Division-II Select Preview Notes | LHSAA State Championships

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The LHSAA's annual Prep Classic football state championship event concludes Saturday with Division-II Select, Division-III Select and Division-I Non-Select matchups.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Redzone Louisiana will break down the overall storylines, paths teams took to reach the Superdome, programs' histories and players to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Division-II Select game kicks off the three-game schedule.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 1 St. Thomas More (13-0) vs. No. 3 Lafayette Christian (11-2)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No state championship matchup has been more highly anticipated for longer than the Lafayette district rivals meeting for a fourth time in two years and providing a rematch of a high-powered thriller of last year's title game. The Cougars have somehow, some way managed to make the late plays necessary on each occasion to top the Knights, another of the state's top programs. And whether LSU commit [player_tooltip player_id='139261' first='Ju'Juan' last='Johnson'], Texas commit [player_tooltip player_id='285654' first='Melvin' last='Hills III'] and company can finally turn that tide has been a topic of discussion and intrigue throughout the past month (or more).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Paths</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Thomas More</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— First-round bye</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat Istrouma, 57-14</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Shut out St. Michael the Archangel, 49-0</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat Archbishop Shaw, 69-30</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lafayette Christian</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— First-round bye</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat Peabody, 54-20</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat McDonogh 35, 57-21</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat another district rival Teurling Catholic for the second time, 42-35</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Recent Meetings</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Thomas More has won district matchups the past two years, as well as last year's state title game, 52-48, behind a furious comeback late.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Thomas More</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2024 QB [player_tooltip player_id='285278' first='Sam' last='Altmann'], 2025 DL [player_tooltip player_id='914123' first='Ethan' last='Baer'], 2024 DB [player_tooltip player_id='914120' first='Brian' last='Broussard'] Jr., 2024 DB Peyton David, 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='914125' first='Gavin' last='Duplechin'], 2024 WR [player_tooltip player_id='902066' first='Sanders' last='Foreman'], 2024 DL [player_tooltip player_id='1202532' first='Adam' last='Guidry'], 2024 OL [player_tooltip player_id='139479' first='Ashton' last='Helaire'], 2024 LB [player_tooltip player_id='902061' first='Hayden' last='Hernandez'], 2025 RB [player_tooltip player_id='1644772' first='Gabe' last='Mocek'], 2024 WR [player_tooltip player_id='145326' first='Landon' last='Strother'], 2024 RB [player_tooltip player_id='289901' first='Hutch' last='Swilley']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Opelousas </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 OL [player_tooltip player_id='920611' first='Kaleb' last='Campbell'], 2024 WR [player_tooltip player_id='144893' first='Trae' last='Grogan'], 2025 DB [player_tooltip player_id='710782' first='Chris' last='Helaire'], 2024 DL [player_tooltip player_id='285654' first='Melvin' last='Hills III'], 2024 OL [player_tooltip player_id='421527' first='Trevor' last='Jeffrey'], 2024 QB/ATH [player_tooltip player_id='139261' first='Ju'Juan' last='Johnson'], 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='145325' first='Ty' last='Lee'], 2024 LB [player_tooltip player_id='421516' first='Sandy' last='Lewis'], 2024 WR Treanders Marzell, 2024 DL [player_tooltip player_id='901049' first='Jon' last='Moore-Leday'], 2025 RB [player_tooltip player_id='914215' first='Jalen' last='Noel'], 2025 WR [player_tooltip player_id='912254' first='Carlos' last='O'Brien'], 2027 DB [player_tooltip player_id='592357' first='Sky' last='Ryan'], 2024 LB Sam Taylor, 2025 WR [player_tooltip player_id='914216' first='Brennan' last='Walker']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>State Championship History</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Thomas More: 4-2</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Win in 2016, 2019, 2020, 2022</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Losses in 2015, 2018</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lafayette Christian: 4-2</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Wins in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Losses in 2021, 2022</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->