Newman now in favorite’s role after earning No. 1 seed | Prep Sports

Newman is a reigning state soccer champion and will enter the Division IV State Boys playoffs at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at No. 1 against No. 32 Riverside.

This differs greatly from last season, when the Greenies held the No. 10 seed and recorded a string of unexpected victories, including a 1-0 win over Pope John Paul II in the State Finals.

“This year our narrative is the same as Pope John Paul’s was last year,” Newman coach Tooraj Badie said of his No. 1 position in the quest for a second straight state title. “You were the overwhelming favorite to win it all last year.

“If you’re not ready to win every single game, then anyone can beat you. That’s what we’ve been preaching all year. You can’t toggle the switch on and off and expect to win every single game. That’s more important in the playoffs.”

Newman (17-2-4) played several top teams from all divisions during the regular season. The two losses for the Greenies came against No. 1s from other divisions, first to Division II’s Ben Franklin 3–0 on December 10 and then to Division III’s U-High 3–1 on January 7.

Newman played a second match against Ben Franklin and drew 2-2 on January 14.

But the match that caught the attention of several Newman players took place last week. In a game that decided a county championship, Newman and Country Day played to a 2–2 draw before the host Cajuns won a penalty shootout.

“We lost in a shootout,” Badie said. “We lost the district championship. That really shook the boys.”

Newman could get a second chance to face Country Day No. 8 (9-6-6) if both schools advance to the state quarterfinals.

“We’re planning tough games,” Badie said. “We want to prepare for the playoffs. There are a number of teams in the playoffs that you don’t know about. If you play tough games during the regular season, prepare to go all out in the playoffs.”

Newman has a 7-0-2 record in the last nine games. The Greenies ended the regular season with a 2-1 win over Brother Martin on Monday.

Leading scorers for Newman are Rylan Claverie (25 goals), Cole Spady (20 goals) and Junior Boyce Batten (22 assists). Other standout players include senior defender Kearney Nieset and junior midfielder Luke Mobley.

Remarkable

Joining Newman as the reigning state champion with a No. 1 seed are Catholic-Baton Rouge (Division I boys), U-High (Division III boys) and St. Thomas More (Division II girls). Loyola Prep won a girls state title in Division III last season but is ranked No. 1 in Division IV this season. … Sacred Heart, a Division IV champion last season, is ranked No. 6 in Division III. … Riverside No. 32, Newman’s first-round opponent, has a 1-18-2 record.

Soccer playoff fixtures for New Orleans area boys and girls

Boys

FIRST LEAGUE

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No. 20 Northshore (10-8-3) at No. 13 Hahnville (14-2-3)

No. 22 Brother Martin (6-9-4) in No. 11 CE Byrd (15-6-2), 4:30 p.m. Friday

No. 25 Bonnabel (7-6-2) in No. 8 St. Amant (11-3-3), 7 p.m. Thursday

No. 27 Fontainebleau (8-11-5) at No. 6 Jesuit (12-4-3)

No. 30 Ponchatoula (6-11-5) in No. 3 Mandeville (21-2-5), Saturday 7pm

No. 31 Walker (7-8-5) at No. 2 St. Paul’s (14-1-4), 5 p.m. Saturday

DEPARTMENT II

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No. 17 Belle Chasse (13-8-2) at No. 16 Terrebonne (12-10-5)

No. 21 Lakeshore (10-10-3) at No. 12 Teurlings Catholic (10-8-6), 4:30 p.m. Sunday

No. 22 New Orleans Military & Maritime (8-10-2) at No. 11 Natchitoches Central (9-6-0)

No. 23 Riverdale (10-6-0) at No. 10 David Thibodaux (10-5-4)

No. 26 McKinley (8-5-1) vs. No. 7 Grace King (12-3-5) in Yenni, 4:30 p.m. Saturday

No. 28 Shaw (5-13-2) at No. 5 Holy Cross (17-3-4), 5:30 p.m. Thursday

No. 29 LW Higgins (5-10-1) vs. No. 4 East Jefferson (14-5-4) at Yenni, 2 p.m. Saturday

No. 30 Minden (5-10-2) at No. 3 Rummel (19-5-1), 3:30 p.m. Friday

No. 32 AJ Ellender (7-14-0) at No. 1 Ben Franklin (17-3-3), 7 p.m. Saturday

DEPARTMENT III

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No. 18 Morris Jeff (10-7-2) at No. 15 Tara (13-3-2)

No. 20 Morgan City (7-9-5) vs. No. 13 Kenner Discovery (11-5-3) at Lafreniere Park, Friday 4pm

No. 21 De La Salle (6-12-3) at No. 12 Hannan (11-9-4)

No. 22 Sterlington (10-9-3) vs. No. 11 Haynes (14-4-4) at Yenni, 4:30 p.m. Thursday

No. 23 LB Landry (6-6-4) at No. 10 Belaire (14-6-2)

No. 27 Pearl River (3-12-0) at No. 6 St. Michael the Archangel (10-7-4)

#29 Livonia (9-16-0) in #4 Willow (12-4-5), 6 p.m. Thursday

No. 31 Livingston Collegiate (4-9-2) at No. 2 Bossier (19-2-2), Friday 6 p.m

DEPARTMENT IV

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No. 18 Ouachita Christian (8-6-3) at No. 15 Northlake Christian (7-7-2)

#22 Vermilion Catholic (6-11-2) at #11 Pope John Paul II (11-6-3)

No. 23 International (7-11-1) at No. 10 St. Martin’s (10-7-1), 4 p.m. Saturday

No. 25 Dunham (5-9-2) on No. 8 Country Day (9-6-6)

No. 29 River Oaks (4-10-1) at No. 4 St. Charles (15-4-0), 4:30 p.m. Friday

#30 Fisher (9-6-1) at #3 Episcopal of Acadiana (14-1-3)

No. 31 Thomas Jefferson (5-9-3) at No. 2 Holy Savior Menard (16-4-2)

No. 32 Riverside (1-18-2) at No. 1 Newman (17-2-4), 6:30 p.m. Wednesday

girl

First League

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No. 17 New Iberia (13-8-1) in No. 16 Hahnville (11-8-3), 2 p.m. Sunday

No. 18 Barbe (12-10-1) at No. 15 Fontainebeau (12-9-1)

No. 21 Destrehan (10-8-2) at No. 12 Alexandria (11-6-1)

No. 22 Sulfur (10-10-4) in No. 11 Mandeville (19-7-3), Friday 6 p.m

No. 24 HL Bourgeois (10-10-1) vs. No. 9 Mt. Carmel (15-5-3) at Gormley, 5 p.m. Friday

#26 Ponchatoula (11-9-2) at #7 Northshore (13-6-2)

No. 27 Slidell (10-10-0) in No. 6 Dutchtown (15-2-3), 5 p.m. Saturday

No. 28 Baton Rouge High (8-13-3) at No. 5 Dominican (16-2-6) at Pan American, Friday 5 p.m

No. 31 Live Oak (13-9) at No. 2 St. Scholastica (18-2-4)

Department II

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No. 17 Belle Chasse (8-4-5) at No. 16 North DeSoto (6-11-3)

No. 18 Natchitoches Central (2-11-1) vs. No. 15 East Jefferson (9-8-0) at Yenni, 6:30 p.m. Thursday

No. 21 Minden (6-12-1) at No. 12 Chapelle (12-5-2)

No. 24 Academy of Our Lady (5-10-1) in No. 9 David Thibodaux (10-9-3), Friday 5 p.m

No. 28 New Orleans Military & Maritime (10-7-1) at No. 5 Ben Franklin (13-7-2)

No. 29 Riverdale (5-9-1) at No. 4 Caddo Magnet (16-9)

#31 Franklin Parish (7-16-1) on Lakefront #2 (14-8-5)

Department III

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No. 17 Cabrini (8-7) at No. 16 Pearl River (8-9-1)

No. 18 Haynes (10-10-0) at No. 15 Kenner Discovery (12-11-1)

#19 Ursuline (10-9-3) at #14 Cecilia (10-5-3)

#21 DeRidder (4-9-3) in #12 Willow School (11-7)

No. 24 Patrick Taylor (3-11-4) at No. 9 Sterlington (12-8-1)

No. 27 Bossier (7-11-1) vs. No. 6 Sacred Heart-NO (11-6-3) at Pan American, 5 p.m. Saturday

No. 31 De La Salle (4-19) at No. 2 Parkview Baptist (17-5)

No. 32 St. Martinville (4-19-0) at No. 1 Hannan (11-4-4)

Department IV

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No. 18 Thomas Jefferson (15-5-2) at No. 15 Evangel (7-7-4)

No. 21 St. Charles (11-9-1) on No. 12 Country Day (8-8-4)

No. 23 Northlake Christian (7-6-3) at No. 10 Calvary (12-5-2), Friday 5 p.m

No. 25 Menard (6-11-2) at No. 8 McGehee (9-6-1)

#27 Vermilion Catholic (6-11-1) at #6 Newman (15-4-6)

#29 Riverside (11-9-1) at Epsicopal-BR #4 (13-2-1)

No. 30 Fischer (5-10-1) at No. 3 Pope John Paul II (11-4-1)