Football Playoff Bracket Analysis: Two-time defending champion St. Charles Catholic, Holy Cross earn top seeds

Most local and statewide entities still do not rank St. Charles Catholic as the top team in Select Division III.

Crescent City Sports has ranked the Comets No. 1 since the start of the season. That was appropriate, given the fact that St. Charles Catholic has won two consecutive state titles. They’ve gone unbeaten so far this season. The ranking is justified.

That became even more evident today when the Comets earned the No. 1 seed in the LHSAA Select Division III playoffs in the release of the state’s eight playoff brackets.

St. Charles Catholic (10-0) gets a first-round bye before facing the winner of No. 16 Loyola Prep and No. 17 Ascension Episcopal.

Calvary Baptist (10-0) is the second seed with a bye. The Cavaliers will take on the winner of No. 18 Houma Christian and No. 15 Holy Savior Menard.

Newman (8-1) has the third seed with a bye. The Greenies will take on the winner of District 7-2A rivals No. 14 Northlake Christian (7-2) and No. 19 St. Thomas Aquinas (5-5). The Falcons defeated the Wolverines 20-8 in week eight of the regular season. St. Thomas Aquinas has won three straight games.

University Lab (9-1) is the fourth seed. The Cubs have won six state titles, including four state championships since 2014, winning most recently in 2021.

Among area teams, Pope John Paul II (8-2) is the 12th seed and the Jaguars get a home game against No. 21 Lake Charles College Prep.

No. 13 Patrick Taylor (8-2) is home against District 9-3A rival No. 20 Sophie B. Wright (5-5). The Tigers defeated the Warriors 34-20 on Oct. 12.

No. 22 M.L. King Charter (4-6) travels to No. 11 Episcopal while No. 23 Jefferson Rise (4-6) heads to No. 10 Parkview Baptist.

Staying with the Select side, Holy Cross earned the top seed in the Division I playoffs.

The Tigers (8-2), who last won a state title in 1963, have a bye before facing the winner of No. 16 Jesuit (4-6) and No. 17 Byrd. The Blue Jays earned a home game with a week ten win over Archbishop Rummel. Holy Cross blanked Catholic League rival Jesuit 30-0 on Oct. 27.

Captain Shreve (9-1) is the No. 2 seed. The Gators receive a bye and will play the winner of Rummel (4-6), the 18th-seed, who travels to Shreveport to face Northwood.

Catholic of Baton Rouge (8-2) is the third seed with a bye. The Bears will face the winner of No. 14 John Ehret (6-4) and No. 19 Riverdale (4-6).

Brother Martin (7-3), the state runner-up a year ago, is the fourth seed with a bye. The Crusaders play the winner of No. 13 Alexandria and No. 20 Bonnabel (4-6).

Karr (9-1) is a dangerous fifth seed. The Cougars have a bye and will host the winner of No. 21 Woodlawn of Baton Rouge and No. 12 Huntington.

John Curtis Christian (7-2) is a dangerous sixth seed, coming off a demonstrative 41-7 win over Karr. The Patriots will face the winner of No. 22 St. Augustine (3-7) and No. 11 McKinley. John Curtis defeated St. Augustine 36-26 on Oct. 24 in District 9-5A action.

St. Paul’s (9-1) is the seventh seed. The Wolves will meet the winner of No. 23 Higgins (3-7) at No. 10 Tioga.

Holy Cross, Karr and Brother Martin are all in the top half of the bracket. Karr beat both the Tigers and Crusaders during district play.

In Select Division II, defending state champion St. Thomas More (10-0) is the top seed. The Cougars have a bye before squaring off with the winner of No. 16 Northside and No. 17 Istrouma.

E.D. White Catholic (10-0) is the second seed. The Cardinals have a bye before meeting the winner of No. 15 De La Salle (4-6), who will host No. 18 Buckeye.

Lafayette Christian (8-2) has a bye and the Knights will meet the winner of No. 19 Booker T. Washington of New Orleans (4-6) and No 14 Peabody.

John F. Kennedy (9-1) earned the fourth seed and a bye. The Cougars will meet the winner of the game featuring No. 20 Douglass (5-5) at No. 13 Vandebilt Catholic (5-4).

No. 5 Archbishop Shaw (8-2) is a dangerous fifth seed, on an 8-game win streak. The Eagles have a bye before meeting the winner of No. 12 Evangel Christian and No. 21 Belaire.

No. 9 Livingston Collegiate (7-3) gets a home game against No. 24 Booker T. Washington of Shreveport.

No. 22 Landry (2-7) stays in New Orleans to meet No. 11 McDonogh 35 (6-3).

In Select Division IV, Vermilion Catholic (10-0) is the top seed. The Eagles have a bye before meeting the winner of No. 16 Slaughter Community Charter and No. 17 Delhi Charter.

Southern Lab (8-1) has the second seed and a bye. The Kittens play the winner of No. 15 Hanson Memorial and No. 18 St. John in the regional round.

Defending state champion Ouachita Christian (9-1) is the second seed with a bye. The Eagles will play the winner of No. 14 St. Edmund and No. 19 Westminster Christian.

St. Martin’s Episcopal (8-1) is the fourth seed with a bye. The Saints will meet the winner of No. 13 Delta Charter and No. 20 Covenant Christian.

Riverside Academy (9-1) is the fifth seed with a bye. The Rebels will host the winner of No. 12 Catholic-Pointe Coupee and No. 21 Cedar Creek. District 10-1A rivals Riverside and St. Martin’s could meet in the quarterfinals. The Rebels handled the Saints 55-14 on Oct. 6.

No. 10 Central Catholic (7-3) entertains No. 23 Hamilton Christian.

On the Non-Select side, Ruston earned the top seed. The Bearcats (10-0) were runner-up a year ago and will meet the winner of No. 16 Westgate and No. 17 Terrebonne (7-3).

12-time state champion Neville (8-1) has the second seed. The Tigers have a bye and will play the winner of No. 15 East St. John (7-3) and No. 18 Central, who meet in Reserve.

Defending state champion Destrehan (10-0) has a bye before hosting the winner of No. 14 Belle Chasse (6-3) and No. 19 Parkway, who meet at Belle Chasse.

Airline (9-1) is the fourth seed with a bye. The Vikings will take on the winner of No. 20 Thibodaux (4-5), who plays at No. 13 Southside.

In a matchup of area teams, No. 10 Chalmette (9-1) is home against No. 23 Ponchatoula (5-5).

No. 11 Salmen (8-2) gets a home game against No. 22 West Ouachita. The Spartans have won six straight games.

No. 21 Mandeville (6-4) travels to southwest Louisiana to take on No. 12 Sam Houston.

No. 25 Northshore (5-5) travels to No. 8 West Monroe. It is a rematch of a first-round game in 2021, which the Rebels won 37-30 in double overtime.

No. 26 South Lafourche (5-4) plays at No. 7 Dutchtown.

In Non-Select Division II, North DeSoto (9-1) is the top seed. The Griffins, runner-up a year ago, have a bye before hosting the winner of the opening round matchup pitting No. 17 DeRidder at No. 16 Lakeshore (5-4) as the Titans earned a home game.

Cecilia (9-1) is the second seed with a bye. The Bulldogs have eight straight wins and will face the winner of No. 18 Church Point at No. 15 Iota.

No. 3 Assumption (8-2) has a bye. The Mustangs, who have won six straight games, will take on the winner of No. 14 Eunice and No. 19 Breaux Bridge.

Defending state champion Lutcher (7-2) has a bye. The Bulldogs will host the winner of No. 20 Pearl River (5-4) at No. 13 Abbeville.

In Non-Select Division III, unbeaten Jena (10-0) is the top seed with a bye. The Giants will meet the winner of No. 16 Caldwell Parish and No. 17 Richwood. Jena smashed 2-3A rival Caldwell Parish 60-7 on Oct. 27.

Sterlington (9-1) is the second seed. The Panthers have a bye and will take on the winner of No. 15 Marksville and No. 18 Mansfield.

St. James (8-2) is the third seed with a bye. The Wildcats will get the winner of No. 14 North Webster and No. 19 Patterson in the regional round. St. James whipped Patterson 48-0 in District 8-3A play Oct. 13.

No. 4 Union Parish (6-4) gets a bye. The Farmers play the winner of No. 13 St. Helena (5-3) and No. 20 Port Allen.

Bogalusa (5-4) is a dangerous fifth seed. The Lumberjacks have played a tough schedule and will play host to No. 28 Westlake.

No. 8 Amite (6-4), a 6-time state champion, hosts No. 25 Donaldsonville (3-6).

No. 9 Jewel Sumner (6-4) is home against No. 24 South Beauregard.

No. 11 South Plaquemines (8-2) will host No. 22 Port Barre. The Hurricanes won back-to-back state titles in 2007 and 2008.

No. 27 Springfield ( makes a long trip to defending state champion and No. 6 seed Many.

No. 7 Pine (8-2) is home against No. 26 Red River.

In Non-Select Division IV, Logansport (9-1) is the top seed. The Tigers, who have won nine straight games, have a bye before facing the winner of No. 16 Franklin and No. 17 Grand Lake.

No. 2 Kentwood (8-2) has a bye. The nine-time state champion Kangaroos face the winner of No. 15 Ferriday and No. 18 Jonesboro-Hodge.

No. 24 Varnado (3-7) plays at No. 9 White Castle while No. 28 West St. John (2-8) is at No. 5 Jeanerette.

Defending state champion Oak Grove (8-2) is the third seed and will play the winner of No. 19 Lake Arthur and No. 14 Montgomery.

No. 4 Haynesville (9-1) has a bye and the Golden Tornado will face the winner of No. 13 Arcadia and No. 20 General Trass.