Two Titans, One Dream: Catholic High vs. Edna Karr for State Championship Berth

by: Mike Strom // GeauxPreps.com Contributor

Explosive.

This is how Catholic-Baton Rouge coach Hudson Fuller describes the Karr Cougars, the Division I Select state semifinals opponent for his reigning state champions.

“Anytime you’re playing this time of year, you can expect to play against great competition,’’ Fuller, in his second season as the Bears coach, said. “That definitely is the case as far as this week.

“When you look at (Karr), they’ve been great all year. They’ve been explosive. That’s the main word I’d use to describe them. Their offense kind of thrives on explosive plays. And they can create explosive plays on defense and special teams as well.’’

Not that Catholic is any slouch in terms of explosiveness. So maybe Fuller’s observation is just as simple as it takes one to know one.

Regardless, if ever a marquee matchup existed among the 32 teams spread across eight divisions still vying for Louisiana High School Athletic Association championship laurels, then Friday’s 7 p.m. kickoff between top-seeded Karr (11-0) and No. 4 Catholic (12-0) at Morris Jeff Stadium in Algiers would be it.

“A Clash of the Titans’’ is how Karr offensive coordinator John Johnson assesses the fourth meeting between these programs that collectively have won 11 state titles, with 10 of those championships coming during the past 12 seasons.

“We’ve been playing well and the kids know that,’’ Karr defensive coordinator Taurus Howard said. “But they also understand that we’ve got to go to another level Friday. (Catholic) is not your average football team. This is a big-time program which has a lot of championship pedigree. They’ve won a lot of state championships. They’ve been there a lot.

“So we have to match their energy. We have to match their energy and we have to match the level they’re on, which I think our kids are up for the challenge to do that.’’

Karr is a six-time Class 4A state champion, first having won titles in 1993 and 2012 before ripping off four consecutive championship seasons in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 under Coach Brice Brown. But the Cougars, now in their third season of Class 5A competition, have not won a state crown in five years.

Catholic is a five-time state champion on the field in the state’s highest classification, having won titles in 2015, 2017, 2020, 2021, and 2023 under four different head coaches. Catholic did have to forfeit the 2017 and 2020 state crowns due to LHSAA eligibility violations, but the magnitude of Bears’ achievements remains seismic.

The formula may have been tweaked this season with the Bears relying more on an attacking defense that boasts multiple schemes and three stellar players in the secondary in cornerbacks Jacob Bradford and Cayden Jones and safety Blaine Bradford. Jacob Bradford is an LSU signee and his brother Blaine, a junior, projects as a top prospect in 2026.

The Bradfords and Jones play behind a front seven led by senior defensive linemen Oliver Sabine, Corey Hatch, and Hunter Savoie who receive ample support from a trio of active linebackers in juniors Harrison Kidder and Maxwell Mauer and senior Layton Welch.

“Baton Rouge-Catholic’s defense is going to be a big challenge for us,’’ Johnson, Karr’s offensive coordinator, said. “They do a lot of things. They’re very, very multiple, as multiple as anyone we’ve played this season on defense. They do a whole lot to confuse you. I think they have to switch (their pass coverages) up. We’re going to see some man. They’re going to give us everything.’’

The Bears remain quite formidable on both sides of the ball.

Catholic, which had a 27-21 loss to University in Week 3 and later declared a forfeit victory by the LHSAA, has scored 31 points or more in seven of its last eight games, including a 42-0 regional victory against No. 13 East Jefferson in the Bears’ playoff opener.

The lone exception came in last week’s 14-7 victory against No. 5 seed Rummel in a state quarterfinals played at BREC Memorial Stadium in Baton Rouge in which Catholic broke up a defensive slugfest by scoring the game-winning touchdown on a 44-yard double pass with three minutes, 35 seconds remaining. Jones and Jacob Bradford recorded interceptions.

Junior Baylor Graves has enjoyed a productive first season as Catholic’s starting quarterback following the graduation of four-year starter Daniel Beale and Beale’s departure to UL football. Graves’ production has been complimented by two standout running backs in Ryan Parker and Jayden Miles and a trio of solid wide receivers in Amari Clayton, Cohen LeBlanc, and Alex Huffine.

It was LeBlanc and Clayton who teamed up on the double-pass, trick play to down Rummel, with LeBlanc catching the initial lateral from Graves and then firing downfield to the streaking Clayton to convert fourth-and-4. The winning score was set in motion by Huffine’s dramatic kickoff return to midfield that answered Rummel’s tying touchdown.

Graves also passed for the game’s initial touchdown, a 12-yard completion to junior wide receiver Beau Thomas late in the third quarter, to put Catholic ahead, 7-0.

The Bears skill talent operates behind a solid offensive line that features center John Joffrion and two college prospects in tackles Erv Smith and Blaise Thomassie. Smith is a senior and Thomassie a junior.

“We’ve been playing well as of late,’’ Howard, Karr’s defensive coordinator, said. “You have to be (playing well) because we’re in the semifinals. I’m not going to say we’re knocking it out of the park, but we’ve been playing well.

“Friday, we’re going to have to go to another level because Catholic is really, really, really good. They can run the ball. They can pass the ball. The quarterback appears to be very smart. They’ve got good running backs. The receivers are good. The (offensive) line is probably the best O-line we’ll face this year.

“And they’re very, very disciplined (as a team). I don’t want to use the word ‘flawless,’ but we’re going to have to get as close to (flawless) as possible this Friday if we want to advance to the championship game.’’

The Catholic-Karr winner advances to face the winner between No. 2 Alexandria Senior High (12-0) and No. 19 John Curtis (7-5) at noon on Saturday, Dec. 14, in the Division I Select state championship finals of the Allstate Sugar Bowl LHSAA Prep Classic being played next week at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. ASH and John Curtis play at 7 p.m. Friday in Alexandria.

Karr’s defense boasts two very active tackles and future college players in Corey Adams and Richard Anderson. Adams (6-4, 245, Sr.) is an Ole Miss signee while Anderson (6-4, 335, Jr.) is a national recruit for 2026.

Linebackers Arsenio “Ace’’ Bolds, Kevin Martin, and Tyrik Brigalia are three more playmakers who are ably supported in the secondary by safeties Cody Morris and Aiden Hall. Hall (6-foot, 190, Jr.) is another top prospect for 2026.

“The defensive line has been playing pretty well,’’ Howard said. “Big Rich (Anderson) and Big Corey (Adams), our tackles, have been playing really well. Our linebackers, Ace (Arsenio Bolds), Kevin Martin, Tyrik Brigalia, they’ve been fitting the run, being stout against the run.

“We’ve been really, really good against the run as of late. We’re going to have to be phenomenal this week against the run because they’ve got a good offensive line. And they’ve got two or three good running backs. So we’re going to have to be really, really good against the run.

“And then we have to defend the pass as well because they can throw it, too. And our secondary has been playing really well as of late.’’

For all of their defensive prowess, it is a dynamic offense that has driven the three-time reigning Catholic League champion Cougars to this point. The Cougars scored 409 points in nine regular-season games, averaging 44.8 points an outing, with that average actually increasing to 49 points in the postseason following a 56-6 victory against No. 17 Huntington and a 42-14 win against No. 8 St. Thomas More in the quarterfinals.

Quarterback John “Hollywood’’ Johnson, son of the offensive coordinator, has been spectacular in amassing 3,726 yards and 42 touchdowns with his passing and running. Those totals represent an average of 338.7 yards and nearly four touchdowns per game.

A 5-foot-10, 170-pound junior, who this week was named recipient of the prestigious Allstate Sugar Bowl Amateur Athlete of the Month award for November, Johnson has completed 176 of 262 passes (67.2 percent) good for 3,050 yards and 31 touchdowns with only five interceptions in addition to rushing 71 times for 676 yards and 11 more TDs.

“Let’s put in perspective what John is really doing,’’ Johnson, the offensive coordinator, said. “I’ve coached many good quarterbacks. I’ve been blessed with Munchie Legaux to Tonka George (at Karr) to Devin Powell and Keyshawn Thompson at O. Perry Walker to A.J. Samuels (at Karr). All of those are very good players.

“This is the first time we’ve seen a kid and an offense consistently have to find a way to beat defenses dropping eight (defenders in coverage). Meaning that they spend half the game dropping eight people in coverage trying to stop us from passing the ball.

“The quarterback has been able to consistently pull it off with his preparation, his pre-snap and post-snap reads, and his execution and accuracy. That’s something that we haven’t seen before. That’s just the honest truth.

“John’s film from this year is better than anybody else’s film (at quarterback). I’m talking about dropping balls in between coverage with his accuracy, dropping (the ball) 50 yards downfield directly in your hands, extending plays, and doing it against the best defenses in the state. He’s been the best quarterback in Louisiana this year. I don’t think there’s a question.’’

Johnson’s role as linchpin can be overshadowed at times by a trio of future college wide receivers who are led by the electrifying LSU signee Taron “Manchild’’ Francis and Louisiana Tech signee Daejawn Smith and Tulane signee Oliver Mitchell.

Francis has team-leading totals of 67 receptions and 1,146 yards that have produced 12 touchdowns via pass and 15 overall. Smith has caught 60 passes good for 1,007 yards and 14 touchdowns while scoring 17 TDs total. Both players have proven capable of taking over games with their playmaking abilities.

The Cougars also have overcome the loss of starting tailback Bryant Sanchez, who has missed the past four games due to a leg injury sustained on the second series of a 35-14 victory against state semifinalist John Curtis in Week 9. Karr scored 10 touchdowns the following week in a 69-28 blowout of Rummel to decide the Catholic League championship and complete a 9-0 regular season.

Talented junior Tre Garrison and promising sophomore Jermond Macklin have teamed to replace Sanchez whose availability still remains in question even if the Cougars advance to the finals.

Karr’s bevy of skill players follow the lead of a large and active offensive line that features tackles Leon Noil (6-4, 280, Jr.) and Zion Wesley (6-3, 260, So.) along with guards Zaiah Miles (6-2, 320, Sr.) and Phillip Casby (6-1, 245, Sr.) and center Marlin Jones (6-1, 275, Sr.). H-back/fullback Cameron Mumford (5-11, 245, Jr.) completes the forward wall.

“The offense has been consistently good this year,’’ John Johnson, the offensive coordinator said. “The most impressive thing is the way that they have adjusted. Different defenses have thrown completely different things at us throughout the season. Playing the schedule that we’ve played, playing in the Catholic League …

“We all know that the Catholic League plays great defense with great defensive coaches that come up with schemes that look like everybody spent their entire offseason getting their game plan together for us because they throw so many different things at us. It’s to where we probably had to adjust more week to week than at any other point in my coaching career with our offensive schemes. And the kids have just handled it. … flawlessly.’’

The Cougars have not faced a defense the caliber of Catholic’s, however, particularly in the secondary where Jones and the Bradford brothers offer the luxury of being able to play man coverage when needed. But, then again, the Bears have not faced a quartet of skill players matching the big-play abilities of John Johnson the quarterback, and his wide receivers Francis, Smith, and Mitchell, leading to the question of whether Catholic can dare to play man coverage on a regular basis in the contest.

“It all depends on who you’ve got playing man on them,’’ Fuller said. “It’ll be exciting to see. We feel like that our defensive secondary is one of the many strengths of our team. So we’re excited to see those guys play.’’

Catholic is not entering in a giving mood defensively nor do the Bears seem starry-eyed by Karr’s waves of offensive prowess.

“We’re going to take that away,’’ Fuller, Catholic’s coach, said. “We’re going to play disciplined football. We’re going to be in a position to limit those explosive plays and really it just comes down to the execution and one-on-ones and playing hard within the play. And getting back up and playing the next one. I’d say just the discipline and execution from one play to the next’’ is key.

“The kids allow us as coaches to do whatever we see and believe that are the best ways to attack what we see on film,’’ Johnson, the offensive coordinator, said of Karr’s offense. No matter what is presented, “We believe that we have the personnel to absolutely pull it off.’’

Catholic additionally is eager to face Karr at the venerable and raucous Morris Jeff Stadium in Algiers, which represents one of the true pits of high school football in the New Orleans area.

Catholic’s three previous games against Karr all were played at Memorial Stadium in Baton Rouge with the Bears owning a 2-1 advantage. Catholic beat Karr, 32-24, in the 2022 Division I Select state quarterfinals, which marked the Cougars’ first season in Class 5A. The teams played twice previously in the regular season with the Bears prevailing, 47-12, in 2019 followed by a 34-31 Karr victory one year later.

“We’re excited,’’ Fuller said. “We’re excited about getting to come down there and play at their place. With the environment that I know will be there, we’re really looking forward to it.’’

Karr, meanwhile, has gone four straight seasons without a state championship and now has the opportunity to record another program first, winning Title No. 7 at the state’s highest classification.

“I don’t know if the kids talk about it. I don’t,’’ Howard said of winning at the 5A level. “A state championship is a state championship to me. But, in hindsight, if we’re fortunate enough to get that, that will be a big accomplishment for us to win in the highest class. But we didn’t talk too much about it.

“To be honest, when you just said it, that was my first time thinking about it. That’s me personally. So I don’t know what the other coaches or the kids are talking about. But if that’s a personal goal for them, then that’s a personal goal for them. We’re just trying to win Friday night. You can’t win a state championship if you don’t win Friday night.’’