Semifinals Pick 'Em: Who can go 10-for-10?

Before I tell you my thoughts, tell me yours. What is the key to each semifinal, and what do you think about the way the brackets turned out and are set up? Do you think Destrehan, the No. 1 seed, should have to go to No. 28 Westgate? Should No. 1 Shaw have to travel down the road to No. 20 O.P. Walker?

The 10 Games (all home teams in bold regardless of neutral site)

5A
Destrehan 31, Westgate 14 (Destrehan is on a mission, and playing some of its best football of the season)
Acadiana 21, Ehret 17 (I hate to go against Ehret, but Acadiana appears to be playing like it was when it jumped out to a 7-0 start)

4A
Shaw @ O. Perry Walker (Game of the week: See below)
Bastrop 28, Benton 24 (It’s hard to go against Bastrop. Its games have gotten closer, but it has survived against some good opponents)

3A
Redemptorist 24, Parkview 21 (I’m calling for the upset. Redemptorist handled a very good Lutcher team a week ago)
Westlake 31, Patterson 20 (Westlake handled a streaking E.D. White team with ease. Patterson struggled with E.D. White)

2A
Curtis 27, Evangel 24 (This score goes against reason since the teams have combined to allow 19 points in the postseason. Curtis is on a mission to meet St. James again)
St. James 35, Calvary Baptist 21 (St. James wants nothing more than to prove its first win over Curtis wasn’t a fluke. It also has some ridiculously good athletes)

1A
Ouachita Christian 28, West St. John 14 (Ouachita just destroyed No. 1 seed and previously undefeated Cedar Creek)
South Plaquemines 45, Desire Street 17 (I just don’t see anyone coming close to South Plaq before the finals)

Game of the Week
It’s tempting to say that O. Perry Walker and Shaw shouldn’t be the game of the week. Shaw did, after all, beat Walker 34-0 earlier this season.

But to deny this the game of the week status would be to deny that Walker has changed in so many ways, as has Shaw.

At that time, Walker was coming off a 34-0 loss to Hahnville. Head coach Skip LaMothe’s staff had yet to settle in – he didn’t complete his staff until August. His quarterback was still itchy in the pocket. And the line still wasn’t a solid unit.

Now LaMothe’s staff is comfortable with each other, the quarterback has been steady for the past five weeks, and the line finally has come together. And with all of that, running back Tyrone Duplesis is out to prove somebody wrong, though I don’t know who. He has rushed for nearly 2,000 yards this season, more then 750 of the yards coming in three postseason games.

Then there’s Shaw. The Eagles are finally playing solid again. The quarterback is different from when they played the Chargers the first time. Andrew Starkey replaced an injured Ramaad Robinson, and is definitely comfortable in his role now.

Of course, it’s easy to be comfortable when you have Steffon Gray behind you. All Gray has done basically is match Duplesis. A week ago, he ran for 229 yards to pace the Eagles to a quarterfinal win.

And none of this is to mention that Shaw’s defense is finally getting back to early season form. After a stretch of allowing 28, 12, 20 and 12 points, the Eagles have given up just six and seven points, respectively, in the past two playoff games.

I think this one hinges on who has the ball the most. It’s easy to say time of possession matters, but in this game, it truly does. Both have power run games, and though both can strike quickly, they prefer to methodically march down the field. Whichever team can get its defense off the field the most will win. I’m calling for an upset. Just a gut feeling. O.P Walker 21, Shaw 17