Division-IV Select Preview Notes | LHSAA State Championships

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The LHSAA's annual Prep Classic football state championship event kicks off Thursday with the three Division-IV matchups, plus a Division-III Non-Select night-cap, kicking off a slate of eight title games in three days.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Redzone Louisiana will break down the overall storylines, paths teams took to reach the Caesars Superdome, programs' histories and players to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Division-IV Select game will open Thursday's three-game schedule.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrMTDGb8WSs","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrMTDGb8WSs </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 1 Vermilion Catholic (13-0) vs. No. 11 Ouachita Christian (13-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A pair of the most consistent contenders in Division-IV Select in recent years will meet on Louisiana high school football's biggest stage for the second time in three years. Vermilion Catholic has completed three straight undefeated regular season with its talented 2025 class, headlined by record-setting quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='291147' first='Jonathan' last='Dartez'], looking to cap their prolific careers by finally bringing back the program's first title trophy in more than a decade. Ouachita Christian has meanwhile put together an impressive season — and particularly roadtrip-heavy playoff run — in what many outside the program thought would be a relative rebuilding year for the perennial power that already reached its sixth straight semifinal and fifth title game in that span and now looks for its third championship in four years. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Paths</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vermilion Catholic</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— First-round bye</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat Westminster Christian, 47-17</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat St. Edmund, 60-20</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat Kentwood, 33-0</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ouachita Christian</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat Glenbrook, 49-13</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Upset Catholic-Pointe Coupee, 28-6</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Upset Covenant Christian, 30-14</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Upset Ascension Catholic, 24-22, in a late comeback</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Recent Meetings</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The teams met in the 2022 state championship game, trading blows early before Ouachita Christian pulled away and won the title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO3wvMueES0","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO3wvMueES0 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vermilion Catholic</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 DB/WR [player_tooltip player_id='1596698' first='Jyrin' last='Bessard'], 2025 DL/OL Gabe Boudreaux, 2026 OL/DL Seth Boudreaux, 2025 QB [player_tooltip player_id='291147' first='Jonathan' last='Dartez'], 2025 LB/RB Joseph Langlinais, 2025 LB/TE [player_tooltip player_id='1596703' first='Allen' last='McLain III'], 2026 LB/RB [player_tooltip player_id='1602012' first='Luke' last='McLain'], 2025 OL/DL [player_tooltip player_id='1596818' first='Jackson' last='Trahan']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ouachita Christian</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1596673' first='Aiden' last='Eldridge'], 2025 RB [player_tooltip player_id='1596645' first='Makin' last='Lenard'], 2026 K [player_tooltip player_id='1601874' first='Gavin' last='Polk'], 2025 TE/LB [player_tooltip player_id='1596679' first='Cooper' last='Russell'], 2025 DL Stacey Shaw, 2026 WR/LB [player_tooltip player_id='1602038' first='Patrick' last='Turpin'], 2025 QB [player_tooltip player_id='1596689' first='Luke' last='Vidrine'], 2025 DB/WR [player_tooltip player_id='1596685' first='Cameron' last='Volion']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Matchup to watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dartez has been electric all season — and all career — at the helm of his Vermilion Catholic offense. And if the Screaming Eagles can avoid turnovers, which cost them at times in the 2022 matchup, they may be tough to slow down enough to match. Dartez and his classmates have appeared on a message. But so has Ouachita Christian, including some timely takeaways along its playoff run. Which squad of Eagles manages to win the edge in that margin will likely go a long way in determining which lifts the big trophy this time around. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>State Championship History</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vermilion Catholic: 2-1</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Wins in 2003, 2013</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Losses in 2022</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ouachita Christian: 8-4</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Wins in 1985, 1997, 2000, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2019, 2022</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Losses in 1987, 2010, 2020, 2021</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->