The LHSAA announced the pairings Sunday afternoon at the Holiday Inn Select Conference Center, where Ponchatoula (5-4) got the expected good news — they Green Wave is in the postseason for the first time since 1999. The Greenies, seeded 30th in Class 5A, travel to No. 3 Brother Martin Friday.

“I’m real happy for my kids and coaches,” Ponchatoula head coach Mike Baiamonte said. “They have worked real hard and dedicated themselves to our whole philosophy. They found a way to win after losing four straight and put ourselves in this position. That’s the whole purpose of what we try to do. Give yourself a chance. Never give up, never stop working.”

Brother Martin (8-0) defeated Archbishop Rummel 14-9 Saturday to capture the District 9-5A title. The Crusaders allowed just 37 points for the season.

“They are a solid defensive team,” Baiamonte said. “It’s going to be another challenge for our kids. We’re in the round of 32 and we’re going to do what we always try to do — try to play good, see if we can stay close and give ourselves a chance.”

The winner will play either No. 14 Central or No. 19 West Jefferson in the regionals. West Monroe earned the top seed in Class 5A.

Amite's Warriors got a No. 3 seed but a curious draw — the Warriors (9-0) must turn right around and host the team they just beat by 35-19 on Friday, 30th-seeded Bogalusa (5-5).

“It’s an awkward situation,” Warriors coach Alden Foster said. “We’re playing a good football team in Bogalusa and we had our hands full with them Friday.

“But we’re happy to be here. We have an opportunity to play them at home, and hopefully that helps. You would like to have somebody different. You don’t want to play somebody back-to-back. But that’s how the bracket fell. We’re familiar with each other. We don’t have to exchange films.”

The Warriors get the 14-North Desoto/19-Crowley winner in the regionals. Amite is on the same side of the bracket as Independence and defending state runner-up Westlake. Notre Dame is the No. 1 seed and Westlake is No. 2.

Indy and Loranger will also represent District 10-3A in the playoffs. Independence (7-2) is the No. 7 seed and will host Jennings (3-6), the No. 26 seed. Tigers head coach Keith Carona said Jennings cannot be taken lightly despite its record. The Bulldogs finished third in District 4-3A behind Westlake and No. 11 St. Louis.

“Jennings is 3-6 but a lot of teams would have a 3-6 record with their schedule,” Carona said. “They are a solid team. Every week in the playoffs, you are playing a good team.”

It's a rugged pod for the Tigers, who get the No. 10 Cecilia-No. 23 Brusly winner, then have to get by Westlake to gain a rematch with Amite in the semifinals.

Loranger has one of the toughest tests of the local teams. The Wolves (4-5), seeded 28th, will travel to No. 5 seed and defending state champion Parkview Baptist (8-1). The Eagles were the top-ranked team in 3A throughout the season before losing to Redemptorist 28-14 Friday.

“Whenever you play in the playoffs, they are all good,” Loranger head coach Sam Messina said. “They are all tough. I know Parkview is going to be tough and physical. They are known for their offensive linemen and they are a very, very well-coached team.”

The winner gets either No. 12 Rayville or No. 21 Winnfield.

In class 2A, St. Thomas Aquinas (9-0), the No. 8 seed, will host No. 25 Welsh after clinching a second straight perfect District 9-2A title with a 35-7 win at Pope John Paul II Friday.

“That was one of our goals all year, and we achieved it,” STA coach John White said. “Expectations have been high all year and the kids lived up to it. Now we are in the postseason and we want to stay around for a while and have fun.”

Welsh (6-3) also went undefeated in winning the District 5-2A title.

“I’m excited we get to play a new opponent,” White said. “There are a lot of teams in 2A we have played before so I like playing a new team. I think it’s going to be exciting.”

But it's a rough road to the Dome. A win matches the Falcons with either No. 9 Homer or No. 24 Livonia in the regionals, with No. 1 John Curtis looming in the quarterfinals.

St. Helena Central (6-3), which finished second in 9-2A, is also on that side of the bracket. The Hawks will host No. 21 St. John-Plaquemine (6-3), which advanced to the quarterfinals in 2A last season and the Class 1A finals in 2006.

“Expectations have been high all year and this was one of our goals,” Hawks coach Dwayne Severio said. “We have 18 seniors and their goal was to get St. Helena back in the playoffs, so we have met that goal. It’s a new season. We’ll take it one game at a time and see what happens.”

The winner gets either No. 5 Farmerville or No. 28 Oakdale, with five-seed Farmerville and four-seed Calvary Baptist lurking, then possibly Curtis in the semifinals.

Kentwood, meanwhile, gets a familiar first-round opponent under the tank in former district mate Catholic-Pointe Coupee. The 7-1A champion Roos (5-4) are seeded 13th while Catholic-PC (4-4) comes in at No. 20.

The bad news is the Roos are on the same side as No. 1 South Plaquemines for the semifinals. First would come either No. 4 Haynesville or No. 29 St. Mary-Natchitoches in the regionals.

“We would have liked to have been on the other side of the bracket opposite of South Plaquemines,” Roos coach David Currier said. “That’s the team nobody wants to be in the bracket with if you are thinking about making a run to the Dome.

“But our kids are on a high and feeling good about themselves. We’re playing good football. That’s the key, to be playing good football at this time of the year.”