By Ron Brocato

If not for having Wesley Laurendine as their head basketball coach, Brother Martin’s playoff-bound team might be over-ecstatic about its first round opponent, Scotlandville.

Scotlandville, one of the last teams to qualify for the Division I select bracket playoffs, drew the No. 23 playoff seed and will face the No. 10 seeded Crusaders in the Conlin Gymnasium on Friday, Feb. 27. The LHSAA named its playoff contenders on Monday in all select and non-select classes. And Scotlandville brings a 15-17 record to the game, tentatively set for a 7 p.m. tipoff.

Although the Crusaders’ opponent’s losing record is less than impressive on paper, its history shows a Scotlandville’s hoops history that is one of the most successful in the state’s highest classifications. Since it established itself as basketball royalty in 2012, the Baton Rouge suburban school has won eight Division I state championships, including three consecutively between 2018 and 2020.

The Hornets' last title came in 2022 when they defeated John Curtis, 62-58, in the finals. But since that stellar run of titles, the Hornets' ability to win has slowly waned. The downfall began in 2023 when they lost to Catholic High in the championship game. The next season, Scotlandville fell to No. 2 seed Liberty in the quarterfinal playoff round, and last season, the once powerful team was eliminated in the first round by McDonogh 35.

The top eight teams received first round byes. Among them were three of the Crusaders’ District 9-5A foes: No. 1 John Curtis, No. 3 St. Augustine, and No. 8 Jesuit. Also earning post-season playoff bids were No. 6 Rummel, No. 11 Edna Karr, and No. 19 Holy Cross. Warren Easton, which will be leaving the district in 2026-27, is the only league opponent not to qualify.

Scotlandville is Brother Martin’s only home-court opponent in the playoffs. If the Crusaders are victorious, they will move on to meet No. 7 Tioga on the road. Tioga is, by classification, a Class 4A school, but its enrollment under the Select category makes the Rapides Parish public school a Division I competitor.

Should the Crusaders win that round, they would likely face No. 2 seed Alexandria Senior (ASH) at the Central Louisiana school’s gym in the regional round a week later. ASH must first face the winner of the bi-district round game between No. 15 Carencro and No. 18 Bonnabel on or about March 3.