LHSAA Playoffs quarterfinal primer | Division-III Select

Episcopal (Baton Rouge)

Jerit Roser November 23, 2023 @ 10:08 PM

Thanksgiving week brings plenty of traditions and significance — including, in Louisiana's high school football, the milestone of turkey-day practices meaning a team is preparing for the quarterfinals.   Each week, we'll give a quick update of some of the notable outcomes and top performers in each division and potential matchups to watch in the next round.   Check out the Division-III Select capsule heading into the postseason's third round.     Quarterfinal matchups — Last meeting   No. 1 St. Charles Catholic vs. No. 9 Notre Dame — St. Charles Catholic won, 17-10, at home in 2022 semifinals.   No. 4 University Lab vs. No. 21 Lake Charles College Prep — First meeting.   No. 3 Isidore Newman vs. No. 11 Episcopal (Baton Rouge) — Isidore Newman won, 37-6, at Episcopal (B.R.) in 2021 quarterfinals.   No. 2 Calvary Baptist vs. No. 10 Parkview Baptist — First meeting.     Highest seeds remaining: No. 1 St. Charles Catholic, No. 2 Calvary Baptist, No. 3 Isidore Newman and No. 4 Parkview Baptist.   Lowest seeds remaining: No. 21 Lake Charles College Prep, No. 11 Episcopal (Baton Rouge), No. 10 Parkview Baptist and No. 9 Notre Dame.     Biggest second-round upset by seeds: No. 21 Lake Charles College Prep over No. 5 Catholic (New Iberia), 7-3.   Other second-round upsets: No. 11 Episcopal (Baton Rouge) over No. 6 Bunkie, 38-14; No. 10 Parkview Baptist over No. 7 Dunham, 39-32; No. 9 Notre Dame over No. 8 D'Arbonne Woods Charter, 49-7.   Closest second-round game: No. 21 Lake Charles College Prep over No. 5 Catholic (New Iberia), 7-3.   Closest game thus far: No. 19 St. Thomas Aquinas over No. 14 Northlake Christian, 36-35, in first round.   Biggest second-round margin: No. 4 University Lab over No. 13 Patrick Taylor, 62-6.   Biggest margin thus far: No. 4 University Lab over No. 13 Patrick Taylor, 62-6, in second round.   Biggest second-round surprise: No. 21 Lake Charles College Prep over No. 5 Catholic (New Iberia), 7-3.   Biggest surprise thus far: No. 21 Lake Charles College Prep over No. 5 Catholic (New Iberia), 7-3, in second round.     Top second-round performers: 2025 Parkview Baptist WR [player_tooltip player_id='1221071' first='Brock' last='Comeaux'], 2024 St. Charles Catholic DB/WR Kaden Foster, 2025 Isidore Newman QB [player_tooltip player_id='914014' first='Eli' last='Friend'], 2024 Episcopal (Baton Rouge) RB/ATH [player_tooltip player_id='902137' first='Braeden' last='George'].   Other notes: All four of this division's quarterfinal would have been hosted by the lower-seeded teams in previous years, prior to a rule change that went into effect this postseason that all quarterfinals will be hosted by higher seeds regardless of other dynamics. The matchups themselves are an interesting mix of familiar foes and first-time meetings with similar potential on deck for the semifinals as well depending on winners. St. Charles Catholic, Calvary Baptist and University Lab have been considered the top tier of contenders in the bracket, but each of their matchups this weekend poses notable challenges from a legendary coach and his well-run team, another traditional power that has consistently proved critics wrong throughout this season and a talented team that weathered potentially overwhelming adversity and is now peaking at the right time.     Most intriguing quarterfinal matchup: No. 2 Calvary Baptist vs. No. 10 Parkview Baptist.   Most intriguing possible semifinal matchup: No. 1 St. Charles Catholic vs. No. 4 University Lab.

Thanksgiving week brings plenty of traditions and significance — including, in Louisiana's high school football, the milestone of turkey-day practices meaning a team is preparing for the quarterfinals.