Week 2 Watchlist: Games and Storylines From Around The Boot
by Marshall Loeffler // GeauxPreps.com
Twenty-five years ago, I was a high school sophomore sitting in science class on a regular Tuesday when my homeroom teacher walked in and told us about a plane crash that, just a few minutes later, became a world-altering tragic day.
In the years since then, I’ve watched our communities regroup and regrow after all different kind of disasters, and this Friday night, all around the Pelican State, you will get to see people that use this day as a day to celebrate the truly important things about living here that unite this land, and in true Louisiana fashion, we’ll be doing it at a tailgate!
Here’s a look around our great state for a few games and stories in Week 2 that have caught my attention.
ACADIANA
What everyone watched: Westgate and Southside delivered on Thursday night. The Tigers rallied for a 42-33 win to move to 2-0 in their 2026 campaign. Noah Antoine was special once again this week hitting Jackson Roberson for a pair of explosive plays before finding Joshua John late to take the lead to secure an impressive win on the road.
What else I’m excited to see: Walker needed all 48 minutes to come back and win against Pontchatoula in Week 1, and I’m really excited to see how they back that up against Erath. The Bobcats exploded on offense with Landon Derouen at QB, and this team won every regular-season game in 2025 and will probably pack the stands in blue like they normally do in the fall.
NORTHSHORE
What everyone is watching: It’s got to be the battle “Under the Water Tower” in Kentwood! The Kangaroos will bring in Jewel Sumner for this annual Tangipahoa Parish rivalry game. The Cowboys only have to travel about 8 miles from their campus and will bring in a talented squad that could get to double-digit wins again under long-tenured Coach Ross Currier and a talented backfield with Rylan James and Jahkahri Brown.
What else I’m excited to see: The quarterback for Lakeshore, Brody Loudermilk, is a lot of fun to watch play, and the 1-0 Titans take on the 1-0 Slidell Tigers this week. Slidell used a good defensive game to go on the road and knock off Holy Cross, so now this Week 2 game is a very exciting chance to see who the best team in eastern St. Tammany Parish might be.
CENTRAL LOUISIANA
What everyone is watching: This game will take place in Ouachita Parish, but one of CenLa’s very best teams, the Jena Giants, face off with a familiar opponent. Sterlington is in a new division this year but has been the only team to make Jena look stoppable in over a year, so it will be interesting to see where each of these two teams stand after retooling their rosters and getting tough victories a week ago. J-Rob Breen is going to have a great year at QB for Sterlington, and Jonas Jenkins will have a chance to match him on the road.
What else I’m excited to see: In what will be an amazing atmosphere in “The Grove,” Bunkie will bring in the juggernaut of Calvary Baptist, who won in Independence Stadium last week. Both schools have sent players to Division I in recent years and have been in the top 10 of Division III Select, but the Panthers will have their hands full at home against last year’s runner-up. Ketron Watson is Bunkie’s early workhorse, and Braylon Hughlon for CBA is worthy of his high rank if you’ve seen him play in person.
NEW ORLEANS
What everyone watched: Hall of Famer Drew Brees returned to a familiar New Orleans sideline Thursday night. Only this time, he was on the other side. Brees, the passing game coordinator for Santa Fe Christian (CA), helped the Eagles roll to a 41-7 victory over Newman. His son, Baylen Brees, made the homecoming memorable, throwing a touchdown pass and catching another as Santa Fe Christian improved to 4-0.
What else I’m excited to see: Until told otherwise, Archbishop Rummel is going to be a must-see team this fall. They have a good matchup with Vandebilt Catholic, and these Select Division games are often the type of games that we look back on to try and gauge a playoff matchup down the road.
NORTHWEST LOUISIANA
What everyone is watching: Once again, Pop Houston and Evangel Christian have a high-profile September game, this time welcoming in Neville from down Interstate 20 and pairing up the Eagles’ Division I quarterback (Houston is an LSU commit) with the Tigers’ Parker Robinson, who will suit up for ULM, and will make for a great matchup of 0-1 teams. Neville has won the past four consecutive years.
What else I’m excited to see: The Week 2 game between Minden and Homer has often told the story of where each team’s season went after that matchup. This year’s edition will be a home game for the Crimson Tide at “The Pit” and feature two front-seven defenders (Jeremiah Jones and Javen Calloway) who had double-digit tackles in Week 1, while Homer will trot out Antonio Casey (192 yards) and Jercion Levingston (108 yards), two Pelicans wideouts who went off in Week 1.
CAPITAL AREA
What everyone is watching: It’s hard to put anything else in this section except the Baton Rouge battle between Dunham and Catholic. Obviously, Elijah Haven needs no more introduction; you just need to watch him score for the Tigers either live or on film. I also really like the Stanford-bound tight end Jude Chamberlain for the Bears, and really liked Coach Hudson Fuller’s undeterred attitude after giving up 61 points to Carrollton (GA) a few days ago.
What I watched last night: Madison Prep picked up a big early-season win Thursday night, pulling away from U-High 38-21 at Memorial Stadium. The cubs took an early lead with a Corbin Odell touchdown scamper, but the Chargers answered quickly and took a 14-7 lead into the half. Jakobe Sanders connected with Landon Johnson for a score to start the second half. Dominic Harvey found the end zone later as Madison Prep took home a week 2 victory.
BAYOU AND RIVER PARISHES
What everyone is watching: Destrehan bringing in St. Augustine may be the best game in the entire state this week, depending on where you are. This will be a true test of powerhouses, with Jaelle Noble looking smooth so far at QB for the Purple Knights. Malachi Dabney is the workhorse back for the Wildcats, and it’s two of the most respected football teams in the LHSAA that will share the field in Destrehan.
What else I’m excited to see: St. Charles Parish is full of great games this week, as the Comets of St. Charles are headed east to play Hahnville. These two teams have never played in football, but are some of the best to do it in South LA. The Tigers are 0-1 after battling with Shaw, and St. Charles got an overtime win against The Legacy School in Houston.
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
What everyone is watching: East Ascension got a quality win over Warren Easton, and now Blake Matherne will travel back west to Calcasieu Parish for a game against Sam Houston. Albert Simien is the biggest name for the Broncos, and is headed to Notre Dame, but East Ascension has developed blue-chip linemen as well recently, and this will be a great matchup of two teams that won their opening game and have other big non-district matchups coming up on their schedule.
What else I’m excited to see: It will be a battle of talented quarterback meets dominant defense when Isaiah Thomasand Kinder host Northwest. Both teams lost to semifinal teams last fall, and Justin Chavis, like Thomas, can make plays in multiple ways at the QB spot for the Raiders. The Yellow Jackets put up 59 points last week, so this could be a true battle of styles in southern Allen Parish.
NORTHEAST LOUISIANA
What everyone is watching: Franklin Parish will bring their talented team up to West Carroll Parish to take on the Oak Grove Tigers. The Patriots’ battle with Sterlington before losing in Week 1 and Oak Grove’s home-field advantage is formidable even against larger schools. Bryson Reeves has looked good at quarterback for Oak Grove so far, and of course Trey Martin for Franklin Parish has shown flashes as good as any quarterback in Louisiana.
What else I’m excited to see: While they are certainly deserving of some hype after making it to the semifinals last season, Plaquemine is being discussed as a potential favorite against West Monroe, which may sound odd to fans in Northeast Louisiana! This should be a really good game; Brady Guillot scored from midfield last week, and will try to defend Don Shows Field against the visiting Green Devils, who will bring in Ragin’ Cajuns WR commit John Walker to face that Rebel defense.
GET YOURSELF TO A GAME!
There will be plenty of communities gathering for patriotic celebrations this weekend while they watch their teams play, so go see one for yourself! These games are so much fun to see in person, and I’ll be at a new stadium each week this fall learning more about these schools and the football atmosphere that they display. Check out the Thursday Night Road Trip game recaps every week on GeauxPreps.com!
Thanks to Jace Lejeune (Gridiron Football), Mike MacMillan (Northshore Prep Report), Jordan Taylor (Under The Lights), Glenn Quebedeaux (Crowley Post-Signal), Eric Richey (VSN Louisiana), Jude Young (Crescent City Sports), and Jackson Reyes (Baton Rouge Advocate) for reports, stats, film, and information from around the state.