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FERRIDAY, La. — BeDe Terrell finished with 22 points while Michael Kelly had a double-double with 20 points and 20 rebounds as the Ferriday High School Trojans defeated the upset-minded Delhi High School Bears 78-62 last Friday night in the quarterfinals of the 2025 LHSAA Non-Select Division IV Playoffs at the Ferriday Junior High School Gym.

Ferriday head coach Shawn Davis said that he was expecting a battle with No. 12 seed Delhi after the Bears eliminated No. 5 seed Arcadia High School on the road last Tuesday night in a regional-round game. And for most of the first half, that’s what the No. 4 seed Trojans got.

“We knew Delhi was going to come I with a lot of energy. We knew if we could hold it steady the first two quarters, we would eventually wear them down and go on a big run, which we did in the third quarter,” Davis said.

The Trojans led the Bears 19-14 after one quarter of play, but Delhi outscored Ferriday 24-20 in the second quarter to make it a one-point game in favor of the Trojans, 39-38. However, Davis said that being up at the half “was ahead of schedule.”

Davis also noted that Delhi only played six or seven players and that would be an advantage for a Ferriday team that also welcomed back DeMarcus Mitchell to the team after missed the previous 11 games with a knee injury. The Trojans also got some much-needed help from Sharais Watson, who dished out eight assists. Mitchell nearly scored in double figures as he ended up with nine points on three 3-pointers.

“A couple of them started cramping up. Their shots started coming up short,” Davis said. “They made six 3s in the first half and they didn’t make any in the second half.”

Ferriday wound up outscoring Delhi 17-7 in the third quarter for a 56-45 lead. The Trojans put the game away with a 22-17 advantage in the fourth quarter.

The Bears were led by Dustin Dykes, who had a game-high 25 points. Jatavis Hester and Jay Wright each scored 13 points while Jimmy Spruill added 11 points.

Delhi’s game plan was to double-team C.J. Washington every time he had the ball. And while Washington was held to 10 points, seven below his season average, he was finding not only Mitchell but also Jay Jefferson, who scored 15 points and made four 3-pointers.

“We kind of figured out what they were doing. They were doubling C.J. He was finding Jay and DeMarcus for their open 3-pointers,” Davis said. “C.J.’s our No. 1 playmaker. Watson is our No. 2 playmaker and our No. 1 defender.”

As for what Mitchell’s return to the Trojans’ line-up meant for them, Davis said, “We’re extremely glad to have him back in the fold at the right time.”

Another key to Ferriday’s win was Kelly’s performance on the boards as he was a force down low.

“When he gets rebounds like that, he gives us extra possessions and gives us extra energy. He sets the tone with his rebounding and defense. When he gets in foul trouble, we’re a different team,” Davis said.

Davis added that he was very pleased with Ferriday having so many players score in double figures with so much at stake, noting that it’s been that way for the Trojans for most of the season.

With the win, the Trojans improved to 25-9 overall. However, they didn’t get much time to celebrate advancing to the LHSAA Non-Select Division IV semifinals. That’s because their game against No. 1 seed Vinton High School at the Burton Coliseum Complex on the campus of McNeese State University in Lake Charles, La. will tip off at 8 p.m. Monday.

“We were anticipating a Tuesday or Wednesday game. But when the brackets came out, they gave us a Monday night game,” Davis said.