Bowling: 48 teams open playoffs this week

Four dozen high school bowling teams still have hopes of a state championship. By Wednesday afternoon, that number will be whittled down to 12.

The early round matches in all three brackets will be contested this week at three different bowling centers in southeast Louisiana – Division II boys/co-ed action on Monday at All Star Lanes in Baton Rouge, Division I boys/co-ed matches Tuesday at Colonial Lanes in Harahan, and the girls Wednesday at Bowlero Kenner.

The lone No. 1 seed from the New Orleans area, Archbishop Shaw (12-0), opens the first-ever Division II playoffs – the boys/co-ed side was split into two divisions for the first time this season – Monday at 10:30 a.m. against No. 16 seed St. Thomas More.

A first-round win would put Shaw against E.D. White or Belaire. Second-round matches are at 1:30 p.m.

Two other local teams are in the Division II bracket. Fourth-seeded Patrick Taylor (9-1) meets French Settlement in the opening round. The Tigers would face either St. Michael the Archangel or Madison Prep in round two.

No. 10 seed Belle Chasse (9-2) takes on University Lab in the first round. If the Cardinals win, they would likely face the other unbeaten in the D-II bracket, South Terrebonne, in the second round.

Four Catholic League teams are in the Division I playoffs – No. 2 seed Jesuit, sixth-seeded Brother Martin, No. 7 seed Archbishop Rummel and 12th-seeded Holy Cross – along with Slidell, which claimed the 16th and final spot in the bracket.

The Crusaders, Raiders and Tigers bowl their opening-round matches at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, while the Blue Jays have the later shift of first-round action at 12:30 p.m. The four second-round matches are at 2:45 p.m.

On the early squad, Brother Martin (11-1) faces Central Lafourche, Rummel (10-2) takes on Hammond and Holy Cross (9-3) matches up with Denham Springs. Jesuit (10-1) takes on Catholic High and Slidell (8-3) faces top-seeded Captain Shreve on the afternoon squad.

If the local teams win, Rummel and Jesuit would have a second-round rematch of a 17½-9½ Blue Jays victory on March 4. Brother Martin would meet the Airline-St. Amant winner, Holy Cross would take on the Alexandria-Parkway winner and Slidell would face the East Ascension-Lafayette survivor.

When the girls take the lanes Wednesday, Archbishop Chapelle (12-0) is the highest seed from the area at No. 4. The Chipmunks take on Airline in the opening round at noon.

Ninth-seeded Patrick Taylor (8-2) matches up with Alexandria, while No. 14 seed Academy of Our Lady faces one of the other three unbeaten girls teams, Albany, in the opening round. AOL lost to Albany 17-10 on Feb. 8 in Kenner.

Chapelle could face St. Scholastica, the 12th seed, in the second round at 2:30 p.m., if the Doves can defeat Captain Shreve in the first match.

Patrick Taylor would face the winner of top-seeded H.L. Bourgeois and South Terrebonne, while AOL would meet either Central Lafourche or Lafayette.

The four survivors from each day’s action will advance to next week’s semifinals and finals at Premier Lanes in Gonzales. The girls will bowl on April 3, with both boys brackets in action on April 4.