The phenomenon that is North Central boys' basketball this season has managed to capture more than just a share of victories.
It's also apparently served as a magnet dominating the attention in the northern part of St. Landry Parish.
Those seasons when North Central reached the Top 28 tournament are being remembered, and those experiences have been fast-forwarded to the present where the Hurricanes have another chance to reach a state semifinal.
"The biggest thing about where we are right now is how this community has reacted. For many of them who played basketball or watched basketball for this program, it has brought them back to the old days of North Central basketball.
"For the kids playing now, that's been one of the great things to see," says North Central boys' basketball coach Apphia Jordan.
In order to get back to the Top 28 boys' tournament for the second time since 2013, the No. 3 Hurricanes (24-7) must get past Haynesville on Friday night in a Class 1A quarterfinal scheduled in LeBeau.
The anatomy of the Haynesville boys' team, says Jordan, is typical ot teams from north Louisiana.
"They are very strong, very athletic and they like to bring the ball up and down the floor. It's going to be a challenge for us, without a doubt.
"Our kids, though, have aimed for this moment since last season when we lost in the quarterfinals after playing two road playoff games in four days.
The Hurricanes have a team of young players in classification, but most of the starters were placed in key roles when they were either freshmen or eighth-graders.
Now, Jordan said, although it might look differently on paper, the Hurricanes are really veteran players, with key starters either freshmen or sophomores.
Center Nikembe Johnson is a sophomore, while Derrick Tezeno is in his freshman season after starting for two years. Reginald Stoner is an eighth-grader, while Robert Hegger and Jalen Wilson are 10th-graders.
Guard Jalen Smith, a junior, is the only upperclassman for the Hurricanes.
Jordan is in her third season as the head coach, but before that, North Central had three coaches in as many years.
"Our players are very focused. They know that they don't just show up for games. You have to play hard, and I think that's been one of the differences for us," Jordan said.
Haynesville is 17-5 and sixth-seeded Golden Tors have been impressive this postseason defensively. The Tors' two opponents have scored only a combined 60 points in eight quarters. In the regionals Haynesville beat Merryville 60-34 after defeating Gueydan (61-26) in a bi-district contest.
North Central, which has lost only one basketball game since mid-December, easily defeated No. 30 Oberlin in bi-district (79-34) and on Tuesday night traveled to Plain Dealing for a regional game.
The 76-64 victory over No. 19 Plain Dealing didn't emerge until the fourth quarter. North Central trailed at the end of both the first and second quarters. Things began to change for the Hurricanes in the third period, and North Central outscored Plain Dealing 30-6 during the final eight minutes.
"I think at that point (fourth quarter) the lights came on for us and we went out and did what we needed to do. I think (Stoner) played a big part in that and we took care of the issue," Jordan said.
North Central: Robert Hegger 19. Nikembe Johnson 15, Reginald Stoner 15, Jalen Smith 15, Derrick Tezeno 10.
Plain Dealing: Derrien Perry 24, Dekeldrick Oliver 22.