The postseason is something very familiar for a Many program that punched its 16th playoff ticket in the last 17 years.
The 2026 Tigers are also familiar with do-or-die situations, as they had to beat a six-win Lakeside team in the season finale to secure their postseason spot.
Senior running back Daniel Thomas made sure he’d have at least one game in a Many jersey when he rushed for 276 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-28 win against Lakeside.
Now No. 26 Many (3-7) will saddle up to ride southeast to face a red-hot No. 7 Pine squad (8-2).
Many is making its second straight playoff appearance under coach Tyler Hassell, who inherited a team that went winless in 2024.
Hassell guided the 2025 Tigers to a home playoff game in his first season, which resulted in a revenge win against a Red River team that beat Many in the regular season.
Many will hit the road in the first round of the 2026 playoffs but remain a dangerous bunch that carries the aura and expectation of a program with championship goals.
Pine doesn’t rival that Many tradition, but the Franklinton-based high school is one of the hottest teams in the Division III Non
Select bracket as winners of their last six games.
The Raiders navigated a pretty tough district with wins against St. Helena and Amite en route to the district title.
Pine’s calling card is its defense, which has shut out three opponents and held three others to 14 points or less.
Coach Bradley Seal rebuilt that program when he took over in 2012 as the Raiders have made 13 straight playoff appearances with a power running game out of the Wing-T.
Seal has led Pine to at least eight wins in three of the past four seasons.
That will come as no surprise to Many, who has faced Wing-T or similar power rushing attacks in opponents like Winnfield, Mansfield, and Lakeside to name a few.
It’s a more varied running attack than Many this season, who leans on Thomas (1,812 rushing yards with 21 touchdowns).
Thomas is nearing his second straight 2,000-yard season, needing 188 to reach that mark.
Freshman quarterback Luke McCarty has come a long way in limiting turnovers while still offering the threat of the pass, throwing for four touchdowns to two interceptions in the last four games. He had one touchdown and seven interceptions through the first six games.
Protecting the ball will be key on the road if Many is to win as a No. 26 seed, but the Tigers haven’t lost a first-round playoff game since 2011.