LHSAA Playoff Brackets: Top Storylines, Prospects | Small Schools
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Louisiana’s high school football playoffs kick off this weekend.
The LHSAA’s nine brackets — five nonselect (public) and four select (private and magnet) — are full of impressive teams and prospects and intriguing matchups and storylines.
We’ll give a quick preview of each, including the top five seeds, a lower seed to watch for a potential run, up to eight top-ranked prospects, up to five sleeper prospects, an intriguing first-round matchup and an overarching storyline entering the tournament.
Check out the small schools (Division III, Class 2A, Division IV and Class 1A) capsules below.
Or click here for the large schools (Class 5A, Division I, Class 4A, Division II and Class 3A).
DIVISION III
Top 5 seeds: No. 1 Lafayette Christian, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 St. Charles, No. 4 Episcopal (Baton Rouge), No. 5 Isidore Newman
Lower seed to watch: No. 6 Dunham
Top prospects: 2022 Lafayette Christian DB Jordan Allen Jordan Allen 6'0" | 180 lbs | DB Lafayette Christian | 2022 State LA , 2022 Ascension Episcopal DL Maxie Baudoin Maxie Baudoin 6'3" | 290 lbs | DL Ascension Episcopal | 2022 State LA IV, 2022 Newman OL Bo Bordelon Bo Bordelon 6'5" | 250 lbs | OL Newman | 2022 State LA , 2022 Lafayette Christian DB Brylan Green Brylan Green 5'9" | 165 lbs | DB Lafayette Christian | 2022 State LA , 2023 Newman QB Arch Manning Arch Manning 6'3" | 190 lbs | QB Newman | 2023 State LA , 2023 Newman TE Will Randle Will Randle 6'4" | 220 lbs | TE Newman | 2023 State LA , 2023 Dunham DL Jake Rizzo Jake Rizzo 6'4" | 240 lbs | ATH Dunham | 2023 State LA , 2022 Lafayette Christian DL/OL Fitzgerald West Fitzgerald West 6'2" | 300 lbs | OL Lafayette Christian | 2022 State LA Jr.
Sleeper prospects: 2022 Episcopal (BR) WR Thomas DArmond Thomas DArmond 6'0" | 185 lbs | WR Episcopal (Baton Rouge) | 2022 State LA , 2022 St. Thomas Aquinas ATH Danik Reed Danik Reed 6'2" | 185 lbs | ATH St. Thomas Aquinas | 2022 State LA , 2022 Catholic (New Iberia) ATH Tra’Klayn Reno Tra’Klayn Reno 6'0" | 200 lbs | ATH Catholic (New Iberia) | 2022 State LA , 2022 Dunham RB Kalante Wilson
Intriguing first-round matchup: No. 8 Ascension Episcopal vs. No. 9 Catholic (New Iberia)
Overall Storyline: Lafayette Christian has won four straight state championships — completing the “4-for-4, like Wendy’s” push in December for injured 2021 star Sage Ryan — including the past two in Division III. And the Knights’s “Drive for 5” looks strong. No prospect in the state, if not the country, carries more weight to his name than 2023 Newman quarterback Arch Manning Arch Manning 6'3" | 190 lbs | QB Newman | 2023 State LA . But, despite talented teams his underclassman seasons and years before his arrival, the Greenies have yet to be able to reach a state championship game. Those two highlight the bracket from a recruiting standpoint, but Episcopal (Baton Rouge) is an often-underrated team that could disrupt the top half of the bracket. And on the bottom of the bracket, Notre Dame and legendary coach Lewis Cook are an annual contender, and 2020 runner-up St. Charles has already flexed its muscles with huge victories this season.
CLASS 2A
Top 5 seeds: No. 1 Many, No. 2 Loreauville, No. 3 General Trass, No. 4 Avoyelles, No. 5 North Caddo
Lower seed to watch: No. 6 Amite
Top prospects: 2024 Jonesboro-Hodge LB Xavier Atkins, 2023 North Caddo ATH Kelvin Black Kelvin Black 5'10" | 200 lbs | ATH North Caddo | 2023 State LA , 2023 Many LB Tackett Curtis Tackett Curtis 6'2" | 210 lbs | LB Many | 2023 State LA , 2022 Amite ATH Javae Gilmore Javae Gilmore 6'4" | 190 lbs | ATH Amite | 2022 State LA , 2022 Loreauville Calep Jacob Calep Jacob 6'1" | 175 lbs | ATH Loreauville | 2022 State LA , 2022 Loreauville Collin Jacob Collin Jacob 6'1" | 175 lbs | ATH Loreauville | 2022 State LA , 2023 North Caddo WR Omarion Miller Omarion Miller 6'2" | 195 lbs | WR North Caddo | 2023 State LA , 2024 Many DB Tylen Singleton Tylen Singleton 6'1" | 210 lbs | DB Many | 2024 State LA
Sleeper prospects: 2023 Port Allen DE Robert Amacker, 2022 Amite DB Ja’Marion Dunomes, 2022 Red River ATH/QB Zintayvious Smith Zintayvious Smith 5'11" | 165 lbs | ATH Red River | 2022 State LA , 2022 Amite DL Zamian Waller Zamian Waller 6'1" | 315 lbs | DL Amite | 2022 State LA , 2022 General Trass QB/ATH Wydette Williams Wydette Williams 6'1" | 175 lbs | QB General Trass | 2022 State LA
Intriguing first-round matchup: No. 11 St. Helena vs. No. 22 Kinder
Overall Storyline: With perennial contender and 2021 runner-up Kinder stumbling quite a bit this season, reigning champion and top-seeded Many appears one of the clearer favorites in its bracket in this year’s postseason. But the Tigers will have to navigate a hungry cast of talented teams and rising programs in their quest for a repeat. The aforementioned other top seeds — Loreauville, General Trass, Avoyelles and North Caddo — and even farther down the list to Amite, Jonesboro-Hodge, Red River and Mangham have made enough noise this season that no one should be shocked with a deep run. Only Amite and Mangham of that group have reached a championship game anytime recently. But Loreauville and General Trass — as well as No. 11 St. Helena and No. 12 Port Allen — reached at least the quarterfinals in 2020, Red River and Avoyelles provided Many two of its three closest games this season and North Caddo and Jonesboro-Hodge enter the tournament with notable young talent on their rosters and key wins on their résumés.
DIVISION IV
Top 5 seeds: No. 1 Ouachita Christian, No. 2 Southern Lab, No. 3 Opelousas Catholic, No. 4 Calvary Baptist, No. 5 Sacred Heart (Ville Platte)
Lower seed to watch: No. 14 St. Frederick
Top prospects: 2022 Southern Lab DL Chris Bess Chris Bess 6'2" | 245 lbs | DL Southern Lab | 2022 State LA , 2022 Southern Lab ATH Herman Brister Herman Brister 6'3" | 200 lbs | ATH Southern Lab | 2022 State LA III, 2022 Calvary Baptist QB Landry Lyddy Landry Lyddy 6'0" | 190 lbs | QB Calvary Baptist | 2022 State LA , 2025 Calvary Baptist ATH Julius Moss Julius Moss 5'9" | 185 lbs | ATH Calvary Baptist | 2025 State LA , 2023 Ascension Catholic ATH Khai Prean Khai Prean 6'1" | 190 lbs | ATH St. James | 2023 State LA , 2022 Calvary Baptist DL Denham Smith Denham Smith 6'1" | 230 lbs | DL Calvary Baptist | 2022 State LA , 2022 Ascension Catholic DL J’Mond Tapp J’Mond Tapp 6'3" | 245 lbs | DL Ascension Catholic | 2022 State LA , Ouachita Christian WR Tristan Wiley Tristan Wiley 6'3" | 185 lbs | WR Ouachita Christian | 2022 State LA
Sleeper prospects: 2024 Calvary Baptist DL Lavorziesa Houston Lavorziesa Houston 6'2" | 190 lbs | LB Calvary Baptist | 2024 State LA , 2022 Southern Lab OL Brandon Johnson Brandon Johnson 6'4" | 335 lbs | OL Southern Lab | 2022 State LA , 2022 Southern Lab ATH Darren Morris, 2022 Hamilton Christian ATH Logan Richard Logan Richard 6'0" | 170 lbs | ATH Hamilton Christian | 2022 State LA , 2023 St. Frederick RB Michael Thompson Jr.
Intriguing first-round matchup: No. 6 Vermilion Catholic vs. No. 11 Catholic (Pointe Coupee)
Overall Storyline: Division IV doesn’t have as arguably any of the larger select-school divisions, but only because a pair of teams have shared the mantel fairly evenly. And, fortunately for at least half the other teams in the bracket, No. 1. Ouachita Christian and No. 4 Calvary Baptist would have to meet in the semifinals if the two 2021 finalists’ course continue to prove destined for a third straight postseason collision. Other talented teams would still stand in their way prior to a potential rubber match between the Eagles and Cavaliers. But their joint situation on the top half of the bracket opens the bottom half nicely for the third horse in the race, Southern Lab, or a handful of other realistic contenders to potentially navigate deep runs.
CLASS 1A
Top 5 seeds: No. 1 Logansport, No. 2 Homer, No. 3 Grand Lake, No. 4 Oak Grove, No. 5 Slaughter Community Charter
Lower seed to watch: No. 12 West St. John
Top prospects: 2022 West St. John LB Kailep Edwards Kailep Edwards 6'2" | 230 lbs | LB West St. John | 2022 State LA , 2023 Oak Grove DB Kam Franklin Kam Franklin 6'3" | 185 lbs | DB Oak Grove | 2023 State LA , 2023 Homer DB Brendon Harris Brendon Harris 6'2" | 195 lbs | LB Homer | 2023 State LA , 2022 Oak Grove OL/LB Kaleb Proctor Kaleb Proctor 6'3" | 260 lbs | OL Oak Grove | 2022 State LA , 2022 Grand Lake OL/DL Bryant Williams Bryant Williams 6'7" | 315 lbs | OL Grand Lake | 2022 State LA
Sleeper prospects: 2022 West St. John DL Jason August Jason August 6'0" | 275 lbs | DL West St. John | 2022 LA , 2022 Oberlin OL Adameon Botley, 2023 Logansport WR Jayven Claybrook, 2023 Haynesville DB J’Karius Turner J’Karius Turner 5'10" | 180 lbs | DB Haynesville | 2023 State LA
Intriguing first-round matchup: No. 16 Arcadia vs. No. 17 East Iberville
Overall Storyline: Seemingly the most open field among the small school trophies up for grabs following notable graduations for back-to-back reigning champion Oak Grove, 2021 runner-up Grand Lake and even semifinalist East Iberville — plus relatively down years by other perennial powers such as Haynesville and West St. John. Both the Tigers and Hornets remain among the favorites. But 2016 champion Logansport has returned to top seeding, and resurgent Homer has looked arguably as good as any Class 1A public school this season. Some combination of top-four seeds appears the likely title matchup, but a well-timed upset could swiftly shake up that likelihood.