Bossier Press-Tribune Online

Coach Jeremiah Williams’ Bossier High Bearkats are on a roll, but they need a win at Green Oaks tonight to wrap up another District 1-3A basketball championship.
That may be a tough assignment, as Bossier High squeezed past Green Oaks 40-39 at Bossier’s Reding gym in the first round of district play..
The Bearkats beat their other 1-3A opponents by margins of 30 points or more. Since a 3-2 start this season, they have won 23 of 24 games — a streak marred only by a 43-42 loss to Class 5A Ouachita.
They will have to win four state playoff games to keep another streak alive: four consecutive appearances in state championship games. That would also extend their Bossier Parish record streak of consecutive 30-win seasons to five.
But the Kats, who are ranked No. 1 in Class 3A by the Louisiana Sports Writers’ Association, have struggled against Green Oaks. In addition to the one-pointer at Bossier, they beat the Giants 36-28 in the championship game of Airline’s Doc Edwards tournament.
Four senior starters for the Bearkats are 6-5 Rashard Owens, 6-4 Tevin Robertson, 5-11 Deorvion Robinson and 5-11 Breon Morris The fifth starter is 6-2 junior Devonte Hall.
Green Oaks (13-11) is the only 1-3A team other than Bossier that has a winning record this season. Loyola College Prep is 11-16 and North DeSoto is 6-19.
Airline, which has lost five of its last six games to fall out of playoff contention, may be heading toward its worst season record since the 1994-95 Vikings finished 6-20. The Vikings have 22 or more wins in each of their last four seasons.
Hayden Hildebrand, a two-sport standout who signed with Central Arkansas Wednesday, is the Vikings’ leading scorer with an average of 18.2 points per game. Andrew Latson is averaging 15.4 and Demetrius Early 14.6. Airline is going to Southwood tonight, hoping to avenge a nine-point loss to the Cowboys in the first round of 1-5A play.
Louisiana New Tech (Plain Dealing) has already wrapped up its seventh straight District 1-1A championship going into tonight’s game with a Haynesville team that has won only one game this season. Plain Dealing rolled past Haynesville 62-39 in the first round of district play.
Cardarrious Ray, a 5-10 senior, leads Plain Dealing scorers with 15 points per game, while 5-11 senior Deaumante Johnson is averaging 11.8 points per game.
While Bossier High is the only Bossier Parish team with a Top Ten state ranking, Plain Dealing is also assured of a berth in the state playoffs. Green Oaks can earn a share of the 1-3A championship with a win over the Bearkats tonight, but both teams will be in the state playoffs.
Airline, Parkway and Haughton have losing records in District 1-5A play and Benton is winless in District 1-4A play.
Bossier High carries a 13-game winning streak into tonight’s game, winning three of their last five games by margins of 30 points or more. But the closest game in the 13-game streak was the one-pointer over Green Oaks.
The Bearkats have played the Giants twice this season, and didn’t score more than 40 points in either game. But tonight’s game will be the first time they’ve played in the Green Oaks gym.
One more victory would give the Bearkats a streak of 11 consecutive seasons in which they have 27 or more wins. That dates back to a 19-11 season in 2001-02.