Tallulah Academy has a chance to win the MAIS District 4-A championship by beating Franklin Academy on Friday night. It’s normally a prize programs covet, but Tallulah coach Bo Barton brushed it aside.

He’s after something bigger.

With a playoff berth secure regardless of Friday’s outcome, Barton said he and the Trojans (8-1, 4-0 District 4-A) really are treating this like any other game. The focus is more on the playoffs and the run to the state championship than the district title.

“It’s a district championship game. We haven’t talked much about that. It’s an opportunity for us to have a home playoff game and be playing well heading into the playoffs. It’s all about Week 12,” Barton said. “I’ve seen teams make the playoffs at 5-5 or 7-3 and make the state championship game, and teams be 10-0 and lose in the first round. It’s about winning enough games to get in the playoffs, and then winning your last game.”

The game is a matchup of the last two MAIS eight-man runners-up. Franklin (7-3, 4-0) lost to Sharkey-Issaquena in the 2013 state championship game, and Tallulah to SIA last year.

 

Briarfield at SIA

Two-time defending MAIS eight-man champion Sharkey-Issaquena Academy (7-3, 2-2 District 4-A) will try to go into the playoffs on a high note when it takes on Briarfield Academy (4-6, 1-3).

SIA is averaging 220.5 rushing yards per game this season, and quarterback Austin Herranney has accounted for 35 touchdowns — 19 passing and 16 rushing.

 

Mt. Salus at Rebul

Rebul Academy (5-5, 1-2 MAIS District 3-A) has faded from playoff contention, but can still achieve its first winning record since 2002 by beating winless Mt. Salus (0-9, 0-3) in Friday’s season finale in Learned.

 

Hazlehurst at Port Gibson

Port Gibson (2-8, 1-3 Region 7-3A) was eliminated from playoff contention with a 40-0 loss to Wilkinson County last week, and figures to have another difficult time in its season finale Friday against undefeated Hazlehurst (9-0, 4-0).

Hazlehurst scored at least 24 points in every game this season and is averaging 477.6 rushing yards per game. Port Gibson has been shut out four times and scored more than eight points once.

 

Union Parish at Madison Parish

A two-point loss to Richwood last week was just the second of the season for Madison Parish, but might have dealt a crippling blow to its playoff hopes.

The loss against a previously winless team sent Madison (6-2, 1-2 LHSAA District 2-3A) plummeting to No. 41 in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s power rankings. Madison has played the second-weakest schedule in Class 3A, and is one of only two teams with at least five wins not ranked among the top 32.