7 eye-catchers from Edna Karr's battle vs. American Heritage

The highest-profile matchup on the Week 2 high school slate featured Louisiana's top-ranked team, Edna Karr, in a national showdown for bragging rights not only for the program, but the state.   The Cougars hosted American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) in a late-night battle in Caesars Superdome and showcased their grit to scrap out a 24-17 overtime win with just enough big plays up to and beyond midnight to complete a seemingly improbable comeback against a challenging Patriots squad.   Here's a look at seven of the eye-catchers from Edna Karr's memorable win.     [player_tooltip player_id='710991' first='Richard' last='Anderson'] — 6-4, 320 DL — Edna Karr (2026)   "Big Rich," one of the Cougars' LSU-committed stars on defense, was a force in the middle of the defensive front that helped slow down American Heritage's strong rushing attack and put pressure in the face of the quarterback. And, even on plays that bounced outside, Anderson showcased his impressive athleticism at his size, including the game-sealing fourth-down play in overtime on which he managed to beat the Patriots' final run all the way out to the sideline to slow down the ball-carrier and allow the rest of Edna Karr's defense to swarm for the stop.   [player_tooltip player_id='1011625' first='Romeo' last='Brown'] Jr. — 6-3, 230 EDGE/DL — Edna Karr (2026)   Brown is one of the team's talented breakout players to watch this season whose readiness to build upon his early opportunities last year and take on a bigger role as a senior is a big piece of the Cougars' being favored to repeat. Brown was in the mix on several plays at and behind the line of scrimmage, including a first-quarter sack.   Brayan Castellon — 5-4, 145 K — Edna Karr (2027)   Edna Karr has been known through the years for more for its highlight-reel passing plays in the clutch than for big kicks with games on the line. But coach Brice Brown said the work the Cougars' junior kicker has put in behind the scenes and consistency he's shown on his extra-point attempts warranted the team's trust and confidence with the night on the line. And Castellon stepped up and drilled a 37-yard field goal to force overtime and highlight his performance during which he was also 3-for-3 on extra-points and effective on kickoffs.   [player_tooltip player_id='401932' first='Aiden' last='Hall'] — 6-2, 185 DB — Edna Karr (2026)   As much impact as his current Cougars and future Tigers teammate had up front, Hall appeared to be everywhere on the back end of the defense. The senior safety flew around the field making his presence felt with both his coverage downfield and his physicality as a tackler. And in a potentially pivotal moment in the third quarter when American Heritage appeared headed for a breakaway touchdown, Hall chased down the play and stripped the ball loose before the goal line for a fumble that bounced through the end zone and out of bounds for a takeaway and a touchback.   [player_tooltip player_id='920629' first='John' last='Johnson'] — 6-0, 170 QB/ATH — Edna Karr (2026)   The high-profile matchup was a tough one much of the night for the Cougars' quarterback, as American Heritage was able to get pressure in his face while only sending three, four or five men and shut down passing windows with not only long, speedy athletes in coverage, but also numbers. But Johnson showed the toughness to put potential frustrations behind him and find just enough big plays to set up the game-tying field goal and then run for the winning touchdown in overtime.   [player_tooltip player_id='1737078' first='Floyd' last='Jones'] — 5-10, 175 WR — Edna Karr (2026)   The senior wide receiver was Edna Karr's most consistent and explosive weapon throughout the contest from an acrobatic, leaping, twisting and one-handed touchdown grab early to other big plays in critical moments. The biggest question on the Cougars' roster turnover from last year's championship to this year's repeat goals was replacing three Division-I wide receivers, but Jones appears to be excelling in his bigger opportunity, along with fellow seniors Joshua Ford and [player_tooltip player_id='1348420' first='Anthony' last='Thomas'] — both of whom also had big catches, including a Ford touchdown and a Thomas deep shot on the game-tying drive.   [player_tooltip player_id='1601790' first='Kevin' last='Martin Jr.'] — 6-0, 190 LB — Edna Karr (2026)   One of the Cougars' big pairs of shoes to fill on defense is at the linebacker spot where field general Arsenio Bolds Jr. graduated and headed to college. But Martin, himself an experienced member of last year's title run and a future college backer, has stepped up well in his bigger role as a leader of the unit and was a hyper-active tackle machine throughout the contest, helping set the tone early and helping wrap up several big stops late to secure the win.

The highest-profile matchup on the Week 2 high school slate featured Louisiana's top-ranked team, Edna Karr, in a national showdown for bragging rights not only for the program, but the state.