Division-I Select Preview Notes | LHSAA State Championships

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Louisiana's high school football season wraps with a bang Saturday with two intriguing Division-I matchups.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The LHSAA's annual Prep Classic football state championship event concludes a three-day, eight-game event in the Caesars Superdome.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Redzone Louisiana continues to break down the overall storylines, paths teams took to reach the big stage, programs' histories and players to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Division-I Select game will open Saturday's two-game schedule.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 1 Edna Karr (12-0) vs. No. 2 Alexandria (13-0)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Louisiana's top two teams for the bulk of this year have felt almost on a collision course for this moment. Both programs return to a state championship game for the first time since losses in the 2020 event at Northwestern State (because of the COVID-19 pandemic). The top-seeded Cougars had won four straight prior to that to highlight an 11-year stretch of 10 appearances that made them feel as much a mainstay of state championship week as the footballs and the goal posts. The Trojans meanwhile have ridden the program's magical first-ever 10-0, undefeated regular season this far and hope to continue rewriting their history books with a first-ever title. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Paths</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Edna Karr</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— First-round bye</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat Huntington, 56-6</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat St. Thomas More, 42-14</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat Catholic (Baton Rouge), 21-19</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alexandria</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— First-round bye</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat Evangel Christian, 49-6</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat C.E. Byrd, 43-32</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat John Curtis, 24-13</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Recent Meetings</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Edna Karr won a 2023 quarterfinal, 40-34.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Edna Karr</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 DL [player_tooltip player_id='913897' first='Corey' last='Adams Jr.'], 2026 DL [player_tooltip player_id='710991' first='Richard' last='Anderson'], 2025 LB [player_tooltip player_id='291158' first='Arsenio' last='Bolds Jr.'], 2025 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1598152' first='Tyrik' last='Brigalia'], 2025 WR [player_tooltip player_id='426960' first='TaRon' last='Francis'], 2026 DB [player_tooltip player_id='401932' first='Aiden' last='Hall'], 2025 DE/OLB [player_tooltip player_id='914017' first='Lyric' last='Hawkins'], 2026 DB [player_tooltip player_id='710970' first='Hayward' last='Howard Jr.'], 2026 QB [player_tooltip player_id='920629' first='John' last='Johnson'] Jr., 2025 WR [player_tooltip player_id='1214144' first='Oliver' last='Mitchell Jr.'], 2026 OL [player_tooltip player_id='920615' first='Leon' last='Noil Jr.'], 2026 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1602024' first='Torrence' last='Sanders'], 2025 WR/ATH [player_tooltip player_id='710768' first='Daejawn' last='Smith'], 2027 OL [player_tooltip player_id='1593649' first='Zyion' last='Wesley'], 2026 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1237623' first='Maurice' last='Williams'] Jr.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alexandria</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 WR/ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1336785' first='Jimmie' last='Duncan'], 2026 DB [player_tooltip player_id='920704' first='Jay' last='Frazier'], 2027 QB [player_tooltip player_id='934573' first='Max' last='Gassiott'], 2027 DB Ja'Kyrin Griffin, 2025 RB [player_tooltip player_id='914208' first='J.T.' last='Lindsey'], 2027 QB [player_tooltip player_id='1250281' first='Karsen' last='Sellers'], 2025 DB Cartez Simon, 2025 TE [player_tooltip player_id='1644671' first='Tanner' last='Townsend'], 2025 WR [player_tooltip player_id='914212' first='Darius' last='Washington'], 2026 LB [player_tooltip player_id='1601781' first='Xzavier' last='White']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Matchup to watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alexandria has more ability than a lot of fans may give credit to sling the ball around the field with its sophomore quarterbacks and speedy receivers. But there's no question that the running game is the bread and butter and that the LSU commit [player_tooltip player_id='914208' first='J.T.' last='Lindsey'] is the headliner. The senior has been exceptional all season with more than 2,000 yards and an impressive combination of breakaway speed, strength and balance through contact and the ability to help in the passing game. The final challenge for the Trojans, though, is an absolutely loaded Edna Karr defense, beginning with a defensive line anchored by LSU commit [player_tooltip player_id='710991' first='Richard' last='Anderson'] and Ole Miss signee [player_tooltip player_id='913897' first='Corey' last='Adams Jr.'] with a fast, physical linebacker and defensive back bunch that flies around and tackles well on the perimeter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>State Championship History</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Edna Karr: 6-7</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Wins in 1993, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>—&nbsp;Losses in 1995, 1999, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2020</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alexandria: 0-1</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>—&nbsp;Loss in 2020</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->