiting Nicholls State 27-26 in a Southland Conference football nailbiter with five lead changes.
The Demons (4-4 overall, 2-2 in the Southland) limited the Colonels (1-6, 0-4) to 49 yards after halftime and got the decisive Shaughnessy field goal with 8:57 remaining.
Nicholls got to the Northwestern 41 with 1:44 left, but Cortez Paige sacked Colonels quarterback Landry Klann on the next play before two incompletions, the last broken up by true freshman Fred Thomas, handed the Demons the ball and allowed them to run out the game’s final 1:21.
