Matt Vines

COUSHATTA – The hunter has become the hunted.

The Red River boys basketball team has experienced that pretty much all season with the vast majority of a state runner-up team returning.

The Bulldogs (24-5) have been near the top of the Division III Non-Select power rankings all season and earned the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye.

For a team that last year had to win two true road games and one neutral site game to reach the state championship as a No. 13 seed, having home court advantage until the Top 28 feels pretty good.

“Our primary goal at the beginning of the season was to secure home playoff games,” said Red River coach Dadrian Harris. “Playing in your own gym offers an unparalleled sense of comfort and familiarity.

“Additionally, eliminating the travel-related fatigue associated with the playoffs is a significant advantage. But ultimately, we’re focused on the game itself rather than the location.”

Red River earned a first-round bye and awaits tonight’s winner of No. 15 Rayville and No. 18 Pine in the second round, but the Bulldogs are familiar with what it takes to knock off a high seed on the road.

As a No. 13 seed this past year, Red River eliminated No. 4 Vinton and No. 5 Madison in true road games while handling No. 8 Donaldsonville in the semifinals in Lake Charles’ Burton Coliseum.

The Bulldogs led No. 6 seed Marksville with five minutes remaining in the championship game, nearly becoming just the second double-digit seed in state history to win a basketball championship.

“We embrace the role of ‘the hunted’ because we empathize with the experience of the hunter,” Harris said. “We prepare in the same manner as always, but our mental preparation is significantly more intense.

“Our focus remains on Red River, as our destination is entirely within our control.”

One thing hasn’t changed no matter the seeding beside Red River’s name or where they were located in the power rankings – the desire to outwork opponents.

“We’ve overcome adversity both this year and last year, gaining the knowledge and determination to persevere,” Harris said. “Now our primary focus is on outworking our opponents every game.

“The mental challenge we face is confronting the memory of last year’s championship loss. We’re determined not to make excuses – we keep our heads down and work tirelessly.”

Red River has won all 11 home games this season, including wins against No. 9 Winnfield, Division IV Non-Select No. 3 Lakeview and Class 5A member Captain Shreve.

Only two home games (three-point win vs. Shreve and seven-point win vs. Winnfield) were by single digits.