COUSHATTA – For a Red River team looking for a playoff prayer to be answered, maybe a Catholic school opponent is just what the doctor ordered.

The No. 33 Bulldogs (1-8) need to upset Loyola College Prep (6-3) on the road and get a little help from around the state to grab one of the 28 playoff spots in Division III Non-Select.

The good news?

The Flyers live up to their name in that they are a pass-first offense that runs rather sparingly.

Red River’s lone win of the season came against a ranked Class 1A Logansport squad that followed the same creed.

That 30-24 win is Red River’s lone victory and Logansport’s lone defeat this season.

So the Bulldogs won’t see a power running attack that they’ve struggled to stop. Red River has allowed seven opponents to score 40 or more points, the vast majority featuring power running attacks.

The bad news?

Loyola’s passing attack led by Bryce Restovich is one of the best in the region.

Restovich has thrown for 2,758 yards with 35 touchdowns to just four interceptions this season.

He’s also a leading rusher with 308 yards and another seven scores.

Loyola’s receiving corps is led by Ty Walsworth and Charlie McKenzie, who have 806 and 794 receiving yards, respectively.

Red River would love to piece together longer drives to keep Loyola’s offense off the field, but the Bulldogs have struggled to run the ball and consistently move the sticks.

Quarterback Ashton Johnson has produced explosion plays through the air to receivers like Lathyn Lewis, Landon Wilson and Christopher Hackett along with being a threat with his legs.

But can Red River orchestrate drives that result in points to match a Loyola offense that has scored 40 or more points seven times this season, including a season-high 71 points against Northwood?

A win puts the Bulldogs in the playoff hunt, but they’ll probably need some help from teams like Kinder, Oakdale or Rayville.

Those squads are situated at the back end of the playoffs are all favored against their Week 10 opponents. Red River may need one of them to lose if they can’t get enough of a bump from beating Loyola.

A win and a little help could send Red River to the playoffs for the 14th straight season, a streak that dates back to 2013.

It would also continue the careers of Red River’s nine seniors led by Wilson and lineman Ty Cole.

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