Gridiron Gumbo

Category: Louisiana Statewide

High school football news from across Louisiana.

  • Louisiana
    Ruston at Alexandria: Two 6-1 Teams, One Crowded Argument

    Ruston at Alexandria: Two 6-1 Teams, One Crowded Argument

    Subhead: The Bearcats bring a 46-yards-a-carry highlight to central Louisiana. The Trojans bring a loaded stat sheet. The rest of the state is still arguing about who’s No. 1, so pass the boudin. This could take a while.

    By T-Rohn

    Somewhere in Louisiana right now, two uncles are arguing about the state’s best team. Friday night in Alexandria, Ruston gets a chance to join the conversation.

    Ruston fans will head south Friday with a cooler, a seat cushion and an argument they started back in Lincoln Parish.

    No. 3 Ruston (6-1) visits No. 7 Alexandria (6-1) Friday night in LHSAA Week 8 at J.L. “Butch” Stoker Stadium in Alexandria, per Ruston’s schedule. Rankings and records come from MaxPreps.

    Ruston’s grudge match paid off

    Ruston beat Ouachita Parish 56-21, avenging last year’s championship game loss, High School On SI reported, citing Jake Martin of The Ouachita Citizen. The Bearcats piled up 484 yards.

    Junior Dalen Powell ran for 137 yards and two touchdowns on just three carries. That’s about 46 yards a carry, which in Cajun math works out to “a lot.”

    Alexandria’s stat sheet is loaded

    The Trojans beat West Monroe 44-7, with Karsen Sellers throwing three touchdown passes and running for another, SI reported, crediting Bret McCormick of Louisiana vs. All Y’all. Alexandria led 30-0 at the half.

    MaxPreps’ state leaderboards are full of Trojans:
    – Sellers (Sr.): 1,430 passing yards
    – Alex Fontenot (Sr.): 735 receiving yards, 12 total touchdowns
    – Noble Williams (Jr.): 806 rushing yards
    – Jakyrin Griffin (Sr.): 5 interceptions
    – Amarian Simon (Jr.): 68 tackles

    That’s not a stat sheet, cher. That’s a grocery list, and somebody’s making groceries for the whole parish.

    Meanwhile, the throne fight

    Here’s where the gumbo gets thick. SI’s Oct. 14 rankings had Edna Karr No. 1, Ruston No. 2 and St. Augustine No. 3.

    MaxPreps’ computer now flips the top two: St. Aug No. 1, Karr No. 2, both 7-0, with Ruston third. The funny part is MaxPreps’ own strength rating is higher for Karr (51.4) than St. Aug (46.1). Even the computer can’t make up its mind, and it doesn’t even have an uncle.

    Karr hosts Chalmette (3-4) on Thursday. St. Aug faces Brother Martin on Friday. Then the argument settles itself the old-fashioned way: St. Aug and Karr meet Oct. 31 at Tad Gormley in a rematch of last season’s state title game, The Advocate reported.

    Ruston is the ranked team that could turn a two-way argument into a three-way one. Win in Alexandria, and the Bearcats stay in the “who’s really best” talk all the way to the playoffs.

    The Gumbo Pick (for fun only)

    Ruston 31, Alexandria 27. The Trojans’ passing game keeps it close, but the Bearcats’ big-play run game wins the night.

    As for the throne, we’re calling it a co-reign until the playoffs settle it. Somebody tell the uncles, and pass the boudin back around.

    Sources

  • Louisiana
    Purple Reign vs. the Crusader Wall: Unbeaten St. Aug and Brother Martin Meet at Gormley

    Purple Reign vs. the Crusader Wall: Unbeaten St. Aug and Brother Martin Meet at Gormley

    Subhead: The Purple Knights are 7-0 and No. 1 in MaxPreps’ computer. Brother Martin is 5-2 and done being polite. Friday’s Catholic League pot is about to boil.

    By T-Rohn

    Cher, there’s a saying down here: a watched pot never boils over. St. Augustine has spent seven weeks watching every pot real close.

    Friday, that perfect record goes on the line. St. Augustine (7-0) and Brother Martin (5-2) meet at 7 p.m. Friday at Tad Gormley Stadium in LHSAA Week 8, per Brother Martin’s schedule and The Advocate. Records come from MaxPreps. MaxPreps’ computer rankings have St. Aug No. 1 in the state and Brother Martin No. 8.

    How the Knights got here

    Earlier this month, St. Aug turned a Catholic League game into a cooking demo. The Purple Knights beat Holy Cross 48-0 after building a 41-0 halftime lead, High School On SI reported, citing Ken Trahan of Crescent City Sports. Junior quarterback Jaelle Noble threw four touchdown passes and ran for another score.

    A 41-0 halftime lead is the moment a cooking demo stops being a demo and starts being a catering job.

    Then came Jesuit. St. Aug led just 14-10 at halftime last Saturday, then scored 31 straight points to win 45-17 at Gormley, Crescent City Sports reported. Noble threw for 203 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 111 more. The win kept the Knights (4-0 in District 9-5A) tied with Edna Karr atop the district.

    Fourteen to 10 at the half, then 31 straight. That’s not a comeback, cher. That’s a roux that finally hit the right color.

    Noble’s season numbers hold up, too. His 1,463 passing yards rank 11th in the state on MaxPreps’ leaderboard. On defense, senior Payton Thomas has three interceptions.

    Brother Martin’s bounce-back recipe

    The Catholic League doesn’t hand out mercy like pralines at a church fair. Brother Martin dropped back-to-back games to Edna Karr (25-21) and Archbishop Rummel (33-10), per the school’s schedule. Then the Crusaders stopped the skid at two, beating John Curtis 36-28 on Oct. 15, per the same schedule.

    The Crusaders have senior receiver Easton Royal, a five-star prospect who flipped his college commitment from Texas to Florida, SI reported. Any Crusaders game plan that skips the big-play button is leaving roux in the pot.

    Why it matters

    It’s MaxPreps’ No. 1 against its No. 8, in a league that matters for seeding. As of SI’s Oct. 14 report, all five of the top spots in the LHSAA’s Division I Select power ratings, which determine playoff seeding, belonged to Catholic League schools.

    An unbeaten team on the road in the Catholic League is like a man in white pants at a crawfish boil. He can stay clean, but everybody’s watching.

    The Gumbo Pick (for fun only)

    St. Augustine 28, Brother Martin 20. The Knights’ arm talent gets it done, but the Crusaders make them work all four quarters. Those white pants survive, barely.

    Somebody keep watching that pot.

    Sources

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