Playoff Q’s and A’s

My life is a living roller coaster and we’re right at the point where the little cart reaches the top of the mountain before the big, long drop.

Football playoffs, volleyball playoffs and the start of basketball has Casey a very, very busy boy.

But not too busy to talk about the things you’ve messaged me about, so let’s go!

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Q: What do you make of Terrebonne’s draw? (Asked by Rusty, Houma)

A: I love it. There are some dangerous teams seeded in the bottom of the Class 5A bracket, but I don’t think Chalmette is one of the landmines that you have to worry about stepping on as a powerhouse program. They’re 6-4 on the season, but if you dig a little into the results, you see that they’re 6-0 against opponents with losing records and 0-4 against opponents with winning records. That will be tough to muster against a hungry Tigers team that has absolutely no reason in the world to hang its heads after losing to Destrehan. I think the Tigers roll and roll big on Friday night.

Q: Who is your vote for local football coach of the year? (Asked by Timmy, Houma)

A: My goodness, what a good question. The easy vote would be Terrebonne’s Gary Hill, because the Tigers were 9-1 and had an amazing record in an incredible district. But I will throw a dart at the wall on this one and think against the grain a little bit. My vote will go to Central Lafourche coach Keith Menard. The Trojans play in the same district as Terrebonne, but doesn’t have the high-end college-level talent at the skill positions that the Tigers have. But despite those deficiencies, the Trojans pushed forward and made the playoffs and heck, they nearly earned a high enough seed to host a first-round game. Hill would be a good choice, but I think Menard has done an excellent job with this team. Don’t sleep on South Terrebonne coach Richard Curlin, either. The work the Gators have done to improve is remarkable.

Q: Can Nicholls make it back to the playoffs? (Asked by Brennan, Houma)

A: Sure they can. Heck, I will go so far as to say that I think they’re favored to make it again — assuming they take care of business in the final weeks of the season. All Nicholls lost earlier in the season was their margin for error. This team has kept all of its goals on the table and they’re in position to do all of the things that they’ve set out to do. The Colonels have a few advantages that other teams don’t have. For one, they have a great defense and that travels — no matter the opponent or weather conditions. And they’re also battle tested, having beaten a major-conference foe, while also playing in a brutally tough Southland Conference.

Q: Who is your pick for NFL MVP right now? (Asked by Bryan, Thibodaux)

A: I am going to make Saints fans angry because I have a feeling this a question where folks are expecting me to say Drew Brees. But I’m not. Look, Brees has been unbelievably good this season. In no way, shape or form am I intending to take anything away from his play. But it’s got to be Patrick Mahomes. The kid wasn’t even a starter last season and he’s risen to the lineup and has become a superstar overnight. Mahomes leads the NFL in both passing yards and touchdowns — both by a wide margin. His team is also elite, owning one of the best records in the entire NFL. Brees would be a clear second option, but there’s no way that anyone can objectively look at the stats and say that Mahomes isn’t the better option — at least right now. There is still a long way to go.

Q: What do you think of Nicholls and LSU basketball? (Asked by Reid, Houma)

A: OK, where to start? On the men’s side, I think LSU will be an NCAA Tournament team pretty easily. They have the chance to shake some things up and make a little noise once there. The Nicholls men are in transition. They lost just about everything and while I won’t entirely write them off, I’d be very surprised if they replicated last year’s 20-win season. On the women’s side, I think the LSU women will be average, which, heck, when you have an average coach like Nikki Fargas, that’s about all one can expect. The fact that she got a contract extension in the offseason baffles me. But that’s another argument for another day. On a brighter note, the Nicholls women should be loaded again with a lot of talented returnees on the roster.

Q: Going to Biloxi this weekend. Give me betting tips. (Asked by Ron, Houma)

A: I love this one because this is a passion and hobby of mine. For one, never play on any of the teams that you root for. No LSU, Saints, Pelicans, etc., whomever. You see the good in the teams that you root for, but never see the bad. It’s like parenting. Never play on any team that you have a vested interest in. Also, focus on what you see in the present and not what you remember from the past. Thinking that a team is “due” to win or is “owed” a win is always a bad recipe. Study recent trends, but don’t let much history factor into your decisions. And lastly, have fun with it. Even the best only win 55-60 percent of their plays. This isn’t a get rich quick scheme. It’s just a way to make watching the ballgame a little more fun.

Q: What’s going on with the Lady Tarpons volleyball team? They’ve come so far in a short time. (Asked by Daryl, Houma)

A: True story: I was the stat guy for Lady Tarpon volleyball from 2002-04. I graduated in 2005 after the fall season of 2004. We were not always competitive. We had good athletes, but they weren’t volleyball players. We had kids who played during the volleyball season, but that’s all. No one had year-round experience. Flash forward a decade and the culture is totally different. Lady Tarpons volleyball is a big deal down in this neck of the woods and South Lafourche is built to last for quite some time. Kudos to coach Jamie Cantrelle and several other community members for their hard work in the offseason to build that passion in the kids. Their success story is pretty awesome.

Q: Your thoughts on the Andrew Robison situation? (Asked by Merrick, Houma)

A: OK, I will be intentionally vague on this one because I’ve been heavily involved in this case. I am happy for Andrew Robison and the fact that he’s getting a chance to showcase himself for college scouts. I feel bad for the student-athletes in the state of Louisiana. No matter which side someone is on in this particular case, we can all agree that the LHSAA has some serious problems going forward — either with its rules or its enforcement of its rules. I attend the annual meetings in January each year and I cannot wait to hear what solutions are offered and what Executive Director Eddie Bonine has to say. He has a lot of explaining to do.

Drew BreesJOSE DELGADO | THE TIMES

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