Pios looking forward; Bears moving on

Notre Dame head football coach Lewis Cook didn't head for Destin after his team's final game of the 2021 football season, ala LSU's Ed Orgeron.
Instead, Cook went home Friday night, wondering about 'what might have been' and he woke up Saturday and Sunday with his focus fully on the 2022 season ahead.
The No.2-seeded Division III Pios saw their season end in heart-breaking fashion Friday when a last-minute rally fell short and the No. 3-seeded St. Charles Comets escaped Gardiner Memorial Stadium with a 17-13 victory. It marked the second-straight season the Comets ousted the Pios one game short of the Division III state championship game.
St. Charles will now face Lafayette Christian Academy, which defeated Newman and its highly-touted quarterback, Arch Manning, 49-7, on Friday.
Meanwhile, 25 miles to the northeast, Church Point continued its magical season by defeating powerhouse West Feliciana, 28-14.
The Bears, now 13-0 with six shutouts, will go on to face top-seeded Sterlington this Friday. Sterlington earned its semifinals berth by outlasting powerhouse Madison Prep, 40-34, in overtime.
Back in Crowley, the Comets proved once again to be a thorn in the Pios' side.
The win was third straight over the Pios deep into the playoffs, the other two being in 2020 (24-22) and 2016. (21-10) The Pios' one win over the Comets was in 2012 (27-7).
"We played well in spots, but there were a few plays we just couldn't make," Cook said after Friday's loss. "The guys had a great year and we just fell one week short."
After a physical first-half that left Notre Dame down 14-7, the Pios regrouped in the second half and had a chance to win when they began a drive with just under four minutes to play and down by four, 17-13.
The Pios drove all the way to the Comets 17 behind the passing of Nick Swacker and receiving of Zack Lamm. But a controversial grounding penalty set the Pios back and facing a long fourth-down, the Pios (9-3) were unable to convert.
"Yeah, I sat in my chair when I got home and thought about a couple of plays here and there that maybe would have made a difference, but...," Cook admitted Sunday. "It hurts, it always does when you get this close.
"But for this team to do what it did, well, I'm just so proud of them. I can't tell you how many people came up to me during the year and said "coach, ya'll so small." Heck, our biggest offensive lineman was our tight end (Luke Bertrand) and he is 215 pounds.
"But they played with heart and they got better and better as the season went on.
The Pios held the Comets to only nine first downs, 27 rushing yards, 112 passing yards and 139 total yards, which made the loss tough to swallow.
The Pios, on the other hand, had 226 total yards - 114 rushing and 112 passing.
"We were shorthanded - minus starting tackle, tailback and backup quarterback - but that's no excuse," Cook said. "We had opportunities and we got into the red zone twice in the fourth quarter; we just weren't able to get it done."
Cook's attention quickly turned to 2022 on Saturday.
"We (coaches) met Saturday and went over things , cleaned up and began looking at the off-season coming up," he said. "We start our testing this week and we'll go from there."
The Pios, who began the season with 11 new starters on offense in 2021, have four starters returning on each side of the ball in 2022.
"It's like this almost every year," said Cook of the rebuilding facing the Pios."It's next man up."
In Church Point, Arceneaux is experiencing the season he's long awaited.
He even chided with reporters after his Bears' victory over West Feliciana when he was asked what his formula would be for beating Sterlington, this week's opponent and the No. 1 seed in Class AAA:
"Score more points than Sterlington,' he quipped.
That assignment shapes up as a tall order for the Bears, giving the Panthers' resume'.
Although the Bears have been prolific in scoring points - and even better at not allowing points to opponents (481-40) - they will be faced with their toughest challenge of the season in the Panthers.
In three playoff games, the Panthers have averaged 49 points a game and they have scored 50 or more points in four of their last five games. Prior to Friday's game with Madison Prep, the Panthers had not been challenged since Sept. 24 when they held on to beat North DeSoto, 38-35.
A week later, they crushed Jennings, 45-14.
Those figures are no fluke, either. In 13 games, the Panthers have scored 586 points or an average of 45 per game.
And while those numbers may be worrisome to most opponents, they aren't likely to intimidate a Church Point defense which has been described as the school's best ever.
The unit, led by linemen Javen Gibson and Jamarrion Citizen, linebacker Gavin Middlebrooks and defensive back Armstead Mouton, has posted six shutouts, allowed only 20 points during the regular season and held an explosive West Feliciana team to 132 yards and only 1-of-12 third down conversions.
Looking ahead to Sterlington, Arceneaux said: "We're going to have to put together four great (practice) days and show up prepared. I haven't seen them yet, but they'll be big and physical and run the ball."
Sterlington, which won a state championship in 2016, trailed 27-14 starting the third quarter against Madison Prep, but rallied to get within six, 27-21, entering the fourth quarter. They tied it up to force overtime and then won after scoring in OT and holding Madison Prep on four downs.
The Panthers are led by quarterback Mason Lawhorn, who had touchdown passes of 48 and 31 yards last Friday and running back Trammell Colvin, who rushed for 101 yards and scored two touchdowns, including the winning touchdown on a 10-yard run