Westgate High School head football coach Brian Fine has been pleased with his team’s effort this season in earning the 21st seed for the Class 5A playoffs.

For the Tigers to continue to their season beyond this week, though, WHS must improve upon how well it executes the gameplan the coaches put in. Westgate travels to Mandeville on Friday to face the No. 12 seed in the 5A bracket.

“We need to play better than we have,” said Fine. “We’ve played hard, we just need to execute better. We have to make sure our defense lines up right.”

Westgate quarterback Diontae Spencer (3) tries to avoid St. Thomas More defender Samuel Scofield (10) on Oct. 22. The Tigers, seeded 21st, play at No. 12 seed Mandeville in a Class 5A bi-district playoff game Friday. - Lee Ball / The Daily Iberian Advertisement

“All their skill people are pretty good players,” said Fine. “They can all make plays.”

Mandeville (7-3) runs a spread offense, he said, with zone reads, traps, screens and a few plays where they take shots downfield. MHS has thrown for 1,723 yards and rushed for 1,220.

Quarterback John Wenzel has completed 123 of 231 pass attempts for 1,574 yards with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions. Chris Houlemard, at 5 feet 8 inches and 157 pounds, is his favorite target with 30 catches for 500 yards and three TDs. Tyler Scotts has 27 catches for 442 yards and two touchdowns and Elijah Levee has 27 for 319 yards and four TDs.

Charles Jones, a sophomore, leads the Skippers with 768 rushing yards and 10 TDs on 158 attempts. Wenzel is second on the team with 296 yards and three touchdowns.

“I think they’re like everybody,” said Fine. “They want to be able to run the football. But they throw the ball pretty well.”

One of the main concerns for the Tigers (5-4) will be preventing big plays, Fine said.

“I think it will be a pretty good matchup,” he said. “We’ll see whether we can limit their running game and get pressure on the passer.”

Westgate counters with a balanced offensive attack of its own. Quarterback Diontae Spencer has passed for 430 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 460 and nine TDs. Brandon Malveaux has 99 rushing attempts for 433 yards and five TDs, and Denarius Antoine has 317 yards and two TDs with a 6.2-yard per carry average.

Antoine also leads the Tigers with 114 receiving yards on six catches. Jacoby Colbert has seven receptions for 11 yards, and Richard Mouret has 98 yards and a TD on four catches.

Mandeville’s linebackers seem to be a strength. Kris Rice (6-0, 214) leads the Skippers with 85 tackles, 50 of them solo, with five behind the line. He’s also caused and recovered three fumbles, had a sack and intercepted five passes, one returned for a touchdown.

Zachary Ferger (6-0, 223) has 37 solos and 39 assists with eight tackles behind the line, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Derek Brown (6-0, 177) has 56 total tackles, two behind the line, with four interceptions, one for a TD.

“They’re solid in everything they do,” said Fine. “They don’t give up the big play.”

To get to Mandeville High, head to Baton Rouge on I-10, and then east on I-12 past Hammond to Mandeville. Take the U.S. 190 exit (North Causeway Boulevard) and head south. Turn right at Florida Street then right onto West Causeway Approach. Turn left at Skipper Drive, and the school is on Skipper Drive.