The Extra Point: Louisiana’s Standouts, Statements and Surprises From Week 2
by Marshall Loeffler // GeauxPreps.com
Nine. Guess what that number represents?
That’s how many touchdown passes were thrown by Jack Grace of Metairie Park Country Day, which is the new LHSAA record. The feat was achieved Thursday night in a win over The Willow School, and just like Aymaud Sykes of Grant scoring ten rushing touchdowns in Week 1 of 2025, the early LHSAA season is full of offensive playmakers filling up stat sheets. Congratulations, Jack!
Here’s a look at (some of) what I liked the most around the Pelican State in Week 2.
Central Louisiana
Standout: Tioga got a 52-21 win over cross-town rival Pineville for their eighth win in the last 10 meetings, and Jackson Tarver was a big reason for that. The Indians’ two-way player had two rushing touchdowns (126 yards) and a pick-six (plus another interception). He was someone that this team needed to step up after losing a big senior class, and so far he has fit the bill as a playmaker for a team that stayed in the 4A polls throughout last season.
Statement: Jena achieved what is arguably their best regular season win in school history, going on the road to Sterlington and withstanding a late rally to hold off the state champs. The offense looked like a totally different team compared to the 2025 title game, and the Giants defense made the stops needed to win the rematch. They held the top seed for weeks last season, and still have tough games left, but this squad looks just as capable as the team that went to the Superdome just a season ago.
Surprise: Aymaud Sykes went for 269 yards and 5 touchdowns (also scoring twice on conversion attempts). He is one of the best backs in the state, and often has nights like this, so that’s not a surprise. But the Cougars defense also showed up, notching their third shutout since 2022 and winning a contest that was once a hotly contested rivalry. Sykes will continue to score a lot, and the Cougars will continue to win if they can defend as they did in Week 2.
Southwest Louisiana
Standout: The thing that stood out to me from SWLA was not an individual effort, but a great night for Oakdale. The Warriors went 0-10 last fall, the first such season in a long career for head coach Kevin Bertrand, but got back in the win column against Oberlin, another team in Allen Parish that’s just a few miles down Highway 165. Both schools have worked hard in 2026 to get some traction back in their programs, and hopefully Oakdale can build on a 1-1 record.
Statement: Welsh is 2-0 for the first time since 2022, and did so with a dominating 42-0 defeat of Opelousas Catholic. Grant Haydel is off to another strong start at QB, and their game at Jennings in Week 3 will be a great test for a Greyhounds team that has hoisted the trophy in recent years and just shut out an OC program that has produced plenty of offense recently.
Surprise: The Rosepine Eagles! This team in southern Vernon Parish only won in Week 10 of last year, but are now on a three-game winning streak and are 2-0 for the first time since 2022. Brynnum Chaney is following up his big season on the baseball diamond by finding the end zone constantly for the Eagles, who go to Basile in Week 3 and have the chance to win a few more games before district play.
Northshore
Standout: Slidell defeated Lakeshore 49-38 to move to 2-0 for the second straight year, and only needed about 12 minutes and 24 offensive plays in the process. Ricky Williams had 4 pass TDs, and his brother Peanut Williams had 2 of those and over 200 receiving yards. Harlem Steele got a long fumble return TD, and the Tigers had over 300 total yards to lead into Week 3’s trip to play at Lutcher.
Statement: In a game that is always a statement for either team, Kentwood defeated Jewel Sumner for the first time since 2023 in their annual cross-town rivalry. This Kentwood team has scored over 40 points in their last 4 regular season games (using Ahmade Bickham, Jr. a lot this season), and even though Division IV Select is full of some really stout private school programs, maybe the Kangaroos can take a win streak into district.
Surprise: Mandeville won their Week 2 game 78-21 against Bonnabel, setting a school scoring record for points scored in a game. The Skippers reportedly had two safeties and two kickoff return TDs to help, but they have a talented QB named Krew Collura and their usual group of backs and receivers to complement that defense. Mandeville could get on a roll in September if these complete team efforts are any indication.
Northeast Louisiana
Standout: Franklin Parish came up short to Sterlington in Week 1, but went into Oak Grove and scored over 50 points, which hasn’t been done in that stadium since September 2022. Trey Martin (LSU commit) had 159 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Patriots, who still have Airline, Neville, North DeSoto, and Tioga left to play in 2026.
Statement: This one goes to the Delhi Bears this week, for notching their first shutout since 2024 with a 60-0 win over Magnolia School of Excellence. Stats from this game are still pending, but a win like that is a statement for any team. Delhi hasn’t made the playoffs since 2017, and maybe a night like this can kick start some momentum for the Bears.
Surprise: It’s never a surprise that West Monroe wins a home game, but with a lot of attention from a semifinal team like Plaquemine coming into town with a noteworthy secondary, it was surprising to see how much passing offense the Rebels were able to generate throughout the entire game. As this program continues to perfect their identity under Demichael Dizer, it will become less and less of an eye-opener when they win games like these on Don Shows Field.
Acadiana
Standout: Braylon Calais is set to play for LSU next year and has been amazing the past two years for Cecilia. The Bulldogs are 2-0 after knocking down Teurlings Catholic on the road, and Calais scored 3 times in that Thursday contest. He can do so much for that offense, and will face off against two worthy counterparts when CHS heads to 2-0 Barbe in Week 3 to match up with the Buccaneers’ high-powered offense.
Statement: It was another tough road win for Westgate, who capitalized on turnovers (fumble return TD by Ernest Curl), and used the Noah Antoine-to-Cayden Lancelin connection for over 100 yards and three touchdowns. Caemon Crockham is off to a great start as well for the Rams, who get to welcome in the Jena Giants to town in Week 3.
Surprise: This one has to be Lafayette Renaissance Charter Academy shutting out a Catholic-New Iberia team that won state in 2024. The Tigers started their season with a game against Edna Karr, and after this shocking shutout, will get to deal with John Curtis and LCCP as this program continues to rise.
Bayou/River Parishes
Standout: Thibodaux quarterback Damien Robertson had 6 total TDs and nearly 200 passing yards to lead the rivalry-winning effort for the Tigers over South Lafourche. Coach Lowell Narcisse was a great dual-threat quarterback during his career and clearly has Robertson and the entire Thibodaux program steady in the right direction with a 2-0 start for the third consecutive year.
Statement: This game isn’t a huge rivalry because it has not been played before, but with St. Charles Catholic and Hahnville in the same parish on either side of the Hale Boggs bridge, it was a chance to make a statement. The Comets have won both games so far by a combined 7 points, and stopped Hahnville’s two-point conversion attempt to escape with the road win. Evan Duffor scored three times and Landry Leblanc scored in overtime to get SCC to 2-0 for the second straight year.
Surprise: Central Lafourche is 2-0 for the first time since 2019 after a 51-0 rout of Patterson. The Trojans got two rushing touchdowns from both Treyvenne Allen and Ta’myren Crandle, and quarterback Brock Babin had two touchdown passes as well. Head coach Aaron Babin is back at his alma mater and has another home game to start the year before making a trip to Destrehan.
Northwest Louisiana
Standout: When I think about what’s stood out from NWLA, the two games Logansport has won have been noticeable. After a back-and-forth battle at Many, they go on the road again and play up again, this time winning 60-7 at Buckeye behind three 100-yard receivers (Bryar Bossier, Kaiton Packett, and Jazavien Barnes) and almost 200 yards rushing. Like I said last week, they may find themselves in the driver’s seat of Division IV Non-Select if they keep playing this way.
Statement: The Lakeview Gators won their first game since September 22, 2023, taking down Plain Dealing 35-0 and giving Lawrence Seawood his first victory as their head coach. A 27-game losing streak was snapped, and running back Corey Logan, Jr. told reporters in the preseason that they had little doubt about an upcoming win being in the cards. This team has no seniors on the roster, so maybe a winning streak could be a thing in Campti soon.
Surprise: After a multi-touchdown loss to Dunham in Week 1, I wondered how the road trip to Messmer Stadium to face Loyola Prep would fare for the Parkway Panthers. The game came down to the final few plays and was a really solid battle for both teams, but the Panthers clipped the Flyers 42-41 (Damian Decaldecal had 3 total TDs and recorded an INT). This team surprised many by winning District 1-5A last year, and the schedule remains tough, but this team continues to make noise just when you start to pay attention elsewhere.
Capital Area
Standout: Jayden Miles got off to a hot start for Catholic-BR against Dunham, with an 80-yard and 79-yard pair of touchdown runs in the early going of a convincing win over state champion Dunham. Coach Fuller has talked about the intention of this non-district schedule, and seeing how Miles can still change games keeps the Bears near the top of most Division I Select brackets.
Statement: St. Amant won 60-0 over Liberty in Week 2, and only allowed 6 points in their first game. John F. Kennedyscored over 60 as well, so that Week 3 matchup will test this Gators’ defense before the big game with East Ascensionthe following week. Coach David Oliver was excited about this deep defense in the offseason, and so far they have held up their end.
Surprise: While it definitely was not going to be a complete shock if 1A Ascension Catholic were to go to 5A Hammond and get a win, I was quite impressed with the film from this game. Raphael Melancon had a huge night, scoring three touchdowns and coming away with an interception. Special teams also played a major role, with Landon Thomas converting a big fake punt for a first down before Jacob Julien made a heads-up play on a short punt, scooping it up and returning it for a touchdown on the way to a 43-7 win.
New Orleans
Standout: Country Day sophomore QB Jack Grace made LHSAA history, throwing a state-record nine touchdown passes in a 70-35 win over The Willow School. Grace finished 37-of-46 for 576 yards, with four TDs going to KB Brewer, two to Curtis McAllister, and one each to Preston Snyder, Paul Micken and Colin Snyder. The previous state record was eight, shared by multiple quarterbacks, including Evangel senior Peyton Houston.
Statement: St. Augustine made another statement with a 42-13 road win over Destrehan, a game that they led throughout. Jaelle Noble was awesome again with five total touchdowns, and head coach Robert Valdez spoke with GeauxPreps postgame about handling the heat and humidity and cleaning up mistakes at halftime. Noble stepped up as a runner when Destrehan worked to take away St. Aug’s passing lanes and continues to fill the shoes left by Vashaun Coulon.
Surprise: Scoreboard aside, I remember being in New Orleans the night that Baylen Brees was playing with ticker tape in Miami in the arms of his dad, Drew Brees. So it was a pretty cool surprise to see a video of him playing football against Isidore Newman and talking just like his Hall of Fame dad after the game, which Santa Fe Christian won. Baylen’s upbringing in Louisiana to a star athlete in California is a cool thing to see (and kind of a nerve-wracking reminder of how long it’s been since the Saints won the Super Bowl!)
WINNING STREAKS EVERYWHERE!
By my count, there are 98 unbeaten teams in the LHSAA after Week 2 (give or take). That number will plummet next week, but now we will see if anyone can pull off that 14-0 season again this year. We saw multiple double-digit losing streaks snapped in Week 2 (like Oakdale and Lakeview), and the grind has officially begun. We are just under three months away from handing out trophies in the Superdome, and it will be fun to see who can keep this early momentum rolling throughout the non-district portion of the season.
Thanks to Harrison Vapnek (KALB), Russell Hedges (Bossier Press Tribune), Aaron Dietrich (KNOE), Brie Andras (WBRZ), Jerit Roser (Louisiana vs. All Y’all), Ken Trahan (Crescent City Sports), Garland Gillen (WVUE), Chris Singleton Sports, Eric Richey (VSN) Roger Glynn (Northshore Prep Report), and Kendall Duncan (WDSU) for stats, video and reporting during Week 2.