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
- MaxPreps, LHSAA Week 8 schedule, rankings and stat leaders (Eric Frantz, Oct. 20, 2026): https://www.maxpreps.com/news/WfkBez8LF0-mNBlCgK0-WQ/louisiana-high-school-football-lhsaa-week-8-schedule%2C-live-broadcasts%2C-scores%2C-state-rankings-and-statewide-statistical-leaders.htm
- Brother Martin football schedule and results: https://www.brothermartin.com/athletics/football/
- Crescent City Sports, “Dominant second half powers St. Augustine past Jesuit” (Jude Young, Oct. 18, 2026): https://crescentcitysports.com/dominant-second-half-powers-st-augustine-past-jesuit/
- The Advocate/nola.com, St. Augustine vs. Jesuit (Christopher Dabe, Oct. 18, 2026): https://www.nola.com/sports/high_schools/st-augustine-vs-jesuit-sloppy-first-half-kept-it-close-until-one-team-pulled-away/article_0bf9cc66-f5a4-4e60-a904-1d12307d83f4.html
- High School On SI, Louisiana Top 25 (Oct. 14, 2026): https://www.si.com/high-school/louisiana/louisiana-high-school-football-top-25-state-rankings-oct-14-2026-01m4y72x3bme
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