Division-I Select Preview Notes | LHSAA State Championships

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The LHSAA's annual Prep Classic football state championship event wraps up Saturday with the two Division-I matchups to close 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-I Select game will wrap up Saturday's two-game schedule.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 1 Edna Karr (13-0) vs. No. 3 St. Augustine (12-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two New Orleans Catholic League rivals will wrap up the weekend's state championship slate with a guaranteed electric atmosphere and the potential for an intriguing matchup. Edna Karr has been the perennial power and bully on the block with 26 straight wins now, including last year's title. St. Augustine meanwhile heads to the Superdome for the first time and a state-title game for the first time since 1979.</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 Jesuit, 39-13</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat Evangel Christian, 49-20</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat Catholic (Baton Rouge), 17-10</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Augustine </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— First-round bye</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat Acadiana, 55-42</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat Archbishop Rummel, 35-10</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat John Curtis, 31-29</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Recent Meetings</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Like most teams, St. Augustine hasn't had a ton of recent success against Edna Karr. The Cougars have won annual meetings even prior to joining the same district and won this year, 42-21, at home. The Purple Knights won the 2020 game, though, and this year's game was the closest margin any in-state opponent posed Karr this regular season. </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>2026 DL [player_tooltip player_id='710991' first='Richard' last='Anderson'], 2026 EDGE [player_tooltip player_id='1011625' first='Romeo' last='Brown'], 2026 RB [player_tooltip player_id='1736616' first='Tre' last='Garrison'], 2026 DB [player_tooltip player_id='401932' first='Aiden' last='Hall'], 2026 DB [player_tooltip player_id='710970' first='Hayward' last='Howard Jr.'], 2026 QB [player_tooltip player_id='920629' first='John' last='Johnson'] III, 2026 WR [player_tooltip player_id='1737078' first='Floyd' last='Jones'], 2026 LB Kylon Jones, 2026 LB [player_tooltip player_id='1601790' first='Kevin' last='Martin Jr.'], 2026 OL [player_tooltip player_id='920615' first='Leon' last='Noil Jr.'], 2026 WR Xavier Owens, 2026 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1602024' first='Torrence' last='Sanders'], 2027 OL [player_tooltip player_id='1593649' first='Zyion' last='Wesley'], 2026 WR [player_tooltip player_id='1581312' first='Greg' last='Wilfred'], 2026 EDGE Cornell Williams III, 2026 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1237623' first='Maurice' last='Williams'] Jr.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Augustine</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 WR Derrick Bennett, 2026 QB [player_tooltip player_id='1348424' first='Vashaun' last='Coulon'], 2026 EDGE [player_tooltip player_id='401985' first='Ty' last='Dominique'], 2026 DB [player_tooltip player_id='401948' first='Clinton' last='Hill Jr.'], 2026 LB [player_tooltip player_id='1237618' first='Chad' last='Jones Jr.'], 2027 OL Elijah Menville, 2027 EDGE [player_tooltip player_id='1358241' first='Jacques' last='Robichaux'] III, 2026 WR [player_tooltip player_id='1356128' first='Verchaun' last='Simms'] Jr., 2028 OL Jaden Taylor, 2027 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1614560' first='Payton' last='Thomas'], 2027 WR [player_tooltip player_id='1323402' first='Miguel' last='Whitley']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Matchup to watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The aspects of this game that stand out, maybe more so than any on-field matchup are factors such as how St. Augustine handles the early-going of the stage and atmosphere, whether the Purple Knights can finish drives and maximize opportunities (a shortcoming in the regular-season date) and how the turnover margin shakes out (with Edna Karr being tough to beat when they are even or better in that area).</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: 7-7</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Wins in 1993, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Loss in 1995, 1999, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2020</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Augustine: 3-1</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Wins in 1975, 1978, 1979</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Losses in 1971</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->