By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine/YouTube TV
This is the last weekend for high school football in Louisiana, a special weekend when wins count until next September. I am fired up about this Prep Classic, so let’s go over the games at the Caesars Superdome and pick the champs.
(EDITOR’S NOTE – Lee’s column did not run Thursday as planned. This is what he wrote on Wednesday. The results of yesterday’s games: Southern Lab rallied for a 42-35 win before Oak Grove pummeled Haynesville 62-36 Thursday night.)
It all kicks off with the Select Division IV game matching Riverside Academy and Southern Lab. Riverside has the most exciting player in Class 1A in 5-3, 125-pound RB Dedric Lastie, who has almost 40 touchdowns and over 2,200 yards rushing with a 10.1 average per carry. Southern Lab counters with 10 Division I skill players and an offensive line that looks ready for the SWAC. Southern Lab, 35-21.
The Non-Select Division IV championship is a rematch of a regular-season contest between two perennial north Louisiana small school powerhouses, Haynesville and Oak Grove. Oak Grove dominated the earlier one and everybody else. Haynesville’s David Franklin should get the coach of the year award for getting his team here, but I think Oak Grove has too much offense. Call it 35-28 Oak Grove and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more scoring on both sides.
Friday games start at noon with the Non-Select Division II contest pairing schools just 35 miles apart in Cajun country. Opelousas makes its first trip ever to the ‘Dome, and is in the state finals for the first time since 1956. Cecilia has been here before. I think this will be a high scoring game. The difference will be the Opelousas run game with two good running backs, one a really good college prospect, Class 2025 RB Da’Shaun Ford, who is 6-1, 220 and has 4.4 speed. I’m going with Opelousas, the Cinderella team, 41-38.
The mid-afternoon game Friday is the Non-Select Division III final between Union Parish and St. James. The Farmers are back despite the graduation of the state’s career rushing king, Trey Holly, now at LSU. Coach Joe Spatafora did a big time coaching job to get Union back to the finals. But St. James is the most talented team and will prevail 31-17.
It’s time for some slobber-knocking football in the Select Division I final Friday night. The Acadiana Wreckin’ Rams and Catholic High Bears will deliver. These teams have plenty of playoff history — it seems like they’ve collided 10 times in 10 years! Expect a close game. If you love defense, this will be the finest you’ll see over the weekend. Acadiana is my pick, 17-14.
Saturday is going to be a great day. It starts at noon with a sensational Select Division II crosstown rematch between St. Thomas More and Lafayette Christian. These two teams are district rivals and have another powerhouse district rival in town, Teurlings Catholic.
I think LCA QB Ju’Juan Johnson (an LSU commit who set the state career total offense record recently) is the best QB in the state. He reminds me of Russell Wilson. STM won during regular season over Lafayette Christian 44-41, but I predict Johnson will amaze with a Jayden Daniels-style game gaining over 500 yards. Lafayette Christian takes it 45-41 in a game that goes to the very end.
The mid-afternoon game Saturday is the only one with the top two seeds making it to the ‘Dome. The Select Division III title game has No. 1 St. Charles Catholic, the two-time defending champ that has played in the last four finals, against Shreveport’s Calvary Baptist, which is aiming for its fourth state crown in the last decade. St. Charles has a tremendous, hard-hitting defense, not giving up more than 20 points in a game all season. The Comets will face a high scoring offense that can run and throw with equal explosiveness. I’m taking Calvary 31-28.
The last game may be the best. Ruston is back to finish the job after losing 17-10 to Destrehan in an upset last year. On the other sideline in this Non-Select Division I classic is four-time state champion Zachary.
I think the game of heavyweights will be the price of admission and all the popcorn you can eat and then some. Zachary has a WR, Trey’Dez Green (an LSU commit), who is a freak, 6-7, 235 pounds with 4.5 speed, a kid no one can guard. Ruston counters with a run game nobody has been able to stop behind an offensive line that averages 285 pounds per player. It’s a tough call but I’m going with Zachary, 35-31.
Thanks for reading my columns this year. It’s been my pleasure spotlighting Rapides Parish players and teams as I wrap up year 31 covering high school football in Louisiana – as good as it gets.