HEADING OPPOSITE WAYS—Both Hammond’s Oliverez Louis, left, and Ponchatoula’s Byron Hart (25) will be heading on the road for their respective Class 5A playoff openers Friday, the Tors to West Monroe and the Wave to St. Augustine.

State coaches weren't too kind to the area's boys basketball playoff qualifiers at Wednesday's LHSAA postseason seeding meeting at Alexandria Senior High.

Just three teams - St. Thomas Aquinas, Amite and Maurepas - secured opening round home games, while five squads - Hammond, Ponchatoula, Albany, Springfield and Holden - will hit the road for the bi-district round on Friday.

In Class 5A, No. 17 Hammond (21-10) missed out on a home game by one seed and will have to travel to No. 16 West Monroe (20-14). No. 24 Ponchatoula (22-13), meanwhile, is seeded seven spots lower but is ticketed some 170 miles closer, heading to New Orleans to face No. 9 St. Augustine (26-5).

“If you win some of the games you are supposed to win, you get those few votes needed to stay at home as opposed to driving across Louisiana to play,” Hammond head coach Kilavorus Thompson said. “But we take it as it comes and we are not backing down from anything that is coming our way.”

Ponchatoula assistant coach John Derenbecker was pleased with his team's placement and said the short trip to New Orleans helps offset having to play one of the hottest teams in Class 5A.

“There was no good place to be slotted, because I looked at that 5A list of playoff teams and there is not a weak opponent in there,” Derenbecker said.

Now all that's left for the Wave is to erase the sour feeling from ending the season losing two of their final three games. They went from a possible outright district title, to being the lowest seed from District 7-5A.

“It's a strange thing; the last few years we have had three wins in district and finished the season feeling better than we felt at the end of this district season where we won 10 games,” Derenbecker said. “It just becomes a matter of expectations, and with expectations comes disappointment when you don't meet those expectations.

“We are happy to be in the playoffs but we don't like the fact that we are going in with less momentum than we would have liked.”

Defending class 2A state champion St. Thomas Aquinas, meanwhile, is state and area's highest seeded team and will open at home against No. 32 Lakeview at 7 p.m.

“It's an honor to be voted by the other coaches throughout the state as the No. 1 seed, but with that are expectations,” said STA head coach Errol Gauff, noting that the No. 1 seed means nothing when the ball goes up.

“There are no guarantees,” Gauff said. “The No. 1 seed does not guarantee you anything but a home game in the first round. “I am sure our young men will just look at (Lakeside's) record, but I will have to convince them that they have improved.

"But the big thing is not about playing your opponent but about preparing and playing your best. That way you can be content with everything. So we need to worry about St. Thomas and make sure St. Thomas can play the way they are supposed to play.”

Gauff, along with several other area coaches, said the new process of seeding the top 31 teams in each class was not difficult and generally took between two to three hours per classification. Next year the LHSAA will adopt a power rating system similar to the current structure used in football.

“The format they went with this year is just a start,” said Springfield head coach Mark Erdey, whose Bulldogs (16-14) head to No. 6 Ferriday (22-7). “It's not a real good format to stick with, but they had to start somewhere.”

In Class 3A, Albany (20-15) received one of the eight wild card spots and will travel to face No. 11 Marksville (22-10), while District 10 champ Amite (17-9) hosts No. 18 Cecilia (19-12).

“The mind set now is, we are here and now we have to win the next game and see how far we take this thing,” Albany head coach Frank Schiro said. “I feel like we can play with just about anybody in 3A. But then again, any other team can step up and beat us.”

As for Amite, the Warriors will look to overcome their bouts with inconsistency on Friday as they host the District 6-runner up.

“It's going to be good to get that first game at home and then we'll go from there,” Warriors coach Alvin Steven said.

In Class B, District 9 champion Maurepas (28-8) opens its bid to make the Top 28 by hosting No. 23 seed Bethany. Holden (17-16), the third-place team in District 9-B, travels to District 7-B champ Episcopal-Acadiana (29-11).

It will be the second trip to Maurepas for Bethany, which dropped a 45-26 decision on Dec. 14.

“We have to get the mindset that we have to do what we are supposed to do no matter who we play,” Maurepas head coach Evan Belfantz said. “(Bethany) is a solid, fundamental team that slows the game down. They are a dangerous team that we can't take lightly.”

Rockets head coach John Hill, meanwhile, said he was happy with how the selection process unfolded and said he took no issues with Holden receiving the No. 27 seed.

“I just want our guys to have fun and enjoy the atmosphere and go in there and leave everything on the court,” Hill said.

@Agate:<*Cz10>CLASS 5A

<*Jz8> No. 17 Hammond (21-10) at No. 16 West Monroe (20-14), 6 p.m.

No. 24 Ponchatoula (22-13) at No. 9 St. Augustine (26-5), 7 p.m.

<*Cz10>CLASS 3A

<*Jz8> No. 22 Albany (20-15) at No. 11 Marksville (22-10), 6:30 p.m.

No. 18 Cecilia (19-12) at No. 15 Amite (17-9), 7 p.m.

<*Cz10>CLASS 2A

<*Jz8> No. 32 Lakeview (7-22) at No. 1 St. Thomas Aq. (32-1), 7 p.m.

No. 27 Springfield (16-14) at No. 6 Ferriday (22-7), 7 p.m.

<*Cz10>CLASS B

<*Jz8> No. 27 Holden (17-16) at No. 6 Episcopal-Acadiana (29-11), 7 p.m.

No. 23 Bethany (19-21) at No. 10 Maurepas (28-8), 6:30 p.m.