LHSAA Playoffs semifinal primer | Non-Select Divisions

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Louisiana's final 32 football teams are standing one more win from the always-coveted trip to the Caesars Superdome.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sixteen will advance to next week's state championship games, while 16 will head home Friday with semifinal losses.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Check out a few more notes on the four "Non-Select" divisions below, including some top players to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DIVISION-I NON-SELECT</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Semifinal matchups — Last meeting</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No. 1 Ruston vs. No. 21 Mandeville — Mandeville won at home, 26-0, in 2011 quarterfinals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No. 6 Zachary vs. No. 7 Dutchtown — Zachary won at Dutchtown, 35-14, in 2016 second round.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Semifinalists' (recent) history:</strong> The two Baton Rouge programs meeting in the bottom half of the bracket are the headliners here on opposite ends of the spectrum with the Broncos in their ninth semifinal in 10 years, compared to the Griffins' making their first. Ruston is back for second straight time after last year's runner-up run, and Mandeville returns after previous trips in 2011, 2012 and 2015.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top prospects:</strong> 2025 Ruston QB [player_tooltip player_id='710076' first='Joshua' last='Brantley'], 2024 Ruston DL [player_tooltip player_id='421520' first='Ahmad' last='Breaux'], 2024 Zachary OL [player_tooltip player_id='675889' first='Kavion' last='Broussard'], 2024 Zachary WR/TE [player_tooltip player_id='285194' first='Trey'Dez' last='Green'], 2024 Ruston DL [player_tooltip player_id='675892' first='Geordan' last='Guidry'], 2024 Dutchtown RB/LB [player_tooltip player_id='1202511' first='Carter' last='Hanberry'], 2025 Ruston LB [player_tooltip player_id='710083' first='Zheric' last='Hill'], 2024 Ruston LB [player_tooltip player_id='285613' first='Jadon' last='Mayfield'], 2025 Mandeville RB [player_tooltip player_id='710077' first='Nate' last='Sheppard'], 2024 Zachary DB/WR [player_tooltip player_id='139489' first='Luke' last='Wisham'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Overall storyline:</strong> Top-seeded Ruston has been among the favorites all season to potential complete its mission to claim a first state championship since 1990, but will have to deal with a Mandeville bunch peaking at the right time behind underrated star [player_tooltip player_id='710077' first='Nate' last='Sheppard']'s phenomenal junior campaign. Zachary, one of the state's perennial contenders during the past decade, is also peaking at the right time for a team that hadn't entered this season as hyped from the outside as some of its predecessors, but had a toughness and physicality that coach David Brewerton liked — which makes for an interesting matchup with a nearby foe with a similar mentality in that regard.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DIVISION-II NON-SELECT</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Semifinal matchups — Last meeting</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No. 1 North DeSoto vs. No. 12 Opelousas — More than 20 years ago, if ever.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No. 2 Cecilia vs. No. 22 Northwest — Cecilia won at home, 56-7, in 2020 Week 5.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Semifinalists' (recent) history:</strong> North DeSoto, the runner-up in 2022, is back for its second straight deep playoff. Cecilia and Opelousas return for the first times since 2008 and 1994, respectively. And Northwest, the state's biggest Cinderella story at the moment makes its first appearance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top prospects:</strong> 2025 Opelousas LB [player_tooltip player_id='710273' first='Corey' last='Amos'], 2025 North DeSoto WR [player_tooltip player_id='710281' first='Cole' last='Cory'], 2026 North DeSoto QB [player_tooltip player_id='401978' first='Luke' last='Delafield'], 2025 Opelousas WR [player_tooltip player_id='710769' first='Korey' last='Fontenot'], 2025 Opelousas RB [player_tooltip player_id='710072' first='D'Shaun' last='Ford'], 2024 Northwest RB Ja'Vain Reese, 2025 Cecilia QB/ATH [player_tooltip player_id='145333' first='Diesel' last='Solari'], 2024 Northwest DL/LB Devon Thibodeaux</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Overall storyline:</strong> North DeSoto has been considering by many the team to beat in this bracket from the beginning — and particularly now with 2022 champion Lutcher out of the equation. But its semifinal opponent, the team that ousted the Bulldogs, is a physical Opelousas squad with more high-end talent as anyone in the group. Cecilia, an underrated team for much of this season, has been considered the favorite on the bottom half of the bracket and one of the biggest challenges to North DeSoto, and the Bulldogs have played like it. But no team has shocked the state more than Northwest, an underdog that has knocked off three straight higher seeds behind its physical leading rusher and a pair of talented edge rushers headlining the defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DIVISION-III NON-SELECT</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Semifinal matchups — Last meeting</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No. 1 Jena vs. No. 4 Union Parish — Union Parish won at home, 22-0, in 2021 second round.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No. 2 Sterlington vs. No. 3 St. James — St. James won at home, 28-7, in 2020 second round.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Semifinalists' (recent) history:</strong> Top-seeded Jena makes its first-ever semifinal appearance among a pack of contenders with a wealth of deep-playoff history, including their opponent Union Parish making its fifth straight semifinal and aiming for a fourth straight state championship appearance. St. James is in the semis for the second straight year and aiming for its first title game since a 2019 championship. And Sterlington, the 2021 champion, is back after a second-round loss in 2022.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top prospects:</strong> 2024 St. James WR [player_tooltip player_id='285273' first='Kobe' last='Brown'], 2027 Sterlington DB [player_tooltip player_id='465348' first='Devyn' last='Downs'], 2024 Jena WR Zy Hunter, 2024 Jena RB [player_tooltip player_id='678305' first='Zerrick' last='Jones'], 2024 Sterlington LB [player_tooltip player_id='1204712' first='Jackson' last='King'], 2024 St. James QB [player_tooltip player_id='285279' first='Brayden' last='Williams'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Overall storyline:</strong> A bracket often considered prone to chaos ends up with the four highest seeds advancing this year and teams with some notable familiarity set to square off in the semifinals and the lower seeds on each side having the upper hand in past meetings. Of note, St. James will make its first-ever trip to Sterlington — where the Panthers have been dominant at home — after winning the schools' two previous meetings in Vacherie.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DIVISION-IV NON-SELECT</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Semifinal matchups — Last meeting</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No. 1 Logansport vs. No. 4 Haynesville — Logansport won, 34-28, in 2016 state championship.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No. 2 Kentwood vs. No. 3 Oak Grove — Oak Grove won at Kentwood, 20-14, in 2022 quarterfinals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Semifinalists' (recent) history:</strong> The bracket is loaded with perennial powers, led by reigning champion Oak Grove making its ninth straight semifinal. Haynesville is back for a third straight year. Logansport makes its second trip in three years. And Kentwood returns for the first time since a 2018 title run. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top prospects: </strong>2025 Oak Grove QB [player_tooltip player_id='291089' first='Jackson' last='Bradley'], 2025 Kentwood DL/LB La'Mikal Callahan, 2024 Haynesville LB Alonzo Jackson, 2025 Oak Grove TE [player_tooltip player_id='291088' first='J.T.' last='Layton'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Overall storyline:</strong> A quartet of elite programs return to the semifinals with a wealth of background individually and head-to-head as memorable as the Logansport Tigers' and Golden Tornado's wild 2016 title thriller and as recent as an outright battle between the Kangaroos and Oak Grove Tigers last postseason. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->