The Extra Point: Louisiana’s Standouts, Statements and Surprises From Week 5
by Marshall Loeffler // GeauxPreps.com
50. Guess what that number represents?
That is an easy one for this week: We are halfway through the regular season! It has been brutally hot at the stadium, and we actually got a little muddy football in a few games this week. We talked about some of the brutal non-district schedules early on (like Ruston, Catholic-BR, St. Charles Catholic, Union Parish) and some of the teams that we felt would get to this point undefeated if all went well (like Westgate, Calvary Baptist, Mandeville, and Ouachita Christian).
This weekly article covers about thirty games each weekend, and hopefully the next five weeks bring a whole new group of standout performances, statement victories, and surprising outcomes as we get into the second half of the season.
Here’s a look at (some of) what I liked the most around the Pelican State in Week 5
CENTRAL LOUISIANA
Standout: Just in case there was anyone left who was unaware, Devin Lavalais is one of the better skill players in the state right now. He followed up a seven-touchdown performance last week with eight more in Week 5 at Pineville. He threw for 217 yards and 4 TDs, and also rushed for 225 yards, averaging 12.5 yards per carry and keeping the Tigers unbeaten. With games coming up with Jena and Erath, he will have a great chance to continue his All-State season.
Statement: Another week, and another statement win for Tioga. This time, they once again jumped out ahead of Jena and never had a close margin after halftime. Bryson Faul (three rush TD, 184 rush yards) has now joined Jackson Tarver (2 rush TDs, 199 rush yards) as a playmaking RB behind that big, talented Indians offensive line, and Ronnie Stevens can run and throw effectively to move the chains for Tioga.
Surprise: LaSalle and Montgomery no longer share a district, but they immediately got on the schedule to keep their Class A rivalry alive, and this year’s game was decided on the last play. Sophomore QB Luke Lasiter picked up a low snap off the ground and had to get rid of the ball. Senior WR Alex Richmond was there to catch it and juked his way to the goal line from twenty yards out to give LaSalle a buzzer-beating victory at home.
NORTHEAST LOUISIANA
Standout: For a few seasons now, Vidalia has had a committee of skill players rack up yards and touchdowns and make All-District teams. This week, Carlos King had a 75-yard TD catch, three 2-point conversions, thirteen tackles, and forced a fumble as the Vikings were able to stifle D’Arbonne Woods and win 46-13, bringing their win streak to four games.
Jayden Gaines was an outstanding run-blocker on tape, and Donald Franklin had another big game (8 touches, 123 total yards, 1 TD, 8 tackles and an INT) setting up a big home game against Mangham in Week 6.
Statement: Neville pitched a 10-0 shutout against parish rival West Monroe in a defensive classic. Jarvis Blackston led the Tigers on the ground again with 101 rushing yards, including a crucial 14-yard touchdown run, the only one of the game. Neville’s defense sealed the victory with late interceptions by C.J. Goins and Myles Reichardt to keep West Monroe scoreless for the second time in just over a month.
Surprise: This game had a frenetic ending, but I did not expect Homer to take Ouachita Christian to the wire like that, even at home. However, if you now look at their season so far, they have played teams with overwhelming winning records and had Haynesville and OCS down to the final play or two.
With Gregory Williams playing like a veteran QB, this Pelican team is battling and setting themselves up for a peak later in the season. Jerzyion Levingston had 254 receiving yards and four TDs in the loss, and Jude Turner yet again was the workhorse for OCS.
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
Standout: We got a big night from Kortlin Kyle on the road! The Vinton defensive lineman had 12 tackles, a fumble recovery, and caught a tipped pass which was returned seventy yards for a touchdown (highlight available on the KPLC Sports website), which helped the Lions get to 5-0 for the first time since 2013 with a 56-6 win over Lagrange.
Statement: Barbe continues to garner positive attention, and it is hard to argue with the momentum that they have built right now. After Sulphur reels off back-to-back thrilling wins, the Buccaneers go into enemy territory and dominate this game from beginning to end, using a healthy dose of Jelandon Gray, Ty Guillory, and Jordin Griffin to overwhelm the Tors on defense. This Barbe team will be part of a really good District 3-5A race that will begin next week.
Surprise: Delcambre went into week 5 having scored over 50 points in their previous three games, and Oakdale had given up over 30 in their past two games. Coach Kevin Bertrand has worked non-stop to build some momentum back to the Warriors program, and a surprising score of 14-12 shows that they can hang in there with good teams. I was not able to get stats from this game, but this game was definitely a lot closer than previous games this season would have predicted, and Oakdale may be poised for an upset soon!
NEW ORLEANS
Standout: After facing a tough early-season schedule in District 9-5A, the Warren Easton defense had a standout day in their District 8-5A opener with a dominant 43-0 shutout victory over Riverdale. The Eagles’ relentless pass rush racked up nine sacks—with Juelz Haley, Zachary Martin, Kane Mitchell, and Jeramine Brisco (who had three) all getting in on the sack party. Highlights included Martin sacking Jamyron Selders in the end zone for a safety, Haley returning a fumble 70 yards for a touchdown, Byron Hall recording a 10-yard interception return for a touchdown, and Jordan Maxon adding an interception to complete the shutout.
Statement: Patrick Taylor claimed bragging rights and the newly coveted paddle trophy with a 24-7 Thursday night victory over rival Fisher in the inaugural ‘Battle for the Paddle’ game. The win improved Patrick Taylor to 5-0 for the best start in school history. Both teams finished with over 200 yards of total offense; Patrick Taylor got on the board with a 23-yard field goal and an onside kick recovery by Maro Hihar, followed by touchdown passes from Parker Marks to Xavier Harlan and Jalen Patterson, alongside a 1-yard touchdown run by Logan Rodgers.
Surprise: This one is less of a surprise; let’s call it an eye-opener. Fox 8 (WVUE) in New Orleans has a clip of Curtis McCallister taking a short pass and showing blazing speed down the sideline, one of multiple touchdowns that he had in Week 5. He already has a basketball state championship and is a legitimate two-sport star.
NORTHWEST LOUISIANA
Standout: Brandon Craig of Haughton matched history in a 55-36 victory over host Parkway on Thursday night in Bossier City. Craig rushed for seven touchdowns and collected 193 yards on 30 carries to lead the Bucs to the win. Five of those scores came in the first half to help build a 34-17 halftime lead. Haughton found success using a wildcat-like formation called “Poker” that clearly worked to beat a Panther team that had dominated the Bucs the past couple of years.
Statement: The Calvary Baptist Cavaliers were confident that their defense was going to be able to handle the high-scoring Loyola Flyers. That unit did their job at home, after giving up an early touchdown and settling in for a 52-24 win at home in impressive fashion. Z’Ryan Miles had nearly 200 rushing yards for the Cavs, who had over 300 rushing yards as a team. Hudson Price had three touchdown passes, two of them to Braylon Hughlon.
Surprise: Ringgold is unbeaten at 4-0! For a team that won four games total each of the past two seasons, it is a great start. They have not had a record like this since at least 2015, and they have scheduled for success and taken care of business so far.
BAYOU/RIVER PARISHES
Standout: Terrebonne senior running back Sahj Ruffin delivered a big performance in a 29-26 victory over South Terrebonne, carrying the ball 31 times for 206 yards and four touchdowns. After playing behind standout Tigers backs like Quincy Adams, Alvin Celestin, and Jayce Johnson in recent seasons, Ruffin has made this year his time to shine, following up strong 100-yard, touchdown-scoring outings against St. James and Thibodaux with a game for the books.
Statement: Jeanerette took care of Hanson Memorial 60-0 last year in a district game, then came back with a 62-0 win this year to spoil Hanson’s homecoming. The Tigers were off in Week 3, and were it not for a walk-off field goal last week, would be unbeaten themselves. To go on the road and handle Hanson like this is a testament to what this fast, physical team can be when they are at their best.
Surprise: Vandebilt Catholic ended their 10-year losing drought against E.D. White with a thrilling 29-28 overtime win at home. After tying the game 21-21 in regulation, E.D. White scored first in overtime, but Vandebilt answered with a touchdown pass, and head coach Brian Wallace opted to go for a two-point conversion rather than tie the game. Quarterback Rivers Haydel connected with Jackson Jarveaux for the game-winning conversion to secure the historic victory and send the crowd into an absolute frenzy.
CAPITAL AREA
Standout: Dutchtown senior kicker Cade Foley was the difference-maker in a 9-6 victory over Prairieville. Foley, who joined the team just four weeks ago from the soccer field, stepped up in a big way. Playing without their starting quarterback, Dutchtown relied heavily on special teams—including Foley’s three field goals (30, 31, and 20 yards), a blocked field goal, a blocked extra point, and a 43-yard kickoff return by Hayden Becnel—to secure the win.
Statement: Zachary made another statement with a 56-28 victory over St. Amant, winning their third straight game after dropping their first two and increasing their scoring output in every game since Week 1.
The Broncos rolled up 496 yards of total offense, led by quarterback Jacori Platt, who threw for 328 yards and two touchdowns before exiting with an ankle injury. Wide receiver Ethan Kimmie hauled in two long touchdown passes of 44 and 69 yards, while Kylin Jones blew the game wide open in the third quarter with a 79-yard punt return touchdown.
Surprise: East Ascension pulled off a thrilling 28-24 come-from-behind victory over Walker. Trailing 24-7 at halftime, the Spartans mounted a furious 21-0 second-half rally to stun the Wildcats. The comeback was capped off in dramatic fashion when Daylan Bouvay blocked a punt, and D’Landon Nabor returned it 40 yards for the game-winning touchdown with just 15 seconds remaining in another dramatic evening for EA. Spencer Verret with the LHSAA Network has some great footage published online of the special teams TD that you have to see and hear.
ACADIANA
Standout: Opelousas senior quarterback Collin Rideau delivered a standout performance in a very important 28-26 victory over Lafayette Christian Academy. Playing in his final homecoming game, Rideau accounted for all four Tigers touchdowns, throwing for over 200 yards and two scores while adding nearly 100 rushing yards and two more touchdowns on the ground to lead Opelousas to the win. After dominating teams in the first three weeks, this Tiger squad is now 4-1 after bouncing back from a Westgate defeat and continuing to play well.
Statement: I was told by multiple friends (who clearly know their stuff) how good this year’s Westgate team was going to look. Well, they made another massive statement with a dominant 43-0 shutout victory over Carencro to remain undefeated at 5-0. Junior Cayden Lancelin led the charge with a standout performance, scoring two touchdowns and adding a spectacular punt return for a score to anchor the Tigers’ overwhelming win. They have not really had a close game yet against pretty good teams, and should be favored in their last 4 games.
Surprise: Westminster Christian Academy – Lafayette is off to a 5-0 start! In 2024, the Chargers made their first playoff appearance. In 2025, they followed that up with their first-ever playoff win. Now heading into 2026, they are making plays with Pierce Gable at running back, and Ethan Simon, Andre Green, and Zade Prejean have stepped up week after week for the Chargers.
NORTHSHORE
Standout: We all love stat lines like this one: Paul Hoyt had a big game in Hannan‘s 38-14 win over St. Thomas Aquinas, including a 42-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown and a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, bringing the Hawks to 4-1. This Hawks team has been relentless in their pursuit of a program turnaround the past 2-3 seasons, and it looks like so far they have the pieces and the culture to get back to being one of the better teams in Covington.
Statement: Kentwood‘s dominant march continues as the Kangaroos cruised to a 5-0 start with a 52-6 rout of Ferriday. Putting together a clinic across all three phases in this game, Kentwood has now eclipsed the 40-point mark in every contest this fall, outscoring opponents by a commanding 236-65 margin and has already defeated their rivals. They are one of the public school contenders in Division IV select and have only gotten better since the season began.
Surprise: Pearl River and Jewel Sumner do not play all that often, but the Rebels forced six turnovers in Week 5 and got great rushing performances by Andrew Sikes and Kole Doss, who both went for over 150 yards and multiple rushing scores. Pearl River has won three straight, and the offense has really settled into a consistent stretch with their playmakers, so perhaps the surprises from the Rebels are not done yet this year.
AT THE TURN
Grab some chips, reapply sunscreen if needed, stay hydrated, stretch your muscles, and let’s assess the first half of this round: we usually cover about thirty games in this article each week; we have some teams that we knew would be very good and have played that way.
We have teams that have tripped up against a tough schedule and need to get things back on track during their district slate. We have a few teams that need a win immediately to keep their playoff plans intact. And we have a lot of game-pick sheets with big red marks all over them that have been tossed into my trash can after I found out how much these LHSAA players and coaches love to prove me wrong!
Here’s to a second half of the regular season; it has been a blast so far!
Thanks to Ryan Blakely (KPLC Sports), Ken Trahan and Vashon Jones (Crescent City Sports), Garlan Gillen (WVUE FOX8 NOLA), Roy Lang III (SBC Advocate), Chris Singleton (Houma Courier), Brad Weimer (Lafourche Gazette), Chris Chapple and Rich Loup (BR Advocate), and Mike MacMillan (Northshore Prep Report), and Spencer Verret (LHSAA Network) for stats and reporting for games in Week 5.