Eight LHSAA state championship football games will be staged over three days, beginning Thursday, at the 2023 Prep Classic in New Orleans at the Caesars Superdome.

District 2-5A champion Ruston is the only team with direct local ties to reach the Superdome this year. The Bearcats defeated ASH (35-28 on Oct. 6) and Pineville (48-6 a week later) in district play.

Other north Louisiana teams in the state finals are Calvary Baptist, Haynesville and Oak Grove.

It’s the first time since 2007 that no team from Ouachita Parish has reached the Prep Classic.

No teams from the city of New Orleans, or neighboring Jefferson Parish, reached the state finals for the first time since 1995, according to Lenny Vangilder of CrescentCitySports.com.  It’s just the fourth time (1991, 1992 being the others) no Orleans-Jefferson squad has missed playing in the Supercome in the history of the Prep Classic, which was first held in 1981.

John Curtis made a final each year from 1996-2014, and was the only Orleans-Jefferson rep seven times from 1996-2005.

Riverside Academy, St. James and St. Charles are the only two teams competing from the New Orleans metro area.

Five schools from the Acadiana area around Lafayette reached the Prep Classic, including a crosstown rematch in the Select Division II final between Lafayette Christian and unbeaten St. Thomas More to kick off Saturday’s three-game slate. LCA and STM are 11 miles apart. They met in the regular-season finale Nov. 4 with the Cougars prevailing 44-40.

Two more teams from the Lafayette area, Opelousas and Cecilia, separated by 25 miles, square off in the Non-Select Division II final at noon Friday.

LHSAA Prep Classic Schedule
Caesars Superdome, New Orleans 

Thursday’s games 

Select Division IV: 5-Riverside (12-1) vs. 2-Southern Lab (11-1), 3:30 p.m. 

Non-Select Division IV: 4-Haynesville (12-1) vs. Oak Grove (11-2), 7 p.m.  

Friday’s games 

Non-Select Division II: 12-Opelousas (11-3) vs. 2-Cecilia (12-1), noon 

Non-Select Division III: 4-Union Parish (9-4) vs. 3-St. James (11-2), 3:30 p.m. 

Select Division I: 8-Acadiana (11-2) vs. 3-Catholic-BR (11-2), 7 p.m.  

Saturday’s games 

Select Division II: 3-Lafayette Christian (11-2) vs. 1-St. Thomas More (13-0), noon 

Select Division III: 2-Calvary (13-0) vs. 1-St. Charles (13-0), 3:30 p.m. 

Non-Select Division I: 6-Zachary (12-1) vs. 1-Ruston (13-0), 7 p.m.