LHSAA Playoffs Division-IV Select updates entering quarterfinals

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Louisiana's high school football season is down to its final 64 teams with quarterfinals of eight different brackets scheduled for Friday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Check out the latest Division-IV Select capsule below.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Biggest upset by seeds:</strong> No. 13 Southern Lab over No. 4 St. Frederick, 24-7.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Other upsets: </strong>No. 12 Kentwood over No. 5 Ascension Episcopal, 42-16; No. 11 Ouachita Christian over No. 6 Catholic (Pointe Coupee), 28-6.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Closest game:</strong> No. 13 Southern Lab over No. 4 St. Frederick, 24-7.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Biggest margin:</strong> No. 7 Riverside Academy over No. 10 Hamilton Christian, 49-6.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Biggest surprise: </strong>No. 8 St. Edmund over No. 9 St. Martin's Episcopal, 78-37 — not necessarily the win itself, so much as the big scoring total and margin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top performers:</strong> 2025 Kentwood RB Ja'Marion Burton, 2025 Vermilion Catholic QB [player_tooltip player_id='291147' first='Jonathan' last='Dartez'], 2025 Ascension Catholic RB [player_tooltip player_id='710080' first='Chad' last='Elzy'] Jr., 2028 Riverside Academy ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1372189' first='Kenric' last='Johnson Jr.'], 2025 St. Edmund RB Henry Summerlin, 2025 St. Edmund QB Kane West.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Other notes:</strong> Three double-digit seeds reaching the quarterfinals matches Division-I Non-Select for this year's highest total, but all three in No. 11 Ouachita Christian, No. 12 Kentwood and No. 13 Southern Lab are among the state's bluest of bloods in the small-school divisions. The slate features a trio of local matchups in No. 1 Vermilion Catholic vs. No. 8 St. Edmund, No. 2 Ascension Catholic vs. No. 7 Riverside Academy and No. 12 Kentwood vs. No. 13 Southern Lab — though only the last of the three is a rematch of a regular-season game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Intriguing quarterfinal matchup:</strong> No. 2 Ascension Catholic vs. No. 7 Riverside Academy features a pair of perennial powers separated by a short drive and headlined by star senior running backs in Player of the Year candidates Elzy and [player_tooltip player_id='1214154' first='Dedric' last='Lastie'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Most intriguing possible semifinal matchup:</strong> No. 1 Vermilion Catholic vs. No. 13 Southern Lab would pit a pair of recent Superdome participants, including the reigning champion Kittens, with notable head-to-head playoff history. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->