Week 10 (Oct. 24, 2026) · formula edition. The Roux & Rub Top 25 ranks the best high school football teams from Lafayette west to Many and Jasper to Winnie, across all classes, with Southeast Texas and Louisiana weighed equally. Every team is scored 0-100 on a published, weighted formula (see How we rank). Records are verified through games of Oct. 23. The order is our TAKE; results are labeled CONFIRMED or REPORTED (with the source). 'Prev' is the Oct. 20 rank. By T-Rohn.
Why No. 1: Notre Dame takes over at 82.0, 1.6 points ahead of Westgate (80.4). The Pioneers are 8-0 with five wins over winning teams (Northwest, Church Point, Catholic-New Iberia, Cecilia, Lake Arthur), four road wins and a +15.0 capped average margin; their 2A class factor (0.55) is why the gap is that small. Westgate (7-0) hosts No. 10 Lafayette Renaissance on Oct. 30. The biggest movers: Vinton (8-0) up 14 spots after beating Rosepine 43-26, Port Arthur Memorial up five, and St. Thomas More down nine after a 17-14 loss at Southside.
Week 9 results are in: every team shows its latest result with a CONFIRMED or REPORTED label and its next scheduled game (from MaxPreps schedules, subject to change). Little Cypress-Mauriceville had an open date. Leesville beat LaGrange 42-0 (final per MaxPreps and Sports Illustrated; the American Press and KPLC had listed 62-0).
| # | Prev | Team | Rec. | ★/Pts | Last / Next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 ▲1 |  Notre Dame (LA) LHSAA 2A · District 7-2A ▲1 | 8-0 (2-0) | 0 82.0 | W 41-21 vs Lake Arthur (Fri 10/23) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: at Kinder (Fri 10/30) |
| Unbeaten Pioneers beat previously unbeaten Lake Arthur 41-21 and now own five wins over teams with winning records, including 22-21 over Catholic-New Iberia and 24-21 over Cecilia. Score 82.0: 8-0 record; opponents' combined win % 0.586; 5 quality wins (Northwest, Church Point, Catholic-New Iberia, Cecilia, Lake Arthur); 4 road wins; capped average margin +15.0; class factor 0.55. Roux & Rub: Crowley's Rice Capital of America bragging rights now come with a No. 1 ranking, and nobody in town is going to let you forget the rice. | |||||
| 2 | 1 ▼1 |  Westgate (LA) LHSAA 4A ▼1 | 7-0 | 0 80.4 | W 44-32 vs Teurlings Catholic (Fri 10/23) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: vs Lafayette Renaissance (Fri 10/30) |
| Still unbeaten after a 44-32 win over Teurlings Catholic, with wins over Southside (42-33), Jena, Opelousas (27-6) and Carencro (43-0); hosts No. 10 Lafayette Renaissance on Oct. 30 (MaxPreps schedule). Score 80.4: 7-0 record; opponents' combined win % 0.490; 4 quality wins (Southside, Jena, Opelousas, Carencro); 3 road wins; capped average margin +17.3; class factor 0.85. Roux & Rub: Unbeaten and No. 2 isn't a bad day, just a day when the hot sauce has to be passed down one seat. | |||||
| 3 | 8 ▲5 |  Port Arthur Memorial (TX) UIL 5A-DI · District 9-5A ▲5 | 7-1 (5-1) | 1 78.5 | W 16-0 vs Baytown Sterling (Fri 10/23) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: at Beaumont United (Fri 10/30) |
| A 16-0 shutout of Baytown Sterling pushes the 7-1 Titans up five spots; the only loss is 27-51 at La Porte, and wins include 35-27 over Port Neches-Groves and 21-7 over West Brook. Score 78.5: 7-1 record; opponents' combined win % 0.513; 5 quality wins (Port Neches-Groves, Lufkin, Goose Creek Memorial, Beaumont West Brook, Baytown Sterling); 3 road wins; capped average margin +12.6; class factor 0.95. Roux & Rub: Shutouts in Port Arthur go down like boudin at a tailgate: fast, spicy and gone before anybody asks for seconds. | |||||
| 4 | 4 – |  Eunice (LA) LHSAA – | 8-0 | 0 78.3 | W 40-13 at Mamou (Fri 10/23) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: at Crowley (Fri 10/30) |
| Eight wins, the latest 40-13 at Mamou; three of them came by seven points or fewer (15-12 over Jennings, 35-33 over Church Point, 30-23 over Northwest). Score 78.3: 8-0 record; opponents' combined win % 0.479; 4 quality wins (Bunkie, Jennings, Church Point, Northwest); 4 road wins; capped average margin +13.6; class factor 0.70. Roux & Rub: Three nail-biters and still unbeaten: the Bobcats are cooking with a lot of roux and not much margin for error. | |||||
| 5 | 6 ▲1 |  Barbe (LA) LHSAA 5A · District 3-5A ▲1 | 7-1 (4-1) | 0 78.2 | W 59-29 vs Sam Houston (Fri 10/23) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: at New Iberia (Fri 10/30) |
| Bounced back from the 35-14 loss at St. Thomas More with a 59-29 win over Sam Houston; wins also include Iowa (42-15), Cecilia (48-19), Lafayette (52-35) and Sulphur (59-7). Score 78.2: 7-1 record; opponents' combined win % 0.637; 5 quality wins (Iowa, Cecilia, Lafayette, Sulphur, Acadiana); 2 road wins; capped average margin +15.2; class factor 1.00. Roux & Rub: Seven wins, 59 points on Friday and a +15.2 capped average margin: plenty of treasure for the Buccaneers to count. | |||||
| 6 | 3 ▼3 |  West Orange-Stark (TX) UIL 4A-DII · District 10-4A ▼3 | 6-2 (3-0) | 0 77.9 | W 48-14 at Shepherd (Fri 10/23) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: vs Jasper (Fri 10/30) |
| Toughest schedule in the poll (opponents .812): a 48-14 win at Shepherd followed wins over Hamshire-Fannett (42-28), Silsbee (38-30), Nederland and Newton; the two losses came to Bay City and Carthage. Score 77.9: 6-2 record; opponents' combined win % 0.812; 5 quality wins (Newton, Nederland, Hamshire-Fannett, Silsbee, Shepherd); 3 road wins; capped average margin +8.1; class factor 0.75. Roux & Rub: Orange keeps scheduling like it has something to prove, and the Mustangs keep proving it with a plate of etouffee. | |||||
| 7 | 21 ▲14 |  Vinton (LA) LHSAA 2A · District 5-2A ▲14 | 8-0 (2-0) | 0 76.7 | W 43-26 vs Rosepine (Fri 10/23) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: at Pickering (Fri 10/30) |
| Beat previously unbeaten Rosepine 43-26 and extended an 8-0 start that includes a +20.5 capped average margin, the best in the poll. Score 76.7: 8-0 record; opponents' combined win % 0.411; 3 quality wins (Elton, Grand Lake, Rosepine); 5 road wins; capped average margin +20.5; class factor 0.55. Roux & Rub: A fourteen-spot jump in one night: somewhere between a Mardi Gras float and a crawfish-boil queue for speed. | |||||
| 8 | 14 ▲6 |  Orangefield (TX) UIL 3A-DI · District 10-3A ▲6 | 7-1 (4-0) | 0 75.7 | W 49-14 vs Anahuac (Thu 10/22) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: at Coldspring-Oakhurst (Fri 10/30) |
| Won Thursday, 49-14 over Anahuac, to reach 7-1; wins include 35-28 at East Chambers and 20-7 over Buna, and the lone loss is 26-28 at Little Cypress-Mauriceville. Score 75.7: 7-1 record; opponents' combined win % 0.592; 4 quality wins (Hardin-Jefferson, Buna, East Chambers, Anahuac); 3 road wins; capped average margin +10.2; class factor 0.60. Roux & Rub: A Thursday night win left Friday free, and the Bobcats still moved up six spots. | |||||
| 9 | 9 – |  Sacred Heart (LA) LHSAA 1A – | 8-0 | 0 75.4 | W 28-24 at JS Clark Leadership Academy (Fri 10/23) FINAL · REPORTED · Sources: MaxPreps, The Advocate Next: vs DeQuincy (Fri 10/30) |
| Unbeaten Trojans won 28-24 at JS Clark Leadership Academy and have also won at St. Edmund (27-24) and Avoyelles (48-30); no other team in the poll has more road wins (six). Score 75.4: 8-0 record; opponents' combined win % 0.518; 5 quality wins (Avoyelles, Metairie Park Country Day, St. Edmund, North Central, JS Clark Leadership Academy); 6 road wins; capped average margin +13.4; class factor 0.40. Roux & Rub: Ville Platte's Trojans keep winning on the road, and eight straight wins are about as Louisiana as it gets: close, loud and worth the drive. | |||||
| 10 | 11 ▲1 |  Lafayette Renaissance (LA) LHSAA 4A ▲1 | 6-2 | 1 71.0 | W 54-6 vs Acadiana Renaissance (Fri 10/23) FINAL · REPORTED · Sources: MaxPreps, The Advocate Next: at Westgate (Fri 10/30) |
| Won 54-6 over Acadiana Renaissance and owns a 56-34 win over Lake Charles College Prep; the two losses came to Edna Karr and John Curtis Christian in September. Visits No. 2 Westgate on Oct. 30. Score 71.0: 6-2 record; opponents' combined win % 0.464; 2 quality wins (Catholic-New Iberia, Lake Charles College Prep); 2 road wins; capped average margin +8.5; class factor 0.85. Head-to-head rule: placed above Lake Charles College Prep (beat them head-to-head; scores within 3.0). Roux & Rub: Next stop on the tour: New Iberia, where the pop quiz is Westgate. | |||||
| 11 | 15 ▲4 |  Lake Charles College Prep (LA) LHSAA 4A · District 3-4A ▲4 | 7-1 | 0 73.2 | W 42-0 at North Vermilion (Fri 10/23) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: at Rayne (Fri 10/30) |
| A 42-0 win at North Vermilion makes it three straight wins since the loss at Lafayette Renaissance; also owns a 39-38 win over Sterlington and 45-31 over Sam Houston. Score 73.2: 7-1 record; opponents' combined win % 0.500; 3 quality wins (East Feliciana, Sterlington, North Vermilion); 3 road wins; capped average margin +12.4; class factor 0.85. Roux & Rub: Shut out North Vermilion 42-0, one more reminder that the Lake Charles College Prep crew does its homework. | |||||
| 12 | 7 ▼5 |  Hamshire-Fannett (TX) UIL 4A-DII · District 10-4A ▼5 | 6-2 (1-2) | 0 72.9 | L 30-31 at Silsbee (Fri 10/23) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: vs Shepherd (Fri 10/30) |
| A 31-30 loss at Silsbee, one week after a 49-21 win over Hardin-Jefferson; the 6-2 Longhorns' only other loss was at home to West Orange-Stark, and wins include Vidor (52-10), Little Cypress-Mauriceville (25-0) and Hardin-Jefferson (49-21). Score 72.9: 6-2 record; opponents' combined win % 0.679; 5 quality wins (La Marque, Vidor, Little Cypress-Mauriceville, Stafford, Hardin-Jefferson); 3 road wins; capped average margin +12.2; class factor 0.75. Roux & Rub: Lost by one point, a hurt that only a second helping of gumbo can fix. | |||||
| 13 | 12 ▼1 |  Jennings (LA) LHSAA 3A · District 3-3A ▼1 | 6-2 (5-0) | 0 72.4 | W 41-14 at South Beauregard (Thu 10/22) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: at Winnfield (Fri 10/30) |
| Played Thursday and won 41-14 at South Beauregard; wins include Welsh (47-28), Iowa (36-25) and DeRidder (36-31), with losses to Church Point and Eunice (15-12). Score 72.4: 6-2 record; opponents' combined win % 0.613; 4 quality wins (Welsh, Iowa, DeRidder, South Beauregard); 3 road wins; capped average margin +9.9; class factor 0.70. Roux & Rub: Played Thursday, so the Bulldogs already had Friday free for gumbo. | |||||
| 14 | 5 ▼9 |  St. Thomas More (LA) LHSAA 5A · District 3-5A ▼9 | 6-2 (4-1) | 0 71.4 | L 14-17 at Southside (Fri 10/23) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: at Sam Houston (Fri 10/30) |
| A 17-14 loss at Southside ended a five-game win streak; the 6-2 Cougars still own a 35-14 win over Barbe and a 43-42 win at Catholic-Baton Rouge. Next up: at Sam Houston on Oct. 30. Score 71.4: 6-2 record; opponents' combined win % 0.589; 4 quality wins (Catholic-Baton Rouge, Acadiana, Lafayette, Barbe); 3 road wins; capped average margin +8.6; class factor 1.00. Roux & Rub: Three points from a perfect Friday, which an etouffee and a film session can usually fix. | |||||
| 15 | NEW |  Port Neches-Groves (TX) UIL 5A-DII · District 10-5A NEW | 5-3 (4-0) | 0 70.1 | W 27-24 vs Nederland (Fri 10/23) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: at Baytown Lee (Fri 10/30) |
| Enters the poll after a 27-24 win over Nederland that leaves it unbeaten in district (4-0); also beat West Brook (50-25), Texas City (56-23) and Santa Fe (63-21). Score 70.1: 5-3 record; opponents' combined win % 0.670; 3 quality wins (Beaumont West Brook, Texas City, Nederland); 2 road wins; capped average margin +6.6; class factor 0.90. Roux & Rub: Three points won the Mid-County bragging rights, and bragging rights in Port Neches are served at room temperature: forever. | |||||
| 16 | 20 ▲4 |  Newton (TX) UIL ▲4 | 5-2 (2-1) | 1 69.5 | W 70-8 vs Warren (Fri 10/23) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: at Kountze (Fri 10/30) |
| A 70-8 win over Warren puts the 5-2 Eagles up four spots; also won at DeRidder (52-29) and over New Waverly (46-7), with losses to West Orange-Stark and, by 24-25, at Hardin. Score 69.5: 5-2 record; opponents' combined win % 0.633; 3 quality wins (Franklin, DeRidder, New Waverly); 2 road wins; capped average margin +12.4; class factor 0.70. Roux & Rub: Seventy points on a Friday night: that is enough to feed both banks of the Sabine River. | |||||
| 17 | NEW |  Opelousas (LA) LHSAA NEW | 6-2 (2-1) | 0 67.7 | W 50-48 vs Cecilia (Thu 10/22) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: at Breaux Bridge (Fri 10/30) |
| Enters the poll after a 50-48 shootout win over Cecilia on Thursday; also beat Lafayette Christian (28-26) and Northwest (44-7), with losses to Westgate and Carencro (26-27). Score 67.7: 6-2 record; opponents' combined win % 0.560; 3 quality wins (Northwest, Lafayette Christian, Cecilia); 2 road wins; capped average margin +8.2; class factor 0.70. Head-to-head rule: placed above Lafayette Christian (beat them head-to-head; scores within 3.0). Roux & Rub: The Zydeco capital put up 50 points on Thursday, and that is a very high-tempo tune. | |||||
| 18 | 17 ▼1 |  Lafayette Christian (LA) LHSAA ▼1 | 6-2 | 0 69.2 | W 23-6 vs Loreauville (Fri 10/23) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: at Delcambre (Fri 10/30) |
| A 23-6 win over Loreauville lifts it to 6-2; also beat Carencro (30-6), Westminster Christian (44-0) and Franklin (43-6), with losses at Alexandria and, by 26-28, at Opelousas. Score 69.2: 6-2 record; opponents' combined win % 0.619; 5 quality wins (Carencro, Westminster Christian Academy, West St. Mary, Franklin, Loreauville); 1 road win; capped average margin +12.2; class factor 0.55. Roux & Rub: The Knights got a clean Friday, and Delcambre is next on the road. | |||||
| 19 | NEW |  Silsbee (TX) UIL 4A-DII · District 10-4A NEW | 6-2 (2-1) | 0 69.2 | W 31-30 vs Hamshire-Fannett (Fri 10/23) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: vs Hardin-Jefferson (Fri 10/30) |
| Enters the poll after a 31-30 win over Hamshire-Fannett; also beat Vidor (42-39), Stafford (49-30) and Jasper (59-14), and lost to Nederland (24-28) and West Orange-Stark (30-38). Score 69.2: 6-2 record; opponents' combined win % 0.598; 3 quality wins (Vidor, Stafford, Hamshire-Fannett); 2 road wins; capped average margin +9.2; class factor 0.75. Roux & Rub: A one-point win sounds like a heartbeat, and the Tigers' schedule keeps the pulse up. | |||||
| 20 | 13 ▼7 |  Little Cypress-Mauriceville (TX) UIL 4A-DI · District 9-4A ▼7 | 6-2 (3-1) | 0 68.3 | Open date (Fri 10/23) · last game W at Liberty (Fri 10/16) REPORTED · Source: MaxPreps Next: vs Bridge City (Fri 10/30) |
| Open date on Oct. 23. Owns wins over Orangefield (28-26) and Vidor (41-7); losses came at Hamshire-Fannett (0-25) and at Hargrave (21-28). Score 68.3: 6-2 record; opponents' combined win % 0.565; 3 quality wins (Orangefield, Vidor, Livingston); 2 road wins; capped average margin +7.2; class factor 0.80. Roux & Rub: Open dates are the one game you can win without lifting a finger, and the poll kept moving while they rested. | |||||
| 21 | 10 ▼11 |  Leesville (LA) LHSAA 4A · District 3-4A ▼11 | 7-1 (3-0) | 0 66.8 | W 42-0 vs LaGrange (Fri 10/23) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: at Jena (Fri 10/30) |
| Beat LaGrange 42-0 on Friday; 7-1 with a 67-22 win at North Vermilion and a 49-0 win over Rayne; the only loss is 28-39 at Iowa. Score 66.8: 7-1 record; opponents' combined win % 0.455; 3 quality wins (DeRidder, Tioga, North Vermilion); 2 road wins; capped average margin +13.5; class factor 0.85. Roux & Rub: The Wampus Cats are 7-1, and a visit to Jena on Oct. 30 is a chance to add another quality win. | |||||
| 22 | NEW |  Southside (LA) LHSAA 5A NEW | 5-3 (4-1) | 0 66.3 | W 17-14 vs St. Thomas More (Fri 10/23) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: at Acadiana (Fri 10/30) |
| Enters the poll after a 17-14 win over St. Thomas More; also beat Sulphur (77-39), Lafayette (35-20) and New Iberia (56-0), with losses to Westgate (33-42), Sam Houston and Brother Martin. Score 66.3: 5-3 record; opponents' combined win % 0.589; 3 quality wins (Sulphur, Lafayette, St. Thomas More); 2 road wins; capped average margin +4.9; class factor 1.00. Roux & Rub: The Sharks smelled a ranked team in the water, took a bite and moved up to the Top 25. | |||||
| 23 | 18 ▼5 |  East Chambers (TX) UIL 3A-DI · District 10-3A ▼5 | 6-2 (2-2) | 0 64.1 | W 59-0 vs Coldspring-Oakhurst (Fri 10/23) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: at Tarkington (Fri 10/30) |
| A 59-0 win over Coldspring-Oakhurst; wins also include Hardin (20-14), Buna (35-7) and Hardin-Jefferson (24-21), and the losses came to Orangefield and Anahuac. Score 64.1: 6-2 record; opponents' combined win % 0.509; 3 quality wins (Hardin-Jefferson, Hardin, Buna); 3 road wins; capped average margin +9.9; class factor 0.60. Head-to-head rule: placed above Hardin (beat them head-to-head; scores within 3.0). Roux & Rub: 59-0 is the football equivalent of a full crawfish boil: nothing left on the table. | |||||
| 24 | 19 ▼5 |  Hardin (TX) UIL ▼5 | 5-3 | 0 65.2 | L 14-31 at New Waverly (Fri 10/23) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: at Woodville (Fri 10/30) |
| A 14-31 loss at New Waverly dropped the Hornets to 5-3; they still own a 25-24 win over Newton and a 69-11 win over Kountze. Score 65.2: 5-3 record; opponents' combined win % 0.642; 3 quality wins (Corrigan-Camden, Kelly Catholic, Newton); 2 road wins; capped average margin +5.1; class factor 0.70. Roux & Rub: A new week starts Monday in the Big Thicket, and Woodville is next on the road. | |||||
| 25 | 23 ▼2 |  Beaumont West Brook (TX) UIL 5A-DI · District 9-5A ▼2 | 4-4 (3-3) | 1 63.9 | W 55-7 vs New Caney (Fri 10/23) FINAL · CONFIRMED Next: at Lufkin (Fri 10/30) |
| A 55-7 win over New Caney lifts the Bruins to 4-4; wins include Nederland (33-28), Sterling (55-23) and Beaumont United (28-14), and losses came to Port Arthur Memorial, Port Neches-Groves and La Porte (42-45). Score 63.9: 4-4 record; opponents' combined win % 0.623; 3 quality wins (Nederland, Baytown Sterling, Beaumont United); 1 road win; capped average margin +2.0; class factor 0.95. Roux & Rub: Four and four, and the Bruins are still hungry; Lufkin is next on the road. | |||||
Also receiving consideration
Vidor (5-3), Iowa (4-3), Nederland (5-3), Rosepine (7-1), Cecilia (5-3), Loreauville (5-3)
Movement compares with the Oct. 20 Week 9 poll; NEW means the team was under 'Also receiving consideration' last week. Dropped out: Iowa, Rosepine, Nederland and Cecilia. Records reflect all games played through Oct. 23, 2026 (LHSAA Week 8; UIL Week 9); Jennings, Orangefield and Opelousas played Thursday, Oct. 22. District records are in parentheses where verified. Star recruits count 3-star-and-up prospects from our Bayou Blue Chips list; a team-level count, still being expanded. Cross-border results this season are few: Vidor (TX) 45, Iowa (LA) 42; Buna (TX) beat South Beauregard (LA); Newton (TX) won at DeRidder (LA). Cross-border placement is judgment.
How we rank
How the Roux & Rub Top 25 ranks: every team gets a 0-100 score from verified results. Results (win %) 30% · Strength of schedule (opponents' combined win %, excluding games vs. the team) 15% · Quality wins (wins over winning teams, extra for teams in our Top 25) 15% · Point differential, capped at 21 per game so running up the score doesn't help 10% · Star power (3-star-and-up recruits, 247Sports/On3/Rivals) 10% · Head-to-head vs. other contenders 5% · Classification 5% · Road wins 5% · Last 3 games 5%. The preseason prior (LSWA and Dave Campbell's Texas Football preseason polls, last year's playoff finish) was 5% in earlier editions; as promised, it is phased out as of Week 10 and its 5% now counts toward Results. Head-to-head rule: if a team beat a team scored within 3 points of it, it's placed above. This week that rule moved Lafayette Renaissance above Lake Charles College Prep, Opelousas above Lafayette Christian, and East Chambers above Hardin (and Vidor above Iowa in the consideration list). Injuries aren't scored; we note them only when publicly reported. Our approach borrows from MaxPreps (margin cap, strength of schedule), CalPreps and Massey (diminishing returns, fading preseason prior). Cross-border games are rare, so the formula, not reputation, bridges Louisiana and Texas. Corrections: hello@gridirongumbo.com
Sources
Records and results: MaxPreps team schedules and box scores, cross-checked with The Advocate (Acadiana Week 8 scoreboard), American Press, KPLC 7 Sports, Beaumont Enterprise and SETXsports. Classifications and districts: LHSAA and UIL. Where outlets disagreed on a final score, we do not print one.
Injury/availability: None publicly reported to us for ranked teams as of Oct. 24.