Division-II Select Preview Notes | LHSAA State Championships

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The LHSAA's annual Prep Classic football state championship event continues Friday with the two Division-II matchups, plus a Division-III Non-Select, continuing 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-II Select game will wrap up Friday's three-game schedule.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 1 St. Charles Catholic (12-1) vs. No. 7 Archbishop Shaw (9-4)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The District 9-4A foes will square up for the first of three league rematches to wrap up the season with District 2-5A and District 9-5A showdowns Saturday. St. Charles Catholic had become as consistent a contender and title-game participant as anyone in the state through much of the past decade, most recently with a 2023 runner-up finish, and returns after a 2024 of lessons and growth. Archbishop Shaw was expected to have that sort of season this year after graduating 17 starters from its 2024 title team, but has settled in and rolled its way right back to the Superdome. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Paths</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Charles Catholic</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— First-round bye</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat Northside, 56-7</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat E.D. White, 31-0</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat University Lab, 34-27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Archbishop Shaw </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— First-round bye</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat Haynes Academy, 49-6</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat Loyola Prep, 38-7</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Beat Vandebilt Catholic, 27-0</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Recent Meetings</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Charles Catholic shut out Archbishop Shaw, 24-0, to wrap up this regular season and also got the best of 2022 and 2023 meetings with the Eagles winning in 2024. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Charles Catholic</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 DB Briggs Anderson, 2027 EDGE/LB Kayden Asevedo, 2027 DL [player_tooltip player_id='2074325' first='Byron' last='Bailey'], 2026 RB [player_tooltip player_id='1601810' first='Skyler' last='Edwards'], 2027 QB Landree LeBlanc, 2026 ATH Chrisd'on McClain, 2026 LB Brooks Monica, 2026 DB Dax Pregnant, 2026 OL [player_tooltip player_id='1601890' first='Jacques' last='Vicknair']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Archbishop Shaw</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 DB [player_tooltip player_id='934561' first='Rontrae' last='Carter'], 2026 RB DeAndree Franklin, 2029 WR Baylon Jackson, 2026 DB Christian Langford, 2027 LB Ethan Lentz, 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='1782659' first='Allen' last='Shaw III'], 2026 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1741290' first='Jackson' last='Williams'], 2026 DL Jonathan Williams</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Matchup to watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both teams want to rely most heavily on their run games and defenses, controlling the ball and the clock and keeping their opponents' offenses off the field. A turnover or two may loom as pivotally in this matchup as in any of the weekend, and which defense can slow down the other run game and force its opponent to the air most frequently also figures to be a major factor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>State Championship History</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Charles Catholic: 3-5</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Wins in 2011, 2021, 2022</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Loss in 2005, 2006, 2016, 2019, 2020</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Archbishop Shaw: 2-6</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Wins in 1987, 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Losses in 1988, 1997, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2008</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->