The Extra Point: Louisiana’s Standouts, Statements and Surprises From Week 4
by Marshall Loeffler // GeauxPreps.com
56. Actually, no need to guess this week about the number.
That is the jersey number that was worn by Santiago Solis-Nava, a student-athlete at Beau Chene High School who passed away last week after an accident near his home in St. Landry Parish. The Gators took the field just one day after the death of Santiago, a two-way starter who had been part of the varsity rotation since arriving at Beau Chene. “It was a busy week,” coach Buck Harris said, describing a stretch that included Homecoming festivities and dealing with the loss. “The guys, they really took the time and got focused on football when they needed to,” Harris said.
“They were running emotionally high, but they still contained themselves and still played football.” The Gators knew they “still had business to tend to” on the practice field and Friday night, which has worked well for the 4-0 team so far, but his jersey being carried out to the field before the win was the end to a difficult week, made a little lighter by being at the stadium as a community and “finding a way” both on the field and off.
Here’s a look at (some of) what I liked the most around the Pelican State in Week 4.
NORTHWEST LOUISIANA
Standout: It took only three games for Bryce Restovich of Loyola Prep to throw for over 1,000 pass yards, and week 4 seemed like a night where that total might double. The senior QB helped the Flyers notch 71-59 win over Northwood. This game has been a battle in recent years, but Restovich went for 424 yards, six touchdown passes, and one rushing touchdown to pace the Flyers, including a long bomb with time winding down in the first half.
Statement: Franklin Parish went west to Bossier City and took care of business on the road, earning a 54-43 victory over Airline behind a dominant six-touchdown performance from LSU commit Trey Martin. Martin compiled 277 total yards, showcasing his explosive big-play ability with touchdown runs of 24, 28, 23, 47, and 72 yards, along with an 85-yard kickoff return touchdown to lead the Patriots.
Surprise: I wrote about the Homer matchup with D’Arbonne Woods in my Watchlist article earlier in the week because I thought that two good offenses would be doing battle. I did not expect the Pelicans to keep the Timberwolves off the scoreboard completely, but that is what happened. Homer won this one 52-0 to get their first win of the season behind another good game from WR Jerzyion Levingston: 5 catches, 115 yards and a score. DWCS has a good offense this year, as they usually do, so a shout from this HHS defense is impressive. This Pelican team has rebuilt since that title team of a few years ago, and after playing up in non-district, could start to gain some traction and fight for another good playoff seed.
NEW ORLEANS
Standout: Rummel leaned on their defense and rolled to a dominant 35-0 shutout victory over Chalmette. The Owls had averaged well over forty points scored per game before starting Catholic League play in Week 4, and the Raiders defense was not willing to budge. Senior running back Coryan Hawkins stepped up in place of the injured Jaden Terrance, rushing for 134 yards and two touchdowns, while four-star Georgia commit Colton Nussmeier added two touchdown passes to lead the Raiders.
Statement: St. Augustine got another statement win Saturday, defeating John Curtis 42-32 in a back-and-forth District 9-5A opener at Tad Gormley Stadium. The Purple Knights answered every challenge from the Patriots, with quarterback Jaelle Noble accounting for six touchdowns and the offense producing more than 400 yards. St. Augustine’s defense also came up with several key stops, including a forced fumble by Brian McCollum. The victory moved the Purple Knights to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in district play.
Surprise: Patrick Taylor is 4-0 for the first time in program history, after a convincing shutout over Kenner Discovery. The Tigers got two first half touchdowns from Xavier Harlan, and Logan Rogers continued his strong season with another score in the second half. Parker Markers connected with Benton Bruner on a 45-yard TD pass on the way to a 31-0 rout.
ACADIANA
Standout: From 3-7 in 2024, to 0-10 last year, to 4-0 so far this year, the Patriots of North Vermilion are off to one of their hottest starts to a season in a long time, and Jaxsen Frederick has played a big role so far. The sophomore quarterback was at it again in Week 4 against Delhi, tossing four touchdowns and accumulating 206 passing yards. He propelled North Vermilion to a commanding 52-8 victory over the Bears.
Statement: St. Thomas More made a major statement with a 27-20 victory over Acadiana. Senior quarterback Grayson Hemard put on another clutch performance, throwing two second-half touchdown passes, including the game-winner to Owen Bailey late in the fourth quarter. The Cougar offense got big plays with Landyn Craft delivering in the passing game, and the STM defense stepped up on big downs to neutralize Acadiana’s veer offense and secure the win.
Surprise: Ascension Episcopal won their Week 4 game at the last second, capping off a thrilling 31-30 come-from-behind victory over Jeanerette with a game-winning 20-yard field goal from junior kicker Rusty Trotter with just two seconds remaining. Quarterback Eli Gros threw for nearly 200 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Owen Leblanc added 80 rushing yards and a score as the Blue Gators overcame a four-touchdown performance by Jeanerette’s Devine Duhon.
CAPITAL AREA
Standout: Running back Ean Hills carried the load for West Feliciana in a 41-23 victory over Carencro, rushing for 138 yards and four touchdowns to propel the Saints to a 4-0 start. Hills delivered when it mattered most, scoring three of his touchdowns during the fourth quarter to break open a tight contest. Complementing the ground game, West Feliciana capitalized on defensive takeaways and good special teams play to stay unbeaten.
Statement: East Ascension made a massive statement with a thrilling 45-42 double-overtime victory over rival St. Amant in a wild, high-scoring, back-and-forth battle. Quarterback Zaylen Smith accounted for six total touchdowns (three passing, three rushing) and 279 pass yards. The drama intensified when Kayden Thodile sprinted for a dramatic 79-yard kickoff return touchdown, which led to the ejection of St. Amant head coach David Oliver after a second sideline warning. After battling through a rough game that included both a missed and a blocked field goal attempt, sophomore kicker Reilly Hopkins showed up in the second overtime period, drilling the game-winning field goal to secure a victory for East Ascension.
Surprise: In a low-scoring defensive battle, St. James pulled out a 12-7 victory over Dunham. The game was notably low-scoring partly due to both teams missing their starting quarterbacks—with Dunham playing without five-star quarterback Elijah Haven and St. James dealing with injuries at that spot. This forced both squads into a game plan that produced a good game, but definitely had less scoring than many of us would have expected a few weeks ago.
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
Standout: The Barbe offense has received plenty of attention for a few years now, but it was a little dose of clutch defense that helped the Bucs pull away from Lafayette at home in Week 4. Bo Armstrong was a difference maker when I watched him play in Week 1, and he came down with his first two career interceptions at home against the Lions. Not surprisingly, that was all the extra possessions needed from his star studded offensive counterparts, helping to keep Barbe unbeaten in September.
Statement: Vinton is 4-0 for the first time since 2013, and their defense just held Grand Lake scoreless at home for the first time since 2019. The Lions were rolling in Week 4, powered by Michael Lange’s incredible all-around performance. Michael rushed for 180 yards and four touchdowns on just 8 carries (averaging 22.5 yards per carry with scoring runs of 75, 23, 23, and 27 yards), threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Lakem Courville, and added 6 tackles on defense.
Surprise: Sulphur delivered a stunning 55-54 homecoming victory over Sam Houston, erasing a 23-point fourth-quarter deficit in remarkable fashion. The Tors were fueled by quarterback Noah Courtney, who threw for 454 yards and four touchdowns, along with an explosive rushing performance from Bryson Hardy. Sulphur sealed the thrilling comeback win with a clutch game-winning two-point conversion in the final moments. KPLC Sports has some great video from the end of this game that you can find on their site.
NORTHEAST LOUISIANA
Standout: He has all of those recruiting stars for a reason. Ahmad Hudson had a big stat line against a big opponent: 8 catches, 166 receiving yards, 3 touchdown catches. Per Brian Trahan of the Ruston Daily Leader, that put him over 2,000 yards and 20 TDs for his Bearcat career. Sam Hartwell also had 6 total TDs and almost 500 yards of offense individually, as Ruston wins 63-28 at home over Catholic-BR.
Statement: General Trass needed their first win of the 2026 season, and did so by notching their second shutout victory since 2022 with a dominant 46-0 defeat of Madison. This annual “Battle of the Big Cats” game between these two border parish schools has been won by Trass for ten straight years, and this Week 4 victory for head coach Toriano Wells and the Panthers could help to jumpstart their season and get them primed for another potential playoff trip.
Surprise: I have watched (on YouTube) the last two meetings between Ouachita and Sterlington, and I am once again surprised at how close these teams play each other in this contest. Last year came down to an OP interception on the final drive, and this year’s game went into overtime before the Lions finally pulled away with a score and a stop. Even the final play is still being debated, and it is a great game on the schedule for both to prepare for district.
NORTHSHORE
Standout: This week, the Northshore Panthers defense is the standout in the 985. This unit held Covington to 103 yards rushing and around 250 total yards. In a game where Northshore was missing their starting QB JJ Gonzales, the defense got a pick each from Brendell Vedol and Tyson Burns to lift their offense and stay unbeaten with a really nice 21-7 win over the Lions.
Statement: Mandeville opened District 6-5A play with a statement 37-13 victory over Hammond, led by a dominant passing attack. Quarterback Krew Collura threw for 259 yards and four touchdowns, connecting six times with wide receiver Cooper Maylin, who hauled in 144 yards and two scores to fuel the Skippers to a 37-13 win. This team has been dominant in September and is one of two teams in this district (Northshore being the other) to still be unbeaten.
Surprise: Jewel Sumner pulled off a nail-baiting 20-19 victory over rival Franklinton, capping off a wild late-game sequence. Trailing 13-12 late in the fourth quarter, quarterback Rashaud Shy scored on a go-ahead 12-yard touchdown run and followed it with a two-point conversion pass to C.J. Callahan to put the Cowboys up 20-13 with under two minutes remaining. Franklinton answered with a touchdown of its own, but the Cowboys’ defense came up big on the potential game-winning two-point conversion attempt to secure the victory.
CENTRAL LOUISIANA
Standout: Devin Lavalias had seven total touchdowns in Week 4, as Marksville remained unbeaten by defeating parish neighbor Avoyelles High School. The Tigers senior is on pace to be an All-State First Teamer with his play at both QB and DB, and could be on the way to leading Marksville to one of the better football seasons in the long, successful athletic history at that school. He is one of the best to ever wear the purple and gold on West Bon Temps Street.
Statement: After a slow start in Week 1, the Vidalia Vikings have rattled off three straight wins, scoring over 40 points each time and exploding for 70 points against Block in their annual game. The Vikes have a couple of home games coming up, including a district opener with Mangham where Jayden Gaines will try to continue his attention-grabbing season and challenge the Dragons.
Surprise: St. Mary’s pulled off a stunning 29-28 victory over Grant with a dramatic late finish. Down 28-21 late, the Tigers drove 55 yards, capped by a 39-yard catch and run by Dennison Morgan down to the 1-yard line, followed by a 1-yard touchdown run by Preston Tilley with just 21 seconds remaining. JP Thibodeaux then converted the game-winning two-point conversion, and St. Mary’s recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the win. The game featured key defensive plays including two interceptions by Brady Childress and a 36-yard interception return for a touchdown by Jacob Thibodeaux.
BAYOU/RIVER PARISHES
Standout: In Week 4 against South Lafourche, Ascension Catholic got another standout performance from their defense. The Bulldogs had four takeaways against the Tarpons, including two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns. All four wins for AC have been by a wide margin, and replacing Trevin Simon has not slowed this runner-up team down at all in 2026.
Statement: East St. John made a statement on Friday night at Joe Keller Memorial Stadium, rolling to a 41-0 shutout of H.L. Bourgeois. After a heartbreaking 21-20 loss to West Feliciana the week before, the Wildcats responded with a complete performance, as Damon Scott connected on a 38-yard touchdown pass to Deontae Fleming and later a 17-yard score, then found Davarion Johnson on a 30-yard strike. Stanford Jenkins added a rushing TD and the defense was lights out to get the bounceback win.
Surprise: The annual Thibodeaux-Terrebonne game came down to the final play, with a heave towards the end zone getting batted down. Damien Robertson was fantastic all night long, and made play after play on the game-winning drive for Thibodaux, who held on to win 35-38 and remain unbeaten under head coach Lowell Narcisse.
SATURDAYS ARE FOR THE LHSAA
Shoutout to the broadcast crews (as well as everyone on site) that have been able to bring top-notch high school football to the entire state during the weekend! Of course, there is nothing that will ever replace Friday Night Lights, and that is the backbone of the LHSAA experience.
That being said, having good high school games on Thursday nights and Saturday afternoons has been a lot of fun to cover, and it also allows officials, game workers, coaches, scouts, media, and fans the chance to be at more than one game each week, and I think that can only help grow the game for those that want high school football on any day they can get it. No more water breaks at the six-minute mark; let’s get ready for Week 5!
Thanks to Jimmy Watson (Shreveport Times), Christopher Dabe (NOLA Times-Picayune), Shannon Belt (Lafayette Daily Advertiser), Vashon Jones (Crescent City Sports), Chaston Tavares (92.9 The Lake), Rodrick Anderson (American Press), Brian Trahan (Ruston Daily Leader), Mike MacMillan (Northshore Prep Report), Chris Kincaid (NOLA Times-Picayune), and Chris Salim (Inside Natchitoches Sports) for stats and reporting for games in Week 4.