If the fourth week of the high school football season is any indication of what the Division I select and nonselect playoffs will be like, you may need a seatbelt for a wild ride.
Three teams – St. Augustine, Archbishop Rummel and Brother Martin – all moved up in this week’s Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s statewide rankings in Class 5A, and two others – St. Thomas More and West Monroe – joined the top 10 for the first time this season.
St. Augustine (4-0) won its first big District 9-5A matchup against John Curtis in a battle of top 5 teams. The Purple Knights edged the Patriots, 42-32, to move up a spot to No. 3 this week behind No. 1 Karr (4-0) and No. 2 Ruston (3-1).
Archbishop Rummel (4-0) moved to No. 4 with a 35-0 victory over Chalmette with Brother Martin (4-0) moving up three spots with a 24-22 league win over previously unbeaten and No. 10 Jesuit.
The next two biggest movers were St. Thomas More (3-1) and West Monroe (3-1).
The Cougars, who rallied to defeat then No. 5 Catholic High-Baton Rouge, 43-42 two weeks ago, upset previously undefeated and No. 7 Acadiana, 27-20, to jump up to No. 8 and drop the Rams (3-1) to No. 9.
The Rebels outlasted Central, 42-36, in double overtime to join the rankings at No. 10 team, while Catholic High (1-3) fell out of the rankings for the first time after a 63-28 road loss to Ruston.
Alexandria (3-1) suffered its first loss of the season, 38-27 to Neville, and tumbled four spots to No. 7.
The Tigers (3-1) used that win to earn a pair of first-place votes and vaulted over North DeSoto (4-0) into No. 2 in the Class 4A poll behind No. 1 Westgate (4-0).
Despite the loss of eight starters, including two different quarterbacks, St. James (4-0) retained the No. 1 ranking in Class 3A with a 12-7 road win over Dunham.
University High (2-2) moved up a spot to No. 4 in Class 3A after Sterlington (2-2) fell two spots to No. 5 following a 28-21 overtime loss to reigning Division I nonselect state champion Ouachita.
West Feliciana (4-0) debuts at No. 10 after a solid 41-23 home win over Class 4A’s Carencro.
Dunham, which played its second straight game without All-America quarterback Elijah Haven, fell two spots to No. 4 in Class 2A where Calvary Baptist (4-0) was the consensus No. 1 team with a 53-0 win over Union Parish.
Newman (3-1) enjoyed a three-step bump to No. 7 with a 42-14 triumph over Willow, while Lake Arthur (4-0) debuted at No. 9 and Mansfield (3-1) fell a spot to No. 10 with a 42-34 road loss to Joaquin, Texas.
Previously unbeaten Jeanerette (3-1) suffered its first loss 31-30 to Asension Episcopal in the team’s district opener. The Tigers fell four spots to No. 8.
Class 5A
School, 1st rec, points, Prev. rank
1. Karr (10) 4-0 131 1
2. Ruston 3-1 116 2
3. St. Augustine (1) 4-0 114 4
4. Archbishop Rummel 4-0 98 6
5. Brother Martin 4-0 73 8
6. John Curtis 2-2 71 5
7. Alexandria 3-1 69 3
8. St. Thomas More 3-1 57 NR
9. Acadiana 3-1 30 7
10. West Monroe 3-1 29 NR
Others receiving votes: Jesuit 22, Catholic-Baton Rouge 15, Mandeville 11, Ouachita 11, Barbe 5, Central 5, Thibodaux 1.
Class 4A
School, 1st rec, points, Prev. rank
1. Westgate (8) 4-0 128 1
2. Neville (2) 3-1 117 3
3. North DeSoto (1) 4-0 111 2
4. Archbishop Shaw 3-1 99 4
5. Lake Charles Prep 4-0 91 5
6. Franklin Parish 3-1 74 6
7. Madison Prep 2-2 63 7
8. John F. Kennedy 3-1 58 8
9. Belle Chasse 4-0 31 9
10. Cecilia 3-1 27 10
Others receiving votes: Plaquemine 26, Opelousas 22, Salmen 13, Lafayette Renaissance 11, Leesville 1.
Class 3A
School, 1st rec, points, Prev. rank
1. St. James (9) 4-0 130 1
2. St. Charles (2) 3-1 123 2
3. Jena 3-1 105 4
4. University 2-2 89 5
5. Sterlington 2-2 86 3
6. Jewel Sumner 3-1 76 7
7. Loyola Prep 3-1 66 8
8. Marksville 4-0 61 9
9. Eunice 4-0 37 10
10. West Feliciana 4-0 35 NR
Others receiving votes: Vandebilt Catholic 28, Iowa 12, Northwest 7, Jennings 3, Carroll 1.
Class 2A
School, 1st rec, points, Prev. rank
1. Calvary Baptist (11) 4-0 132 1
2. Notre Dame 4-0 117 3
3. Mangham 3-1 105 4
4. Dunham 2-2 98 2
5. Lafayette Christian Academy 3-1 92 6
6. Amite 3-1 75 5
7. Newman 3-1 58 10
8. Catholic-New Iberia 2-2 46 8
9. Lake Arthur 4-0 38 NR
10. Mansfield 3-1 36 9
Others receiving votes: Oak Grove 33, Loreauville 10, Covenant Christian 5, Kinder 4, Vinton 3, West St. Mary 3, Country Day 1, Green Oaks 1, Homer 1.
Class 1A
School, 1st rec, points, Prev. rank
1. Ouachita Christian (7) 4-0 128 1
2. Riverside Academy (4) 4-0 124 2
3. Ascension Catholic 4-0 111 3
4. Haynesville 3-1 84 5
5. Logansport 4-0 82 6
6. Southern Lab 3-0 70 7
7. Kentwood 4-0 69 8
8. Jeanerette 3-1 57 4
9. Westminster-Lafayette 4-0 48 9
10. Cedar Creek 4-0 35 10
Others receiving votes: East Feliciana 20, South Plaquemines 11, Ascension Episcopal 6, Catholic-Pointe Coupee 4, St. Mary’s 1.
