Despite going just 1-9 overall and 1-4 in LHSAA District 3-1A, the Block High School Bears not only made the 2016 Allstate Sugar Bowl/LHSAA Non-Select Prep Classic in Class 1A but they also earned the No. 24 seed out of 32 teams.

The reason for such a high seeding was Block’s strength of schedule.

The Bears’ non-district slate consisted of five teams which all made the postseason — Ouachita Christian School (Division III), Ferriday, Mangham, and Rayville (Class 2A), and Jena (Class 3A).

Now Block will travel to DeRidder to face East Beauregard High School today at 7 p.m. in a first-round game.

“I hate to get in at 1-9, but (seniors) Michael Barber and Jacob Duncan, I think they deserve to play at least one more game,” Block head coach Bo Sproles said. “We had the fourth toughest schedule in the state in 1A.”

The Bears welcome back junior quarterback Zorian Bowie to the lineup, who has missed the past several weeks because of injury.

“He’s not 100 percent, but he can function. He’s done good in practice,” Sproles said.

The Trojans are the No. 9 seed after going 9-2 overall and 6-1 in District 4-1A. Their only loss in district play was to No. 4 seed Oberlin.

“They’re a pretty good football team,” Sproles said. “They run a tight double-wing like we do. They have a couple of good athletes. We match up with them pretty well. We have to tackle. Not give up the big plays. If we play the way we did against St. Mary’s we have a shot.”

For Block to pull off the win over East Beauregard, Sproles said his squad will have to slow down the Trojans’ running game

“They have two running backs that are pretty good. They don’t have any quit in them,” he said. “One of them is pretty fast. He has pretty good hands. Protect against the long ball. To understand the double-wing, we see it every day. They don’t run a lot of plays, but the plays they run are very good.

“They use a little trickery, so our linebackers are going to have to be discipline. Not get caught up in the motion of the ball. Cornerbacks are going to have to play tough ball.”

Despite the difference in records, Sproles remains confident in his team’s ability to pull off a win.

“The kids are upbeat. It’s probably been the best couple of days in practice all season,” he said.