LHSAA Playoff Brackets: Top Storylines, Prospects

Louisiana’s high school football playoffs kick off this weekend.

The LHSAA’s nine brackets — five nonselect (public) and four select (private and magnet) — are full of impressive teams and prospects and intriguing matchups and storylines.

We’ll give a quick preview of each, including the top five seeds, a lower seed to watch for a potential run, up to eight top-ranked prospects, up to five sleeper prospects, an intriguing first-round matchup and an overarching storyline entering the tournament.

Check out the small schools (Division III, Class 2A, Division IV and Class 1A) capsules below.

Or click here for the large schools (Class 5A, Division I, Class 4A, Division II and Class 3A).

DIVISION III

Top 5 seeds: No. 1 Lafayette Christian, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 St. Charles, No. 4 Episcopal (Baton Rouge), No. 5 Isidore Newman

Lower seed to watch: No. 6 Dunham

Intriguing first-round matchup: No. 8 Ascension Episcopal vs. No. 9 Catholic (New Iberia)

Overall Storyline: Lafayette Christian has won four straight state championships — completing the “4-for-4, like Wendy’s” push in December for injured 2021 star Sage Ryan — including the past two in Division III. And the Knights’s “Drive for 5” looks strong. No prospect in the state, if not the country, carries more weight to his name than 2023 Newman quarterback Arch Manning Arch Manning 6'3" | 190 lbs | QB Newman | 2023 State LA . But, despite talented teams his underclassman seasons and years before his arrival, the Greenies have yet to be able to reach a state championship game. Those two highlight the bracket from a recruiting standpoint, but Episcopal (Baton Rouge) is an often-underrated team that could disrupt the top half of the bracket. And on the bottom of the bracket, Notre Dame and legendary coach Lewis Cook are an annual contender, and 2020 runner-up St. Charles has already flexed its muscles with huge victories this season.

CLASS 2A

Top 5 seeds: No. 1 Many, No. 2 Loreauville, No. 3 General Trass, No. 4 Avoyelles, No. 5 North Caddo

Lower seed to watch: No. 6 Amite

Intriguing first-round matchup: No. 11 St. Helena vs. No. 22 Kinder

Overall Storyline: With perennial contender and 2021 runner-up Kinder stumbling quite a bit this season, reigning champion and top-seeded Many appears one of the clearer favorites in its bracket in this year’s postseason. But the Tigers will have to navigate a hungry cast of talented teams and rising programs in their quest for a repeat. The aforementioned other top seeds — Loreauville, General Trass, Avoyelles and North Caddo — and even farther down the list to Amite, Jonesboro-Hodge, Red River and Mangham have made enough noise this season that no one should be shocked with a deep run. Only Amite and Mangham of that group have reached a championship game anytime recently. But Loreauville and General Trass — as well as No. 11 St. Helena and No. 12 Port Allen — reached at least the quarterfinals in 2020, Red River and Avoyelles provided Many two of its three closest games this season and North Caddo and Jonesboro-Hodge enter the tournament with notable young talent on their rosters and key wins on their résumés.

DIVISION IV

Top 5 seeds: No. 1 Ouachita Christian, No. 2 Southern Lab, No. 3 Opelousas Catholic, No. 4 Calvary Baptist, No. 5 Sacred Heart (Ville Platte)

Lower seed to watch: No. 14 St. Frederick

Intriguing first-round matchup: No. 6 Vermilion Catholic vs. No. 11 Catholic (Pointe Coupee)

Overall Storyline: Division IV doesn’t have as arguably any of the larger select-school divisions, but only because a pair of teams have shared the mantel fairly evenly. And, fortunately for at least half the other teams in the bracket, No. 1. Ouachita Christian and No. 4 Calvary Baptist would have to meet in the semifinals if the two 2021 finalists’ course continue to prove destined for a third straight postseason collision. Other talented teams would still stand in their way prior to a potential rubber match between the Eagles and Cavaliers. But their joint situation on the top half of the bracket opens the bottom half nicely for the third horse in the race, Southern Lab, or a handful of other realistic contenders to potentially navigate deep runs.

CLASS 1A

Top 5 seeds: No. 1 Logansport, No. 2 Homer, No. 3 Grand Lake, No. 4 Oak Grove, No. 5 Slaughter Community Charter

Lower seed to watch: No. 12 West St. John

Intriguing first-round matchup: No. 16 Arcadia vs. No. 17 East Iberville

Overall Storyline: Seemingly the most open field among the small school trophies up for grabs following notable graduations for back-to-back reigning champion Oak Grove, 2021 runner-up Grand Lake and even semifinalist East Iberville — plus relatively down years by other perennial powers such as Haynesville and West St. John. Both the Tigers and Hornets remain among the favorites. But 2016 champion Logansport has returned to top seeding, and resurgent Homer has looked arguably as good as any Class 1A public school this season. Some combination of top-four seeds appears the likely title matchup, but a well-timed upset could swiftly shake up that likelihood.