Vidalia should have its hands full at 5 p.m. tonight against Christian Life.

Facing Christian Life in the playoffs hasn’t been Vidalia’s forte in the past. In two games against the Crusaders, the Vikings lost 9-7 in 2002 in the state finals and lost 3-1 in the state semifinals in 1997.

Vidalia head coach Johnny Lee Hoffpauir’s take on that? &uot;It’s a whole new year.&uot;

But still, some things haven’t changed. Christian Life is still good. The Crusaders carry the No. 7 ranking in Class 2A into the game &045; Vidalia is No. 4 &045; and a wealth of talent.

&uot;They won their district down in the Baton Rouge area. That’s a very tough district,&uot; Hoffpauir said. &uot;They had the state champion last year from that district with Episcopal, so winning that district speaks for itself. They have a couple of their own state titles too.&uot;

One advantage the Vikings will have is playing at home.

&uot;You don’t have to travel and make all those arrangements. It’s definitely an advantage,&uot; Hoffpauir said. &uot;But when that first pitch is thrown everything equals up.&uot;

Hoffpauir said the keys for Vidalia are what they’ve been all year: making routine plays on defense, staying patient at the plate, putting the ball in play and getting consistent pitching.

Hoffpauir said his starting pitcher will be a game time decision. If Tony Godbold, who injured his ankle as a courtesy runner in Thursday’s game, is healthy he will get the start. If he can’t go, things get more complicated.

&uot;We’re undecided. If Tony can’t go, then we might go with Will Thomas or we may start Lance Moore, though I’d like to use him in relief. But we’ll make that decision before game time. We could even throw (Brett) Hinson an inning or two.&uot;

Hinson started in Thursday’s 12-10 win over St. Frederick’s.

Facing Christian Life will also bring a face that’s familiar to Hoffpauir. Crusaders’ head coach Jeff Dragg was a third baseman on an All-Star team Hoffpauir coached in 1997. Dragg played for Alabama before returning to Louisiana to become a coach.

Block at Ascension Catholic

The Bears will face Ascension Catholic in a Division 1-A showdown at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Block’s coming off its best hitting performance of the year, a 13-run, 13-hit dusting of Logansport Thursday that included a home run each by brothers Chase and A.J. Sharp and five multiple base hits.

&uot;That’s the best we’ve hit all year,&uot; Block head coach Jeremy Farrington said. &uot;We came into the game expecting to play small ball and ended up playing gorilla ball, just about.&uot;

That’s out of character with the way the Bears have played this season. Block’s been a team that’s had to fight and scratch for its runs and play smart baseball.

&uot;We have to manufacture runs and play small ball,&uot; Farrington said. &uot;Against Ascension, we have to get good situational hitting. That’s what baseball’s all about.&uot;

Ascension was ranked No. 4 in the final regular season Louisiana Baseball Coaches Association Class 1A poll, and Farrington said they’re deserving of such a spot.

&uot;They’re a pretty good team. They have a right-hander throwing 86, 88 (mph) that we’re probably going to face,&uot; Farrington said. &uot;They’re pretty solid all around, but then they always have been.&uot;

But the Bears still have reasong to feel confident heading into the game. They are playing their best baseball of the year right now.

&uot;We’re feeling pretty good,&uot; Farrington said. &uot;You’re supposed to peak at playoffs and we’re peaking right now and feeling good about our chances.&uot;

And at the mound, Block has Cody Johnson, a pitcher who’s been a strikeout machine this season.

&uot;We have a lot of good, solid pitchers and it does us good to move them through and keep hitters off balance,&uot; Farrington said. &uot;But Cody’s been doing such a good job, there’s just no need to pull him out.&uot;

Monterey at Oak Hill

The Wolves will hit the road to face Oak Hill today.

Monterey’s coming off an 8-0 win over wild card Downsville in the first round Thursday. Oak Hill, the District 6 runner-up, beat Castor 19-2 in a blowout in the first round.

TURNING TWO &045; It’s a good thing Adams Christian opted to move David New way back when from second base to third. About the only ones not happy about it is Brookhaven Academy and others AC foes.

New turned in a gem of a double play Thursday in the Rebels’ 11-0 win over the Cougars from third base in what may have sealed the deal. In the fourth Trey Allred led off with a single and moved up a bag when Ryan Vanderslice singled with one out.

But when Paul Davis grounded to New at third, the junior stepped on the bag for force out Allred and threw to first to punch out Vanderslice to end the inning.

&uot;That was a big play,&uot; AC head coach Gill Morris said. &uot;David Alton has got that rifle arm. If he’s within two or three steps of the bag, David Alton is going to throw across that diamond. DA has bulked up, and we made the decision to move him from second to third. They don’t call it the hot corner for nothing. David will take it off the teeth if he has to.&uot;

The play was big as the Cougars tried to answer following Adams Christian’s nine-run third inning. For a team that came back in Game 2 to get the win and even the series, the Cougars never considered themselves out of a ball game no matter what the score.

But that play may have taken the wind out of their sails some.

&uot;I don’t know, really, but every game we played them they’ve been pumped up in the dugout hollering and screaming,&uot; center fielder Ray Simpson said. &uot;After that play by David Alton, it quieted them up. You could hear a pin drop. That shut them down and pumped us up even more.&uot;

THAT’S DEPTH &045; If there’s ever a concern by teams in MPSA Class AA of pitching depth, Adams Christian may not be one of them.

Especially after Thursday.

David Trisler turned in a gem against Brookhaven after the Rebels struggled on the mound and defensively in Game 2 with Corey Walker and Matt Barnes combined for 11 walks and enough hit batsmen to make you dizzy.

Trisler, who has alternated in that No. 2 starter role with Walker this season, allowed only three hits but walked only two and didn’t hit a batter in his five innings of work.

&uot;I’m just so proud of David,&uot; Morris said. &uot;He pitched a super ball game. His sidearm pitches and his changeup &045; he’s picked them up. He has full confidence in them to throw them at any time in the count.&uot;

ROAD-TRIPPING &045; Huntington’s gotten to see more of two states than the Hounds bargained for over the past two weeks.

Two weeks ago, Huntington traveled to Macon for the second game of its series against Central Academy, taking more than five hours by bus, one way. Last week, the Hounds had it a little easier &045; just a three-hour trip over to Coushatta, La., for a game against Riverdale Academy.

&uot;It seems like we’re really getting some road mileage,&uot; Huntington head coach Mitch Ashmore said. &uot;But we like to travel. It makes it fun going on the road. It was tough going over to Macon, so at least this trip is two fewer hours.&uot;

What’s in store for the Hounds this week? Just a short drive over to Minden, La., to face Glenbrook School. Minden should also be about a three-hour drive, one way.

IT’S OLD HAT &045; Everyone knows baseball players can be superstitious, and coaches are no different.

Vidalia head coach Johnny Lee Hoffpauir has a lucky hat he wears to Vikings’ practices and games. He claims the hat is just five years old, but its appearance says otherwise. Once black, it now has a color somewhere between brown and well, it’s tough to tell.

&uot;I’m not sure if it’s really got a color anymore, unless dirt is a color,&uot; Hoffpauir said.

Hoffpauir said the hat, which he started wearing during the 200 season, has served him and his team well.

&uot;It’s been with me for an undefeated season and a state-runner up season, so it’s not going anywhere,&uot; Hoffpauir said.

Adam Daigle

contributed to this report.