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  • Louisiana
    The Bubble Bowl: DeRidder and St. Louis Catholic Are Both Living Near the Playoff Cutoff, and They Play Each Other Thursday, Oct. 29

    The Bubble Bowl: DeRidder and St. Louis Catholic Are Both Living Near the Playoff Cutoff, and They Play Each Other Thursday, Oct. 29

    Subhead: With two regular-season weeks left, the LHSAA’s own power-rating sheet puts a crowd of Southwest Louisiana teams within a few tenths of a point of the cut. Here’s who’s sweating, who isn’t, and why a loss to an unbeaten team can actually move a number up.

    By T-Rohn | Gridiron Gumbo | Oct. 24, 2026

    REPORTED: facts per the LHSAA’s official power-rating reports and 2026 football bulletin and other published sources (see Sources at the end)

    The scoreboard tells you who won Friday. The LHSAA’s power-rating sheet tells you whether it’s going to matter in November. For DeRidder and St. Louis Catholic, that question gets its first real test Thursday, Oct. 29, when the two meet at St. Louis Catholic (7 p.m. kickoff).1

    That sheet got its newest update at 12:02 p.m. Saturday, with Friday’s results added, and it says something the standings don’t. Southwest Louisiana has a whole row of teams sitting right near the playoff cutoff, and two of them, DeRidder and St. Louis Catholic, go into that game with both of their numbers on the table.

    TAKE (joke): Southwest Louisiana will argue about a hundredth of a point the way it argues about roux, boudin and who has the best cracklins: loudly, with total confidence and without a calculator.

    One more thing makes Thursday matter: it’s a District 3-3A game. DeRidder is 3-1 in district and St. Louis Catholic is 2-2.1 Jennings, at 5-0, has already clinched at least a share of the title (our standings box, Gridiron Gumbo math) and holds a 36-31 win over DeRidder. TAKE: that makes second place and the power rating the realistic road for both teams.

    One catch: they’re in different brackets. DeRidder is in Non-Select Division II. St. Louis Catholic is in Select Division III. So Thursday isn’t a straight swap where one team’s gain is the other’s loss. Both teams can stay in the field. Both can also slide toward the cutoff. It’s one game with two separate bubbles riding on it.

    Think of it as a crawfish boil with two pots on one burner.

    First, how this works (the short version)

    Every Louisiana bracket is filled the same way. Each certified district champion is in automatically. Every other spot goes to the highest power ratings, and the power rating seeds everybody, champions included, according to PrepRank’s explainer of the LHSAA handbook.2 The four Non-Select divisions take 28 teams each. The four Select divisions take 24.

    TAKE (joke): Twenty-eight spots, twenty-four spots, a decimal point and a handbook section number. It’s the only gumbo recipe that comes with footnotes.

    The formula itself is printed in the LHSAA’s 2026 football bulletin (handbook Section 14.12). Each game is worth:

    • 10 points for a win, 5 for a tie, 0 for a loss. The score itself never enters the formula, so a squeaker and a rout earn the same 10.
    • Plus the opponent’s winning percentage times 10. Beat (or lose to) an 8-0 team and that game adds 10.
    • Plus 2 points per division “up” when the opponent is bigger. PrepRank reads LHSAA’s sheets as giving those only when the opponent is higher in both class and division.

    Add up the games, divide by games played, and round to two decimals. That’s the number.

    Two things follow from that. First, a team’s number can change on a weekend it doesn’t play, because every opponent’s record is baked in and those records change every Friday. Second, a loss to an unbeaten team can be worth more than your current average. Hold that thought; it matters for Kinder.

    One more date worth circling: Saturday, Oct. 24, is the LHSAA’s deadline to add games to the schedule for power-rating purposes.3 The menu is set. Nobody’s ordering off it now.

    The Bubble Bowl: DeRidder at St. Louis Catholic, Thursday, Oct. 29

    DeRidder (5-3, 3-1 in District 3-3A) sits 24th of 44 in Non-Select Division II at 10.52.4, 1 That’s four spots inside the 28-team cutoff, but the gap is thin. Wossman holds the 28th spot at 9.97. Iota is 29th at 9.89.

    The Dragons got there mostly by winning. Their strength factor, the LHSAA’s measure of schedule difficulty (Section 14.13; PrepRank says it also breaks certain ties), is 6.00, which ranks 43rd of the 44 teams in the division. Their five wins, the latest a 24-20 win at Kinder on Friday (our recap), are doing the heavy lifting.

    Coach Brad Parmley put it in plain terms before the season. The goal, he said in August, is “to be at our best when it matters the most.” He also described “a tough schedule, a tough district.”5

    St. Louis Catholic (3-5, 2-2 in District 3-3A) is 22nd of 37 in Select Division III at 9.46, with the 24-team cutoff at Fisher, 8.80.6, 1 That’s a 3-5 team two spots inside the field, and there’s a reason.

    The Saints opened with Sulphur and Barbe, both Division I schools. Under PrepRank’s reading of the formula, a Division III team playing a Division I team picks up 4 play-up points, win or lose. Coach Chris Truax told KPLC on Oct. 7 that he likes to “play up in levels” so the Saints are “prepared” when district play arrives.7 KPLC’s story doesn’t quote him on the rating formula. The extra points are a side effect of the schedule, not a goal he described.

    TAKE (our math): the sheet’s number checks out. Sulphur and Barbe are worth 4 play-up points each, and LaGrange (4A, Division II, one division up from the Saints) adds 2 more. Add those to the eight games on the sheet and you get exactly 9.46. Without the LaGrange bonus, the rating would be closer to 9.21. Two Division I schools and a Division II school on the front end of the schedule are the reason a 3-5 team is sitting inside the field.

    The Saints are coming off a 42-35 win at Washington-Marion (our recap).

    What Thursday could do (TAKE: Gridiron Gumbo math, holding every other result on today’s sheet constant):

    If it wins ThursdayIf it loses Thursday
    DeRidder (24th, 10.52)about 10.83, which would rank 23rd on today’s sheetabout 9.84, which would rank 29th, outside the 28-team cutoff
    St. Louis Catholic (22nd, 9.46)about 10.14, which would rank 19thabout 9.15, still 22nd and still inside

    How the what-if math works (TAKE): each estimate uses (current rating × 8 + the new game’s points) ÷ 9, because each of these teams has eight games entered on the LHSAA sheet. A team with fewer games entered would work out differently, since both the divisor and the weight on its current rating would change.

    Here’s why the table isn’t symmetrical. DeRidder’s average is high enough that a loss to a 3-5 team pulls it down hard. St. Louis Catholic’s average is low enough that even a loss to a 6-3 team barely dents it, because DeRidder’s record still props up that game.

    TAKE (joke): It’s the only table in Southwest Louisiana that gets read more carefully than a menu on the first cool night of fall: for the prices, for the fine print and for what the other table ordered.

    Neither season ends Thursday. DeRidder closes against Iowa on Nov. 5. St. Louis Catholic finishes at Jennings on Nov. 6.1 Those games move numbers too. The district race is its own story, and we keep that one in our standings box.

    The rest of the bubble

    Sam Houston (3-5), Non-Select Division I: 25th of 36, 10.16. The cutoff (28th) is Central Lafourche at 9.76. The Broncos have played the toughest schedule in the division by the LHSAA’s strength factor (10.00, highest among the 36 teams), and two of their five losses came by a combined four points: 34-31 to East Ascension and 55-54 at Sulphur.1 Sam Houston plays St. Thomas More (6-2, 7th in Select Division I) Oct. 30 and New Iberia Nov. 6. TAKE (our math): a win over St. Thomas More would push the Broncos to about 10.88, roughly 18th on today’s sheet. A loss would drop them to about 9.90, about fourteen-hundredths above where the cutoff sits today.

    Kinder (1-7), Non-Select Division III: 27th of 42, 9.13. Yes, 1-7 and inside the cutoff. The Yellowjackets’ strength factor (8.38) ranks third in the division. Their schedule has included Eunice (8-0), Lake Charles College Prep (7-1 on the LHSAA sheet), Welsh and Lake Arthur.1 Next up is Notre Dame (8-0, No. 1 in Select Division III) at Kinder on Oct. 30,8 then Basile on Nov. 6. TAKE (our math): because Notre Dame is unbeaten, even a loss to the Pioneers would add a 10-point game, nudging Kinder up to about 9.23 (26th today). A win would mean about 10.21. That’s the formula, not a pep talk.

    TAKE (joke): In this formula, an unbeaten opponent is the cousin who shows up unannounced with a casserole: alarming at the door, useful by the time the math is done.

    Oakdale (2-6), Non-Select Division III: 25th, 9.38. The Warriors lost 42-40 to Avoyelles on Friday (our recap) and still sit three spots inside. They host Holy Savior Menard on Oct. 30 and play at Port Barre on Nov. 5.1 Keep an eye on that district race, too. If a team from outside the top 28 wins its district, it’s in automatically, and each of those bumps the lowest at-large team. TAKE: in Non-Select Division III right now, the teams that would feel that first are at 27th and 28th: Kinder and Many (9.09), with Oakdale two spots above.

    DeQuincy (2-6), Non-Select Division IV: 29th of 40, 9.00. The Tigers are three-hundredths of a point behind East Iberville (9.03) for the 28th spot after a 41-0 win over Pickering (our recap). They play at Sacred Heart (8-0, 3rd in Select Division IV) on Oct. 30 and host Rosepine (7-1) on Nov. 6.1, 9 TAKE (our math): if Sacred Heart is still unbeaten after that game, even a loss there would lift DeQuincy to about 9.11, which would edge past today’s 28th-place number by eight-hundredths. A win would mean about 10.10.

    That’s not a typo. In this formula, the toughest game left on your schedule can be your best rating game.

    Iota (4-4), Non-Select Division II: 29th, 9.89, 0.08 behind Wossman for the last spot. The Bulldogs have won three straight, and their defense has been a different unit lately. We dug into that in today’s other story.

    Washington-Marion (1-7), Select Division II: 29th of 34, 7.50. The 24th spot is The Willow School at 8.51. Washington-Marion plays at Iowa on Oct. 29 and hosts Westlake on Nov. 6.9

    Comfortable, for now

    Not everybody needs a calculator. On the LHSAA sheet as of its 12:02 p.m. Saturday update, these Southwest Louisiana teams sit well inside their cutoffs:

    • Non-Select Division I: Barbe (2nd, 14.46). Sulphur (18th, 10.78) is inside but has more work to do than Barbe.
    • Non-Select Division II: Leesville (6th, 13.15), Iowa (12th, 12.10).
    • Non-Select Division III: Jennings (3rd, 13.17), Rosepine (6th, 12.66), Church Point (14th, 11.50), South Beauregard (19th, 10.70).
    • Non-Select Division IV: Vinton (3rd, 14.59), Grand Lake (8th, 12.71), Lake Arthur (9th, 12.69), Welsh (11th, 12.41), Elton (16th, 11.59), East Beauregard (19th, 10.73), Merryville (21st, 10.06).
    • Select: Lake Charles College Prep (3rd in Division II, 13.83) and Notre Dame (1st in Division III, 15.86).

    Merryville’s spot is the shakiest of that group. It’s 1.03 above today’s 28th place.

    TAKE (joke): Being the shakiest of the comfortable is like being the coldest person in Louisiana in January: technically a complaint, practically a light jacket.

    The fine print

    This sheet is a snapshot, and it still has gaps. Schools enter their own scores into the LHSAA system. The 12:02 p.m. update picked up most of Friday’s results (Leesville now shows 7-1 after beating LaGrange), but not every one: Church Point, for example, still shows 5-2 on the sheet, while PrepRank lists the Friday win over Crowley that would make it 6-2. A few teams still show only seven games, which matters for the what-if math above. Every number in this story will move as those scores post and as opponents keep playing.

    Our “what if” math also holds everybody else still, which nobody in Louisiana has ever done on a Friday night. Treat it as a direction, not a seeding forecast. PrepRank, an independent site that recomputes the formula as scores post, had DeRidder at 10.00 on Saturday, about half a point below the LHSAA sheet’s 10.52, and slotted the Dragons 27th by rating instead of 24th. TAKE: the gap appears to trace to DeRidder’s Sept. 18 game against Newton, Texas, an out-of-state team whose record the two sites seem to carry differently (Newton is 5-2 on MaxPreps). We can’t see how either one treats it. If the LHSAA sheet were updated to Newton’s MaxPreps record, DeRidder’s number would move to about 10.58. The LHSAA’s own sheet is the one that counts, and that’s what we used.

    District first-place teams have to be certified by Friday, Nov. 6, and the regular season ends Saturday, Nov. 7. Bi-district games are Nov. 12-14.3

    Until then, every decimal is worth arguing about at the gas station. Bring a pencil.

    TAKE (joke): Bring two pencils. The second one is for the guy at the gas station who has a different decimal and will not be moved.

    Spot a score the LHSAA sheet is missing? Send it to Gridiron Gumbo. T-Rohn is keeping score.

    Sources

    1. MaxPreps schedules: DeRidder https://www.maxpreps.com/la/deridder/deridder-dragons/football/schedule/ ; St. Louis Catholic https://www.maxpreps.com/la/lake-charles/st-louis-catholic-saints/football/schedule/ ; Sam Houston https://www.maxpreps.com/la/lake-charles/sam-houston-broncos/football/schedule/ ; Kinder https://www.maxpreps.com/la/kinder/kinder-yellowjackets/football/schedule/ ; Oakdale https://www.maxpreps.com/la/oakdale/oakdale-warriors/football/schedule/ ; DeQuincy https://www.maxpreps.com/la/dequincy/dequincy-tigers/football/schedule/ (records, district records, scores, remaining games; DeRidder at St. Louis Catholic listed Thu., Oct. 29, 7 p.m. on both the DeRidder and St. Louis Catholic schedules) ↩ Back to story
    2. PrepRank, “How LHSAA Football Power Ratings Are Calculated”: https://prep-rank.com/explainers/lhsaa-football-power-ratings (28/24 bracket sizes, Section 14.9; district champions automatic, Section 14.10; seeding, Section 14.11.1; play-up reading: 2 points per division, only when higher in both class and division) ↩ Back to story
    3. LHSAA, 2026 Football General Information Bulletin: https://www.lhsaa.org/siteuploads/lhsaa/1433_pdf_2026-football-general-info-bulletin.pdf (Section 14.12 formula, Section 14.13 strength factor; Oct. 24 deadline to add games for power-rating purposes; regular season ends Nov. 7; district certification due Nov. 6; playoff dates) ↩ Back to story
    4. LHSAA, Non-Select Football Power Ratings by Division, “As of Date: 10/24/2026 12:02:42 PM”: https://www.lhsaaonline.org/rpt/FBNonSelectbyDivisionPR.html (all Non-Select ranks, ratings, strength factors and W-L used above; Leesville shown 7-1) ↩ Back to story
    5. KPLC, Ryan Blakely and Ben Rickevicius, “2026 Two-A-Days: DeRidder Dragons,” Aug. 18, 2026: https://www.kplctv.com/2026/08/18/2026-two-a-days-deridder-dragons/ (Parmley quotes) ↩ Back to story
    6. LHSAA, Select Football Power Ratings by Division, same timestamp: https://www.lhsaaonline.org/rpt/FBSelectbyDivisionPR.html (SLC 22nd, 9.46; Fisher 24th, 8.80; Notre Dame 1st, 15.86; LCCP 3rd Div. II; W-M 29th, 7.50; The Willow School 24th, 8.51; Sacred Heart 3rd Div. IV, 8-0; St. Thomas More 7th Div. I, 6-2) ↩ Back to story
    7. KPLC, Ben Rickevicius, “TDL Week 6 Game of the Week Preview: St. Louis Catholic Saints,” published Oct. 7, 2026 at 8:03 p.m. CDT (the URL carries 2026/10/08): https://www.kplctv.com/2026/10/08/tdl-week-6-game-week-preview-st-louis-catholic-saints/ (Truax “play up in levels” and “prepared” fragments) ↩ Back to story
    8. The Advocate, Week 8 Acadiana-area scores and schedules, Oct. 23, 2026: https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/sports/high_schools/week-8-high-school-football-scores-reported-stats-schedules-for-acadiana-area/article_0de41fd1-c13c-4c11-b5a1-46151d9493fc.html (“Notre Dame at Kinder on Friday” Oct. 30) ↩ Back to story
    9. PrepRank team pages (unofficial; DeRidder rating field updated 9:18 a.m. CDT Oct. 24, page checked about 12:15 p.m. CDT): DeRidder https://www.prep-rank.com/schools/deridder/football (10.00; 27th by rating; next game Thu., Oct. 29 vs. St. Louis Catholic) ; St. Louis Catholic https://www.prep-rank.com/schools/st-louis-catholic/football ; Sam Houston https://www.prep-rank.com/schools/sam-houston/football ; DeQuincy https://www.prep-rank.com/schools/dequincy/football ; Washington-Marion https://www.prep-rank.com/schools/washington-marion/football (remaining schedules) ↩ Back to story
    10. KPLC, TDL Week 8 scores: https://www.kplctv.com/2026/10/22/tdl-week-8-scores-highlights/ (Friday finals)
    11. LouisianaGridiron Gumbo internal links: DeRidder 24, Kinder 20 (post 2092); St. Louis Catholic 42, W-M 35 (2088); Avoyelles 42, Oakdale 40 (2096); DeQuincy 41, Pickering 0 (2090); standings box (1937)
  • Louisiana
    Four Touchdowns in a Loss: Brynnum Chaney Left Everything in Vinton

    Four Touchdowns in a Loss: Brynnum Chaney Left Everything in Vinton

    By T-Rohn | Gridiron Gumbo
    Friday, Oct. 23, 2026 · LHSAA Week 8 · District 5-2A · Player feature
    FINAL: Vinton 43, Rosepine 26 · CONFIRMED

    How this story is sourced: Brynnum Chaney’s quotes come from Gridiron Gumbo’s own postgame interview.1 His touchdown count, yardage and season stats are REPORTED by the American Press and are unofficial until the league publishes box scores. Coach quotes, records and the statewide fan-poll honor come from the outlets listed under Sources at the end. Takes are labeled and are Gridiron Gumbo’s own.

    Rosepine senior Brynnum Chaney scored all four Eagles touchdowns in a 43-26 loss at unbeaten Vinton, the American Press reported. Afterward he walked Gridiron Gumbo through the plays, the turnaround and what comes next.

    THE ESSENTIALS

    • Final: Vinton 43, Rosepine 26 (Friday, Oct. 23, at B.S. Walker Stadium, Vinton) · CONFIRMED
    • Chaney’s night (REPORTED): 26 carries, 150 yards, three rushing touchdowns and a 16-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Creek Smith, plus four catches for 39 yards. All four Rosepine touchdowns were his.2
    • Records: Rosepine 7-1, 1-1 District 5-2A · Vinton 8-0, 2-03
    • Next: Rosepine hosts East Beauregard, Friday, Oct. 30 (district), then closes at DeQuincy on Nov. 6.

    Four touchdowns, one loss

    VINTON, La. — Brynnum Chaney scored four touchdowns Friday night, and it still wasn’t enough.

    That’s the kind of night it was at B.S. Walker Stadium: two 7-0 teams, one district race, and a Rosepine senior who wouldn’t let his team go quiet. Vinton won it 43-26 to stay unbeaten, and the American Press said Chaney accounted for every one of the Eagles’ touchdowns. TAKE: Anybody leaving that stadium was talking about No. 9.

    Chaney, a senior who lines up at running back, wide receiver and cornerback for the Eagles (the school’s roster lists him at wide receiver and cornerback; the American Press calls him a running back), found the end zone four times: three runs and a catch.4 TAKE: On a night when Rosepine needed every one of them just to stay in the fight, that’s the number that matters. Gridiron Gumbo’s own play log agrees he scored twice in the third quarter, but the four-touchdown breakdown is the American Press’s count, not an official league stat.

    “It actually wasn’t supposed to go to me”

    Chaney’s first score came in the second quarter, a 16-yard catch from Smith that got Rosepine on the board.4 By his own account, it wasn’t the plan.

    “It actually wasn’t supposed to go to me,” Chaney said. “I just got open and made my play. Me and my quarterback have a good connection — he saw me and he just got it to me.”

    The Eagles knew what they were walking into. Vinton’s defense came in allowing about 143 yards and 6.6 points a game,5 and Chaney didn’t pretend otherwise.

    “We just knew it was a big opponent, a tough matchup,” he said. “We just knew we had to come out and give 100% every play.”

    Brynnum Chaney, wearing white No. 9 for Rosepine, stands at midfield next to an official before the game.
    Brynnum Chaney (#9) at midfield before the Vinton game. Photo: Tori Dixon

    When the game tightened up, the message in the huddle stayed simple: battle. “We just knew it’s a tough defense — one of the best defenses in Southwest Louisiana,” he said. “We just knew we had to battle hard and keep going.” (That “best defenses” line is his opinion. For context, the American Press had Vinton’s first seven wins coming by an average of 42 points.)

    Then came the last play of the first half, which swung things Vinton’s way. It started when Vinton forced a Rosepine fumble on fourth down,2 and with 12 seconds left the Lions took one more shot. Quarterback Michael Lange’s deep ball for Jacob Edison bounced off a Rosepine defender, and Edison scored from 65 yards out for a 22-6 halftime lead, the American Press reported.2

    The halftime adjustment

    Chaney said Rosepine’s coaches changed things at the break. By his account, they adjusted the defensive alignment and told the offense to hold its blocks longer. He described the first play out of the half as a dive up the middle that he bounced outside for about a 50-yard run. That’s his account of the play. It isn’t listed in the American Press scoring summary, and Gridiron Gumbo hasn’t verified the distance.

    What the paper did report is a third-quarter push. Rosepine’s two drives covered 74 and 62 yards, and Chaney finished them with runs of 2 and 4 yards. The Eagles trailed 29-20 with 4:09 to play in the quarter.4

    Vinton’s response was an 11-play, 80-yard drive capped by a Lange keeper, and then Chaney struck again. Late, with Vinton trying to close the door, he said, the offense was running go routes on one drive and he found the open hole and made the play. The American Press lists his fourth-quarter score as a rushing touchdown, and Gridiron Gumbo has not matched his description to a specific snap. It cut the lead to 36-26 before Jaydin Smith’s 46-yard run closed the scoring at 43-26.

    “Grit”

    Asked for his team’s identity in one word, he didn’t hesitate. “Grit,” Chaney said.

    This is the same Rosepine program that went 1-9 a year ago. The American Press said the Eagles had back-to-back 1-9 seasons before this year, and the 7-0 start was their first since 2018. Chaney says the turnaround was built in the summer. “We just worked all summer,” he said. “We knew what we were going to do this year, and we kept on.”

    Rosepine senior #9 smiling after the Vinton game
    Brynnum Chaney (#9) after the game. Photo: Tori Dixon

    Not his first four-touchdown night

    What makes Friday notable is that it wasn’t an outlier. Chaney opened the season with 190 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-20 win over Montgomery.6 The American Press reported he scored four times again against Pickering on Oct. 8, including a 73-yard punt-return touchdown, in a 54-0 win.7 For the Montgomery game, he was a nominee in High School On SI’s Louisiana Athlete of the Week poll, and the site’s next poll named him the winner of that fan vote.8, 9

    The American Press’s Oct. 23 preview credited him with 99 carries for 1,114 yards and 22 rushing touchdowns through Rosepine’s first seven games, plus 12 receptions for 258 yards and three touchdowns.5 Add Friday’s numbers and, by Gridiron Gumbo’s math (unofficial, not a stat the paper printed), he has about 1,264 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns, plus 16 catches for 297 yards and four receiving touchdowns, through eight games.

    The Louisiana Football Coaches Association’s 2025 Class 2A all-district list named him at tight end/wide receiver on offense and as a flex player on defense, and the American Press has him among the area’s small-school rushing leaders.10

    What the coaches say

    Rosepine coach David Weldon said in September that Chaney “ran like a man possessed” in the opener. “If I had 11 Brynnums, I could put him at center and he’d be fine,” Weldon said, adding that “he’s one you could probably put him anywhere and he’s going to succeed for you.”6

    Vinton coach Tyler Lavergne called Rosepine’s running back “extremely talented” before kickoff, then said afterward that the Lions had to play four full quarters for the first time all year. “That was a quality opponent, and a great atmosphere,” Lavergne said.2 Rosepine’s 26 points were the most anyone has scored on Vinton this season, according to the Lions’ MaxPreps schedule.

    Bounce back, then the next level

    How does a team handle its first loss with the playoffs coming? Chaney sounded like a senior who had already turned the page.

    “We’re just gonna bounce back,” he said. “Come back on Monday, prepare, and get ready for the next two weeks — because these two weeks matter for playoffs and rankings.”

    Those two weeks are East Beauregard at home on Oct. 30 and a trip to DeQuincy on Nov. 6.3

    And for the college scouts reading along, he kept his pitch short and physical. “I’m a physical running back, and I’ll do anything to get open and make a play for you,” Chaney said. He sees himself at wide receiver or free safety at the next level, and he doesn’t have one favorite school. He’s open.

    TAKE: Four touchdowns in a loss don’t show up in the standings, and the Eagles will need to share the load as the schedule tightens. But on a Friday night in Vinton, with both teams unbeaten and a district race on the line, Brynnum Chaney made sure people knew his name anyway.

    Rosepine (7-1) hosts East Beauregard next Friday. Vinton (8-0, 2-0) is chasing the District 5-2A title, and our look at that race is in the Vinton recap.

    Related: Two Unbeatens Walked In. Vinton Walked Out 8-0 After a 43-26 Win Over Rosepine · From 0-9 to 7-0: How Rosepine Flipped the Script

    Sources

    1. Gridiron Gumbo postgame interview with Brynnum Chaney and Gridiron Gumbo’s on-site play log (Oct. 23, 2026). Unpublished; the touchdown count above is the American Press’s. ↩ Back to story
    2. American Press game story, “Vinton last undefeated team left in Southwest La.” (Rodrick Anderson, Oct. 24, 2026): https://americanpress.com/2026/10/24/vinton-last-undefeated-team-left-in-southwest-la/ ↩ Back to story
    3. MaxPreps, Rosepine schedule and results (final 26-43; records; Oct. 30 vs. East Beauregard): https://www.maxpreps.com/la/rosepine/rosepine-eagles/football/schedule/ ↩ Back to story
    4. American Press scores and stats, scoring summary (Oct. 23, 2026): https://americanpress.com/2026/10/23/local-prep-football-scores-and-stats-oct-23-2/ ↩ Back to story
    5. American Press preview, “Battle of unbeatens: Rejuvenated programs clash” (Oct. 23, 2026): https://americanpress.com/2026/10/23/battle-of-unbeatens-rejuvenated-programs-clash/ ↩ Back to story
    6. KPLC, “Rosepine running back fuels Week 1 victory with four-touchdown performance” (Ben Rickevicius, Sept. 10, 2026): https://www.kplctv.com/2026/09/10/rosepine-running-back-fuels-week-1-victory-with-four-touchdown-performance/ ↩ Back to story
    7. American Press, Week 7 Thursday games, Rosepine 54, Pickering 0 (Oct. 9, 2026): https://americanpress.com/2026/10/09/week-7-thursday-games-ned-helps-rally-jennings-in-win-over-deridder/ ↩ Back to story
    8. High School On SI, Louisiana Athlete of the Week poll, Aug. 31-Sept. 5 (lists the Montgomery-game nomination): https://www.si.com/high-school/louisiana/vote-who-should-be-the-louisiana-high-school-athlete-of-the-week-aug-31-sept-5-01m1vpddzha7 ↩ Back to story
    9. High School On SI, Louisiana Athlete of the Week poll, Sept. 7-12 (names the prior week’s winner): https://www.si.com/high-school/louisiana/vote-who-should-be-the-louisiana-high-school-athlete-of-the-week-sept-7-12-01m2dm2yzmaf ↩ Back to story
    10. Louisiana Football Coaches Association, 2025 Class 2A District 4 all-district list: https://lfcassoc.org/all-district/2025-2a-4/ ↩ Back to story
    11. American Press, SWLA prep football stat leaders through Week 6 (Oct. 13, 2026): https://americanpress.com/2026/10/13/swla-prep-football-stat-leaders-through-week-6/
    12. MaxPreps Rosepine roster, 2026-27: https://www.maxpreps.com/la/rosepine/rosepine-eagles/football/roster/
    13. MaxPreps game page, final 43-26: https://www.maxpreps.com/la/football/game/rosepine-vs-vinton/10-23-2026/?c=667c2c0b-89ab-41bb-a0c6-e9daf4954ee8

    Photo: Tori Dixon. Written and checked by Gridiron Gumbo; summaries are in our own words, and every outside quote is attributed to the outlet that published it.

    Corrections: Gridiron Gumbo fixes errors promptly and notes changes at the bottom of the story. Spot one? Tell us.

  • Louisiana
    DeQuincy Finally Gets Its District Win, Shutting Out Pickering 41-0

    DeQuincy Finally Gets Its District Win, Shutting Out Pickering 41-0

    By T-Rohn | Gridiron Gumbo
    Friday, Oct. 23, 2026 · LHSAA Week 8 · District 5-2A
    FINAL · CONFIRMED

    REPORTED: Final score per MaxPreps and KPLC; scoring summary, quarter scores and stats per the American Press scores-and-stats page (Oct. 23, 2026); season context per MaxPreps and KPLC; records, schedules and standings per MaxPreps (retrieved Oct. 23–24, 2026). District math, where shown, is Gridiron Gumbo’s own (sources below)

    DeQuincy had not scored more than 24 points all season, and had not shut anyone out. Friday it did both, and it did it on the road.

    THE ESSENTIALS

    • Final: DeQuincy 41, Pickering 0 (Friday, Oct. 23, in Leesville)
    • Records (MaxPreps): DeQuincy 2-6, 1-2 District 5-2A · Pickering 1-7, 0-3
    • Next: DeQuincy at Sacred Heart, Friday, Oct. 30 (non-district) · Pickering vs. Vinton, Friday, Oct. 30 (district)

    The recap

    DeQuincy earned its first District 5-2A win Friday night, beating Pickering 41-0 in Leesville.

    It was the Tigers’ first win since a 24-21 victory over Westlake on Sept. 18, according to their MaxPreps schedule, and their first shutout of the season. MaxPreps’ game recap called it a season-high score and said the Tigers had gone three games without a road win before it, “four tries” in all.

    TAKE (joke): A road trip, a shutout and 41 points, and somewhere in the parking lot an uncle is already explaining how it should have been 48.

    The big night followed a rough month. DeQuincy had lost four straight, scoring a combined 30 points in its previous three games, including district losses to East Beauregard and Vinton. It had allowed at least 21 points in every game before Friday.

    TAKE (joke): Thirty points in three games, then 41 in one night. A roux works the same way: stir, stir, stir, and suddenly it’s dark and everybody is hungry.

    How it unfolded

    The American Press scoring summary shows six DeQuincy touchdowns, all before the fourth quarter, with the Tigers up 20-0 after one quarter, 27-0 at halftime and 41-0 after three.

    • First quarter (20-0): Anyja Roy scored from 44 yards, a 52-yard touchdown run followed, and Roy’s 28-yard run closed the quarter.
    • Second quarter (27-0): Landon Joyce added a 1-yard run.
    • Third quarter (41-0): Quarterback Sley Gardner hit Grant Rainwater for a 48-yard touchdown, and a 3-yard touchdown run followed.

    Roy carried five times for 94 yards and Joyce six times for 60, per the American Press box; one other back ran five times for 132. By our arithmetic from that box, DeQuincy ran for roughly 364 yards on 27 carries, with ten different ball carriers getting a touch. Gardner completed two of his three passes for 67 yards, and both went to Rainwater.

    The Tigers’ preseason message, delivered to KPLC in August by coach Tate Woodard, was about finishing. Friday, they did.

    The district race

    DeQuincy (1-2) finishes district play at home against Rosepine on Nov. 6. Before then the Tigers travel to Sacred Heart on Oct. 30 in a non-district game. Pickering (0-3) hosts unbeaten Vinton the same night.

    Rosepine (1-1) hosts East Beauregard on Oct. 30 before making that trip.

    What others missed

    • The Tigers hadn’t shown this scoring range all fall. Their previous best on MaxPreps was 24 (over Westlake). The 41 is more than they scored over their previous three games combined (7, 20 and 3).
    • A first for the receiver. In the American Press’ Oct. 20 stat leaders through Week 7, Rainwater had 16 catches for 162 yards and no touchdowns. Friday’s 48-yarder appears to be his first touchdown catch of the year (our read of that list).
    • A fix they talked about in August. KPLC reported that DeQuincy was 12 seconds from back-to-back district titles in 2025. Woodard told the station then that the Tigers lost some close games and that “we have to finish.” A road shutout is a long way from that.

    TAKE: Ten ball carriers and one big night don’t make a trend, but they do give DeQuincy something to carry into Sacred Heart on Oct. 30 and a home game with Rosepine on Nov. 6.

    Related: DeQuincy at Pickering: LHSAA Week 8 Preview

    Sources

    Featured image: Gridiron Gumbo illustration. No outside photos.

    Corrections: Gridiron Gumbo fixes errors promptly and notes changes at the bottom of the story. Spot one? Tell us.

  • Louisiana
    Two Unbeatens Walked In. Vinton Walked Out 8-0 After a 43-26 Win Over Rosepine

    Two Unbeatens Walked In. Vinton Walked Out 8-0 After a 43-26 Win Over Rosepine

    By T-Rohn | Gridiron Gumbo
    Friday, Oct. 23, 2026 · LHSAA Week 8 · District 5-2A
    FINAL · CONFIRMED

    REPORTED: Final score per MaxPreps, KPLC and the American Press; scoring summary, stats and coach quotes per the American Press (Oct. 23–24, 2026); records, schedules and standings per MaxPreps (retrieved Oct. 23–24, 2026). District math, where shown, is Gridiron Gumbo’s own (sources below)

    Rosepine scored more on Vinton than anyone had all season, and the Lions still stayed perfect. Now the 5-2A title likely comes down to one Nov. 6 game.

    THE ESSENTIALS

    • Final: Vinton 43, Rosepine 26 (Friday, Oct. 23, at B.S. Walker Stadium, Vinton)
    • Records (MaxPreps): Vinton 8-0, 2-0 District 5-2A · Rosepine 7-1, 1-1
    • Next: Vinton at Pickering, Friday, Oct. 30 (district) · Rosepine vs. East Beauregard, Friday, Oct. 30 (district)

    The recap

    Something had to give when two 7-0 teams met in Vinton on Friday night. It wasn’t the Lions. Vinton beat Rosepine 43-26 to improve to 8-0, its first 8-0 start since 1999 and a third straight win over the Eagles, the American Press reported. With Notre Dame’s win over Lake Arthur, the paper said, Vinton is the lone unbeaten team remaining in Southwest Louisiana; MaxPreps lists Notre Dame, in Crowley, at 8-0 as well.

    TAKE (joke): Two unbeaten teams in one stadium is the football version of two aunts arriving at the reunion with the same potato salad, cher: one pan was always going home full.

    Rosepine’s 26 points are the most anyone has put on the Lions this season; no earlier opponent had topped 13, according to Vinton’s MaxPreps schedule.

    “That was a good statement win,” Vinton coach Tyler Lavergne told the American Press. He added that plenty of good teams start 7-0, but few great ones finish 8-0.

    How it unfolded

    The first quarter was scoreless. Everything below comes from the American Press scoring summary and game story.

    • Second quarter. Quarterback Michael Lange got the Lions on the board with a 20-yard score, and senior Mika Roper added a 7-yard run. Rosepine answered with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Brynnum Chaney, the Eagles’ No. 9. Then came the last snap of the half.
    • The last play of the half. Vinton had forced a fourth-down fumble as Rosepine tried to get within one possession. With 12 seconds left, Lavergne chose to take a shot instead of kneeling. Lange’s deep pass for Jacob Edison was batted by a Rosepine defender and fell into Edison’s hands, and he took it 65 yards to the end zone. Carrier ran in the two-point try, and the Lions went to the break leading by 16.
    • Third quarter. Roper broke an 80-yard touchdown run, his second score. Rosepine answered with drives of 74 and 62 yards, and Chaney scored from 2 and 4 yards. It was 29-20 with 4:09 left in the quarter.
    • Fourth quarter. Vinton put together an 80-yard drive, 11 plays long, that crossed into the fourth and ended on Lange’s 1-yard keeper for a 36-20 lead with 9:30 left. Chaney scored again, and Jaydin Smith’s 46-yard run closed the scoring.

    TAKE (joke): Twelve seconds is not enough time to reheat a plate of boudin or find a clean fork, but it turned out to be plenty for a football game to change its mind.

    Chaney accounted for every Eagles touchdown, three running and one catching, and finished with 150 rushing yards on 26 carries, per the American Press. Vinton did its damage on the ground: 380 rushing yards, led by Mika Roper (17 carries, 164 yards, two touchdowns) and Traylen Carrier (18 for 122). Lange threw three passes and completed one, the 65-yarder.

    REPORTED: According to the American Press, Chaney scored all four Rosepine touchdowns, three rushing and one receiving. This is a single-source report; MaxPreps has no box score for the game.

    Lavergne said it was the first time this season his team played four full quarters, and the first without a running clock. “A lot of positives tonight,” he told the American Press.

    The district race

    Vinton (2-0) and East Beauregard (2-0) share the top of the MaxPreps 5-2A standings and meet Nov. 6 at Vinton. By Gridiron Gumbo’s math, Vinton wins the title outright by beating Pickering (1-7, 0-3) on Oct. 30 and East Beauregard on Nov. 6. (That’s our count, not an LHSAA announcement.) East Beauregard (5-3 per MaxPreps) beat Pine Prairie 40-6 on Friday, KPLC reported, and visits Rosepine on Oct. 30.

    Rosepine (1-1) needs help to earn a share; it hosts East Beauregard on Oct. 30 and closes at DeQuincy on Nov. 6.

    What others missed

    • The closest game of Vinton’s year, by 11 points. Its seven earlier wins came by 28 to 50 points on MaxPreps (40-12 over Elton was the closest). Friday’s 17-point margin is the smallest of the season by a wide gap.
    • They don’t share a playoff pool. Per the American Press, Vinton ranked No. 3 in LHSAA Division IV power ratings and Rosepine No. 4 in Division III before kickoff, and PrepRank (an unofficial tracker) lists the same split. Two teams chasing one district title will be seeded in different playoff pools.
    • Two turnarounds, one field. The American Press’ preview noted Vinton went 2-17 across 2022 and 2023, and that Rosepine, after back-to-back 1-9 seasons, had started 7-0 for the first time since 2018. One of those streaks ended Friday; the other kept going.

    TAKE: the 5-2A title likely runs through a Nov. 6 Friday in Vinton. If Vinton and East Beauregard both win Oct. 30, then by our count everyone else is playing for third.

    Related: Two Perfect Seasons, One Field: Rosepine at Vinton Preview (Both 7-0)

    Sources

    Featured image: Gridiron Gumbo illustration. No outside photos.

    Corrections: Gridiron Gumbo fixes errors promptly and notes changes at the bottom of the story. Spot one? Tell us.

  • Louisiana
    SWLA District Race: Standings and Playoff Picture (through Friday, Oct. 23, 2026)

    SWLA District Race: Standings and Playoff Picture (through Friday, Oct. 23, 2026)

    Through Friday, Oct. 23, 2026 · Records from MaxPreps district standings (retrieved Oct. 24, 2026); Friday scores are Gridiron Gumbo’s confirmed finals

    Three SWLA districts could be decided in the first week of November, and two of them come down to head-to-head games between unbeaten district teams: Vinton-East Beauregard in 5-2A and Notre Dame-Welsh in 7-2A. Here’s where every SWLA district stands after Friday night.

    District 5-2A

    MaxPreps standings, updated Oct. 23, 10:44 p.m. CT. Source

    #SchoolDistOverallNext gameDiv.
    1East Beauregard2-0n/a ‡at Rosepine, Fri. 10/30NS-IV
    2Vinton2-08-0at Pickering, Fri. 10/30NS-IV
    3Rosepine1-17-1vs. East Beauregard, Fri. 10/30NS-III
    4DeQuincy1-22-6at Sacred Heart, Fri. 10/30 (non-district)NS-IV
    5Pickering0-31-7vs. Vinton, Fri. 10/30NS-IV

    What’s at stake

    • Friday: Vinton 43, Rosepine 26; DeQuincy 41, Pickering 0.
    • Vinton vs. East Beauregard, Fri. Nov. 6, at Vinton: both are 2-0. By Gridiron Gumbo math, either team wins the title outright by winning its last two district games (Vinton at Pickering on Oct. 30; East Beauregard at Rosepine on Oct. 30).
    • Rosepine (1-1) hosts East Beauregard on Oct. 30 and closes at DeQuincy on Nov. 6. It can reach 3-1 but needs help to earn a share.

    ‡ East Beauregard’s overall record is not shown here because its Friday non-district game has not been confirmed by Gridiron Gumbo. Its district record (2-0) is not affected.

    District 7-2A

    MaxPreps standings, updated Oct. 24, 1:02 a.m. CT. Source

    #SchoolDistOverallNext gameDiv.
    1Notre Dame2-08-0at Kinder, Fri. 10/30Sel-III
    2Welsh2-07-1at Lake Arthur, Fri. 10/30NS-IV
    3Lake Arthur2-17-1vs. Welsh, Fri. 10/30NS-IV
    4Kinder0-21-7vs. Notre Dame, Fri. 10/30NS-III
    5Basile0-32-6vs. Ville Platte, Thu. 10/29 (non-district)NS-IV

    What’s at stake

    • Friday: Notre Dame 41, Lake Arthur 21; Welsh 44, Basile 0.
    • Notre Dame at Welsh, Thu. Nov. 5: by Gridiron Gumbo math, Notre Dame wins the title outright by beating Kinder (Oct. 30) and Welsh; Welsh wins it outright by beating Lake Arthur (Oct. 30) and Notre Dame.
    • Lake Arthur (2-1) has one district game left, vs. Welsh on Oct. 30. Its only path to a share: beat Welsh, then have Welsh beat Notre Dame (with Notre Dame also beating Kinder), for a three-way tie at 3-1.

    District 3-3A

    MaxPreps standings, updated Oct. 24, 1:12 a.m. CT. Source

    #SchoolDistOverallNext gameDiv.
    1Jennings5-06-2at Winnfield, Fri. 10/30 (non-district)NS-III
    2Iowa3-14-3vs. Washington-Marion, Thu. 10/29NS-II
    3DeRidder3-15-3at St. Louis Catholic, Thu. 10/29NS-II
    4St. Louis Catholic2-23-5vs. DeRidder, Thu. 10/29Sel-III
    5South Beauregard2-34-4at Westlake, Fri. 10/30NS-III
    6Washington-Marion0-41-7at Iowa, Thu. 10/29Sel-II
    7Westlake0-41-7vs. South Beauregard, Fri. 10/30NS-III

    What’s at stake

    • Friday: Iowa 53, Westlake 22; St. Louis Catholic 42, Washington-Marion 35. Thursday: Jennings 41, South Beauregard 14. DeRidder beat Kinder 24-20 in a non-district game.
    • Jennings (5-0) has already clinched at least a share and wins the title outright by beating St. Louis Catholic on Nov. 6 (Gridiron Gumbo math, not an LHSAA announcement).
    • DeRidder vs. Iowa, Thu. Nov. 5: both are 3-1; the game likely settles second place.

    District 3-4A

    MaxPreps standings, updated Oct. 23, 10:44 p.m. CT. Source

    #SchoolDistOverallNext gameDiv.
    1Leesville3-07-1at Jena, Fri. 10/30 (non-district)NS-II
    2Lake Charles College Prep1-07-1at Rayne, Fri. 10/30 (non-district)Sel-II
    3Rayne1-13-5vs. Lake Charles College Prep, Fri. 10/30 (non-district)NS-II
    4North Vermilion0-15-3at LaGrange, Fri. 10/30NS-II
    5LaGrange0-30-8vs. North Vermilion, Fri. 10/30NS-II

    What’s at stake

    • Friday: Leesville 42, LaGrange 0; Lake Charles College Prep 42, North Vermilion 0 (MaxPreps lists it as non-district).
    • Leesville at Lake Charles College Prep, Fri. Nov. 6: the top two in the MaxPreps table. MaxPreps does not mark the game as a district game on either schedule, so the box makes no title math for 3-4A until the alignment is confirmed.

    District 3-5A

    MaxPreps standings, updated Oct. 24, 5:35 a.m. CT. Source

    #SchoolDistOverallNext gameDiv.
    1Southside4-15-3at Acadiana, Fri. 10/30NS-I
    2St. Thomas More4-16-2at Sam Houston, Fri. 10/30Sel-I
    3Barbe4-17-1at New Iberia, Fri. 10/30NS-I
    4Lafayette †2-35-3at Sulphur, Fri. 10/30Sel-I
    5Acadiana2-35-3vs. Southside, Fri. 10/30Sel-I
    6Sulphur2-35-3vs. Lafayette, Fri. 10/30NS-I
    7Sam Houston2-33-5vs. St. Thomas More, Fri. 10/30NS-I
    8New Iberia †0-51-7vs. Barbe, Fri. 10/30NS-I

    What’s at stake

    • Thursday: Acadiana 58, Sulphur 25.
    • Friday: Barbe 59, Sam Houston 29. Southside beat St. Thomas More 17-14 in a game MaxPreps lists as a district game for both teams (final reported by a St. Thomas More sideline reporter on X and listed by MaxPreps).
    • Three teams share the top at 4-1: Southside, St. Thomas More and Barbe each have two district games left. Barbe closes at New Iberia (Oct. 30) and at Southside (Nov. 6); Southside visits Acadiana (Oct. 30); St. Thomas More visits Sam Houston (Oct. 30) and hosts Sulphur (Nov. 6). We are not doing title math here because tiebreakers could decide it.

    † Record is MaxPreps’ and includes a Friday Lafayette-New Iberia result that Gridiron Gumbo has not separately confirmed.

    District 6-2A

    MaxPreps standings, updated Oct. 23, 11:09 p.m. CT. Source

    #SchoolDistOverallNext gameDiv.
    1Port Barre1-01-7at Avoyelles, Fri. 10/30NS-III
    2Avoyelles1-05-3vs. Port Barre, Fri. 10/30NS-III
    3Holy Savior Menard0-10-8at Oakdale, Fri. 10/30Sel-III
    4Oakdale0-12-6vs. Holy Savior Menard, Fri. 10/30NS-III

    What’s at stake

    • Friday: Avoyelles 42, Oakdale 40.
    • Port Barre at Avoyelles, Fri. Oct. 30: both are 1-0. By Gridiron Gumbo math, the winner takes the title outright by also winning its last district game (Avoyelles at Holy Savior Menard on Nov. 6; Port Barre vs. Oakdale on Nov. 5).

    District 5-1A

    MaxPreps standings, updated Oct. 23, 11:09 p.m. CT. Source

    #SchoolDistOverallNext gameDiv.
    1Grand Lake3-06-2vs. Lake Arthur, Thu. 11/5 (non-district)NS-IV
    2Elton1-15-3at Gueydan, Thu. 10/29 (non-district)NS-IV
    3Oberlin0-10-8at Merryville, Thu. 10/29NS-IV
    4Merryville0-24-3vs. Oberlin, Thu. 10/29NS-IV

    What’s at stake

    • Friday: Lakeside 41, Oberlin 7 (non-district).
    • Grand Lake (3-0) finished its district schedule and has clinched first place outright (Gridiron Gumbo math, from Thursday’s box). Elton vs. Oberlin, Thu. Nov. 5: an Elton win clinches second place.

    Also: Lakeside (District 4-2A). The Warriors (5-3, 1-1 per MaxPreps’ 4-2A table, updated Oct. 23, 11:33 p.m. CT) host Red River on Oct. 30 and visit Many on Nov. 6. 4-2A is a north-central district; no title math here.

    How the playoffs work: LHSAA brackets are seeded by power rating within each Select and Non-Select division, so district records are only part of the picture. Standings are unofficial until the LHSAA certifies district champions. “Gridiron Gumbo math” is our own count from MaxPreps standings and schedules, not an LHSAA announcement.

    Corrections: Gridiron Gumbo fixes errors promptly and notes changes at the bottom of the story. Spot one? Tell us.

  • Louisiana
    14 for 14: Three Southwest Louisiana Kickers Haven’t Missed a Field Goal All Season

    14 for 14: Three Southwest Louisiana Kickers Haven’t Missed a Field Goal All Season

    Subhead: Sulphur’s Ethan Stephenson, St. Louis Catholic’s Luke Caraway and Sam Houston’s Brycen Kayode are a combined 14-for-14 on field goals, including a fourth-quarter kick in a three-point win. Barbe’s Will Flavin has a 48-yarder this season, and Westlake’s Alicia Cuppens is back for a second season. KPLC reported her first extra point in 2025 was believed to be the first regular-season varsity point scored by a girl from a Calcasieu Parish school.

    By T-Rohn | Gridiron Gumbo | Oct. 23, 2026

    LHSAA Week 8 · Southwest Louisiana kickers

    REPORTED: facts per the American Press (stat leaders, box scores and game stories), KPLC and MaxPreps, and others (sources below)

    Nobody buys a ticket to watch the kicker.

    Then a game comes down to three points, and suddenly the whole stadium knows the kicker’s jersey number.

    Field goals are the only time a Southwest Louisiana crowd goes quiet on purpose. Even the concession stand stops frying.

    Southwest Louisiana has had a lot of those nights this fall. And three of the area’s kickers have something in common: when they line up for a field goal, the ball goes through.

    By the American Press stat leaders published Oct. 20, plus Thursday night’s box score from Sulphur’s game at Acadiana:

    KickerSchoolFGLongPAT
    Luke CarawaySt. Louis Catholic6-649n/a†
    Ethan StephensonSulphur5-5*4635-36*
    Brycen KayodeSam Houston3-34131-31

    *Stephenson’s numbers are through Week 7 per the AP, plus one more 46-yard field goal Thursday at Acadiana (his three extra points from that game aren’t added to the PAT column).

    †The AP’s extra-point total for Caraway hasn’t changed since Week 6, though its Oct. 16 box score credits him with two more, so we’ve left it out.

    That’s 14 field goals tried and 14 made. In high school football, where the snap can be wet, the hold can be tricky and the wind off the lake has opinions, that’s no small thing.

    Ethan Stephenson, Sulphur: points that mattered

    Ask Sulphur fans whether a field goal ever matters. They’ll tell you about September.

    In Sulphur, September gets remembered the way the rest of Louisiana remembers a snow day.

    On Sept. 17, the Golden Tors beat Pineville 45-42. The AP box score puts Stephenson’s 24-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and credits him with six extra points. Sulphur won it on a touchdown in the last two minutes, the paper reported, but in a three-point game, no three points are small ones.

    A week later, Sulphur came back from 23 points down in the fourth quarter to beat Sam Houston 55-54 on homecoming, the American Press reported. The AP box score credits Stephenson with a 36-yard field goal and four extra points that night. In a one-point game, the Tors needed every one of them.

    Folks were still replaying that one in the I-10 traffic home, and I-10 gave them plenty of time.

    He also has two 46-yarders: one at Southside on Oct. 9 and one Thursday night at Acadiana. Through Week 7, the AP had him 4-for-4 on field goals and 35-of-36 on extra points. Add Thursday’s 46-yarder, and he’s 5-for-5 by our count. MaxPreps lists him as a junior.

    Luke Caraway, St. Louis Catholic: the long one

    If you want distance, Caraway’s got it. His 49-yarder is the longest field goal on the AP’s big-school kicking table this season. He hit it on Sept. 25 against South Beauregard, which won 21-13, per the AP box score. That same night he also made a 24-yarder and kicked an extra point, so he accounted for seven of the Saints’ 13 points.

    The AP box from that game also lists Caraway at 2-of-2 passing for 25 yards. So, yes, he can throw it too.

    He added a 39-yarder at Kaplan on Oct. 2. Through Week 7, the AP has him 6-for-6 on field goals, the most makes on the area’s big-school list. MaxPreps lists him as a junior who also plays outside linebacker.

    St. Louis plays at Washington-Marion tonight. (Here’s our Week 8 preview of St. Louis Catholic at Washington-Marion.)

    With this many games in town tonight, the Lake Charles nacho-cheese supply is about to be tested.

    Brycen Kayode, Sam Houston: a sophomore who hasn’t missed a field goal

    Kayode, a sophomore according to MaxPreps, is 3-for-3 on field goals with a long of 41. That 41-yarder came on Oct. 16 in the Broncos’ 33-20 win over Acadiana. The American Press reported it was Sam Houston’s first win over the Rams after 14 straight losses since the Broncos moved up to Class 5A in 2011. (We wrote about that one here.) His other two field goals were a 24-yarder at LCCP on Sept. 18, per the AP box score, and a 32-yarder, the long listed on the AP’s Week 3 table.

    He’s also 31-for-31 on extra points, per the AP: 27-for-27 on its Week 6 table, plus four more in the Acadiana win, according to that night’s box score.

    Will Flavin, Barbe: long range

    Then there’s the big leg on the other sideline tonight.

    Barbe’s Will Flavin and Stephenson were tied for the most kicking points on the AP’s Week 7 big-school table, with 47 each. Stephenson’s field goal and three extra points Thursday put him at 53 by our count, and Flavin gets his turn tonight. Flavin is 38-of-42 on extra points and 3-of-5 on field goals, with a long of 48. He hit that 48-yarder in the third quarter of Barbe’s 59-7 win at Sulphur in a matchup of unbeatens on Oct. 2, and went 6-for-6 on extra points that night, the AP reported. A week later he knocked through a 34-yarder in a 66-17 win over Acadiana.

    He’s no stranger to long kicks. Last season Flavin kicked for St. Louis Catholic and was the American Press All-Southwest Louisiana Big Schools kicker as a junior: 20-of-21 on extra points, 13-of-19 on field goals and a long of 52. In the 2025 jamboree at Welsh, he made a 51-yard field goal. Saints coach Chris Truax told the American Press at the time that it was “his first high school kick ever.”

    Sam Houston visits Barbe tonight, so Flavin and Kayode will be kicking on the same field. (We already ran our Week 8 preview of Sam Houston at Barbe, so we’ll just say: keep an eye on the tee.)

    Alicia Cuppens, Westlake: year two

    One more name belongs in any story about Southwest Louisiana kickers.

    Last season, Westlake’s Alicia Cuppens made a third-quarter extra point in the Rams’ opener at Rosepine. KPLC reported that she was “believed to be the first female football player at Westlake High School,” and that she was also believed to be the first girl from a Calcasieu Parish school to score in a regular-season varsity game. Rams coach John Richardson knew she had played soccer and asked her to try kicking, according to KPLC and the American Press. “With the soccer style, she could do it,” Richardson told the American Press.

    “For me, it means like any girl can do whatever they want to do,” Cuppens told KPLC at the time. Richardson told the station: “They know she can help the team win and that’s what it’s all about.”

    This season, the AP’s Week 7 table lists her with eight extra points. Westlake plays at Iowa tonight. (Here’s our Week 8 preview of Westlake at Iowa.)

    The quiet position

    Kickers spend most of the night standing near the water cooler. They get maybe a handful of snaps a game. They don’t get the highlight package unless something goes wrong.

    So here’s a little credit while nothing has: 14 field goals tried, 14 made, and a whole lot of extra points piled on top. Somewhere on a practice field this week, a holder took a knee and somebody kicked another one through.

    That’s the job, cher. Do it right, and nobody notices. Unless you’re keeping count, and we are.

    Got stats, a kicker we missed or a photo of your home field’s goalposts? Send them to Gridiron Gumbo. (Please, no photos of players.) T-Rohn is keeping score.

    Sources

  • Rosepine at Vinton: Unbeatens Clash for District Title, SWLA Game of the Week

    Rosepine at Vinton: Unbeatens Clash for District Title, SWLA Game of the Week

    CONFIRMEDHeads up: Rosepine (7-0) visits Vinton (7-0) Friday, Oct. 23, in what Gator 99.5 bills as a District Championship Game. Per Gator 99.5, only three SWLA teams remain unbeaten: Rosepine, Vinton and Lake Arthur. It’s 92.9 The Lake’s SWLA Game of the Week, with the pregame show at 6:40 PM CT. Two unbeatens, one gumbo pot. Somebody’s roux gets stirred Friday.

    🎧 Listen Live: Rosepine at Vinton on 92.9 The Lake

    Source: Gator 99.5, Chaston Tavares · Listen Live: 92.9 The Lake official stream

  • Louisiana
    From 0-9 to 7-0: How Rosepine Flipped the Script

    From 0-9 to 7-0: How Rosepine Flipped the Script

    Subhead: In 2024 the Eagles started 0-9. Then came a coaching change, another 1-9 season and a new offensive coordinator with 40 years in the game. Now Rosepine is unbeaten, and Friday it returns to the field where it was shut out a year ago.

    By T-Rohn | Gridiron Gumbo | Oct. 21, 2026

    REPORTED: facts per MaxPreps, American Press, KPLC, KALB and others (sources below)

    Two years ago, a win in Rosepine was rarer than a parking spot at a crawfish boil. Now the Eagles are 7-0, and the town is relearning how to celebrate.

    Mais, it’s been a minute. Somebody check whether the victory bell still rings or if a dirt dauber moved in.

    Looking for Friday’s Rosepine at Vinton preview, with keys to the game and T-Rohn’s pick? Read it here. This story is about how Rosepine got here.

    Rock bottom: 2024

    Rosepine started the 2024 season 0-9, and coach Frank Rosegrant stepped down, the American Press reported.

    David Weldon took over for Week 10, and the Eagles beat East Beauregard 20-6 in his first game to finish 1-9. That offense averaged fewer than seven points a game. The defense gave up 36.8.

    One win, but it came in the last game. In Rosepine, that counted as momentum. Folks talked about it all offseason, mostly at the gas station.

    Year one: 2025

    Weldon’s first full season also ended 1-9, according to MaxPreps and KALB. The Eagles scored 128 points and allowed 376. One of those losses was 27-0 at Vinton on Oct. 23, 2025.

    Back-to-back 1-9 seasons. The faithful kept showing up anyway, the way you keep going back to the diner whose biscuits are only good on Tuesdays.

    Not everybody did. “You could see from the stands that not as many people would show up,” senior lineman Tug Haymon told KPLC in August.

    The hire: Donny Crier

    Then came the move that changed things. Donny Crier joined the staff as offensive coordinator, bringing 40 years of experience and a new playbook, KPLC reported in its preseason Two-A-Days series.

    Weldon, entering his second full season, said leaning on Crier “transformed a lot of our culture.”

    He also made a promise: “The new offense that we have coming, it’s going to be a different year, so mark my words, be excited for this year.”

    Senior running back Brynnum Chaney set the bar in the same story: “10-0. That’s the mindset we’ve had this year.”

    Bold talk from a program that had won two games in two years. Out here, folks answer that kind of confidence with two words: “Show me.”

    The proof: 2026

    They showed them. Here’s Rosepine’s season, per MaxPreps:

    • Sept. 4: Rosepine 48, Montgomery 20
    • Sept. 10: Rosepine 29, Grand Lake 19
    • Sept. 18: Rosepine 50, Basile 6
    • Sept. 24: Rosepine 35, Oberlin 8
    • Oct. 2: Rosepine 59, Delhi 12
    • Oct. 8: Rosepine 54, Pickering 0
    • Oct. 16: Rosepine 47, Plain Dealing 0

    That’s 322 points scored and 65 allowed. Last season it took all 10 games to score 128. This year the Eagles passed that in their fourth game.

    That’s not a turnaround, cher. That’s a pirogue going from sinking in the bathtub to winning the bass tournament.

    The last time Rosepine started at least 6-0 was 2018, when the Eagles went 10-0, according to Cajun Radio.

    The engine

    Chaney has carried much of the load. He ran for 190 yards and four touchdowns in the opener against Montgomery, KPLC reported.

    “If I had 11 Brynnums, I could put him at center and he’d be fine,” Weldon told the station. Chaney said he “could’ve had more than 200.”

    He scored all four Rosepine touchdowns in the 29-19 win at Grand Lake, according to the Cameron Parish Pilot, which called it “a heck of a game all night long.” Through LHSAA Week 6, Cajun Radio had him at 975 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns.

    The defense did its part, too. After giving up 376 points in 2025, the Eagles have allowed 65 in seven games, with back-to-back shutouts of Pickering and Plain Dealing.

    Friday: one year later

    Here’s where the calendar gets cute. Rosepine (7-0, 1-0 District 5-2A) plays at Vinton (7-0, 1-0) on Friday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m., per MaxPreps. That’s one year to the day after the 27-0 loss in Vinton.

    Calendars in Rosepine have been circled, double-circled and laminated.

    For the matchup, the district math and T-Rohn’s pick, see our full preview.

    Whatever happens Friday, the Eagles already did what they promised in August. They gave folks a reason to fill the stands again.

    Bring a seat cushion, a cooler and a solid alibi for where you were in 2024.

    Headed to Vinton Friday? Send Gridiron Gumbo your photos and final-score predictions. T-Rohn will be watching.

    Corrections: Gridiron Gumbo corrects errors promptly and notes the change at the bottom of the story. Spot one? Tell us.

    Sources

    • Gridiron Gumbo, “Two Perfect Seasons, One Field: Rosepine at Vinton Preview (Both 7-0)”: https://gridirongumbo.com/vinton-rosepine-preview-2026/ (full game preview; consistent with records, kickoff and district scenario cited here).
    • American Press, Rodrick Anderson, “Rosepine: Eagles eye turnaround under Weldon,” Aug. 31, 2025: https://americanpress.com/2025/08/31/rosepine-eagles-eye-turnaround-under-weldon/ (2024 0-9 start; Rosegrant stepped down; Weldon took over in Week 10 and beat East Beauregard 20-6; 2024 offense under 7 ppg, defense allowed 36.8 ppg).
    • MaxPreps, Rosepine 2025 schedule: https://www.maxpreps.com/la/rosepine/rosepine-eagles/football/25-26/schedule/ (1-9; 128 PF / 376 PA; L 27-0 at Vinton, Oct. 23, 2025).
    • KALB, “Inside the Huddle: Rosepine Eagles,” Aug. 21, 2026: https://www.kalb.com/2026/08/22/inside-huddle-rosepine-eagles/ (1-9 finish in 2025; 2026 is Weldon’s “second season” as head coach, meaning second full season, since he took over for the final game of 2024).
    • KPLC, “2026 Two-A-Days: Rosepine Eagles,” Aug. 18, 2026: https://www.kplctv.com/2026/08/19/2026-two-a-days-rosepine-eagles/ (Crier hired as OC with 40 years’ experience; Weldon, Chaney and Haymon quotes).
    • MaxPreps, Rosepine 2026 schedule: https://www.maxpreps.com/la/rosepine/rosepine-eagles/football/schedule/ (7-0, 1-0; all 2026 scores; 322 PF / 65 PA; at Vinton Oct. 23).
    • MaxPreps, Vinton 2026 schedule: https://www.maxpreps.com/la/vinton/vinton-lions/football/schedule/ (7-0, 1-0; 340 PF / 46 PA; vs. Rosepine Oct. 23, 7 p.m.).
    • KPLC, Ben Rickevicius, “Rosepine running back fuels Week 1 victory with four-touchdown performance,” Sept. 10, 2026: https://www.kplctv.com/2026/09/10/rosepine-running-back-fuels-week-1-victory-with-four-touchdown-performance/ (Chaney 190 yards, 4 TDs; “11 Brynnums” quote; “could’ve had more than 200”).
    • Cameron Parish Pilot, Jake McCoy, “Second half miscues cost Grand Lake,” Sept. 20, 2026: https://cameronpilot.com/second-half-miscues-cost-grand-lake/ (all four Rosepine TDs by Chaney; “a heck of a game all night long”).
    • Cajun Radio / Chaston Tavares, “SWLA High School Football Week 7 Schedule and Standings,” Oct. 13, 2026: https://cajunradio.com/ixp/149/p/swla-football-week-7-schedule-standings/ (Rosepine last 6-0+ in 2018, 10-0; Chaney 975 yds / 19 TD through Week 6).
    • American Press, “Local prep football district standings, Oct. 20”: https://americanpress.com/2026/10/20/local-prep-football-district-standings-oct-20/ (East Beauregard 2-0 in District 5-2A; Rosepine and Vinton 1-0).
  • Louisiana
    Two Perfect Seasons, One Field: Rosepine at Vinton Preview (Both 7-0)

    Two Perfect Seasons, One Field: Rosepine at Vinton Preview (Both 7-0)

    Rosepine (7-0, 1-0 District 5-2A) at Vinton (7-0, 1-0) | Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, 7 p.m. CT | Vinton High School

    By T-Rohn, Gridiron Gumbo

    Two unbeaten teams, one field, and one Friday night in Vinton. This is the biggest local game of the year so far. Here’s what you need to know before you pull up a lawn chair and fire up the boudin.

    The Basics

    • Rosepine Eagles at Vinton Lions, Friday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m. CT, at Vinton High School. It’s a District 5-2A game. (CONFIRMED: MaxPreps game page and both team schedules)
    • Both teams are 7-0 overall and 1-0 in district. (CONFIRMED: MaxPreps, checked Oct. 19)
    • Vinton has outscored opponents 340-46. Rosepine has outscored opponents 322-65. (CONFIRMED: MaxPreps game-by-game scores)

    How They Got Here

    Vinton (7-0): W 58-13 at Oberlin, W 40-12 vs. Elton, W 55-12 vs. Washington-Marion, W 47-0 at Grand Lake, W 56-6 at LaGrange, W 42-0 at Oakdale, W 42-3 at DeQuincy. (CONFIRMED: MaxPreps) Coach Tyler Lavergne’s Lions have played five of seven on the road and are 2-0 at home. (CONFIRMED: MaxPreps)

    Rosepine (7-0): W 48-20 vs. Montgomery, W 29-19 at Grand Lake, W 50-6 at Basile, W 35-8 vs. Oberlin, W 59-12 at Delhi, W 54-0 vs. Pickering, W 47-0 vs. Plain Dealing. (CONFIRMED: MaxPreps) In Coach David Weldon’s second season, the Eagles have turned around a program that went 1-9 in each of the past two seasons. (CONFIRMED: KALB, Louisiana Football Magazine, MaxPreps)

    Common opponents: Both teams beat Oberlin (Vinton 58-13, Rosepine 35-8) and Grand Lake (Vinton 47-0, Rosepine 29-19). (CONFIRMED: MaxPreps) Scores against common opponents are fun to talk about over a plate lunch. They don’t decide football games.

    Last year: Vinton won 27-0 on Oct. 23, 2025. (CONFIRMED: MaxPreps) These are different teams this season.

    Key Stats and Players to Watch

    • Vinton’s run game by committee: Michael Lange, Jaydin Smith, Traylen Carrier and Mika Roper have each run for more than 300 yards. (REPORTED)
    • Vinton’s defense has allowed 46 points in seven games, about 6.6 a game, with two shutouts. (CONFIRMED: MaxPreps scores) Linebacker Kortlin Kyle was the 2025 District 4-2A Defensive MVP. (CONFIRMED: LFCA all-district list)
    • Rosepine’s Brynnum Chaney (No. 9) ran for 975 yards and 19 touchdowns through Week 6. (REPORTED: one source, SWLA Football Week 7 / American Press. MaxPreps season stats are incomplete.)
    • Rosepine’s defense has allowed 65 points, about 9.3 a game, with two shutouts in its last two games. (CONFIRMED: MaxPreps scores)
    • MaxPreps computer rankings: Vinton No. 2 in Louisiana Division IV Non-Select; Rosepine No. 10 in Division III Non-Select. (CONFIRMED: MaxPreps, Oct. 19. These are MaxPreps’ rankings, not LHSAA power ratings.)

    What’s at Stake

    The district race: East Beauregard is 2-0 in District 5-2A. The winner Friday goes to 2-0 and pulls even with East Beauregard. The loser drops to 1-1. (CONFIRMED: KPLC, MaxPreps) Friday does not settle the title. Both teams still play East Beauregard: Rosepine hosts the Trojans on Oct. 30, and Vinton hosts them on Nov. 6. (CONFIRMED: MaxPreps schedules) Vinton also plays at Pickering on Oct. 30, and Rosepine closes at DeQuincy on Nov. 6.

    The playoffs: MaxPreps lists the two teams in different playoff divisions: Vinton in Division IV Non-Select and Rosepine in Division III Non-Select. (CONFIRMED: MaxPreps) So they aren’t fighting for the same bracket seed. A win over an unbeaten opponent should help either team’s LHSAA power rating, which sets seeding. (TAKE: we have not checked the current LHSAA power ratings or how many points this game is worth.)

    Pride: One of these two programs leaves Friday unbeaten. The other one still has a heck of a season going.

    Keys to the Game

    • For Rosepine: Win early downs and stay on schedule. Vinton’s defense has allowed under a touchdown a game, so long fields work against you.
    • For Vinton: Keep the rotation of backs fresh and win the fourth quarter with depth. Make Rosepine’s offense go the length of the field.
    • For both: Turnovers and special teams. In a game between two defenses this good, a short field can decide it.

    T-Rohn’s Pick

    (TAKE) Both of these teams earned this night, and both towns ought to be proud no matter how it ends. I lean Vinton at home, behind its depth and a defense that has given up 46 points all year. Something like Vinton 36, Rosepine 22. But if Rosepine starts fast like it has all season, throw my pick in the gumbo pot and stir.

    Gridiron Gumbo will be on the sideline in Vinton Friday night with live updates on our Friday Night Gumbo page. Bring a cooler and an appetite.

    Sources: MaxPreps (game page, Vinton and Rosepine schedules, rankings as of Oct. 19, 2026), KPLC, KALB, Louisiana Football Magazine, LFCA all-district lists, SWLA Football Week 7. Records and stats are from public sources. Coaches enter MaxPreps stats.

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    SWLA high school football previews, scores and recaps, free every Thursday. Sign up for the Gridiron Gumbo newsletter.

  • Louisiana
    High School Roundup: LSWA Polls, District Standings, Stat Leaders and Volleyball (Oct. 20)

    High School Roundup: LSWA Polls, District Standings, Stat Leaders and Volleyball (Oct. 20)

    Pull up a chair, cher — the Tuesday pot is full. Here are the latest polls, district standings, stat leaders and volleyball standings from around Southwest Louisiana, every number checked against the American Press.

    1. LSWA football polls (Oct. 19)

    • Lake Arthur (7-0) moved from No. 9 to No. 8 in Class 2A.
    • LC College Prep (6-1) moved from No. 8 to No. 6 in Class 4A.
    • St. Thomas More (6-1) is No. 6 in Class 5A, up from No. 7.
    • Leesville (6-1) is No. 10 in Class 4A.
    • Receiving votes: Barbe 20 (5A), Iowa 19 (3A), Vinton 15 (2A), Jennings 6 (3A), Welsh 6 (2A), Elton 2 (1A), Rosepine 1 (2A).

    CONFIRMED — Source: American Press

    2. Football district standings (Oct. 20)

    • St. Thomas More is 4-0 and leads District 3-5A. Barbe is 3-1 in district (6-1 overall).
    • Jennings is 4-0 and leads District 3-3A.
    • Vinton, Rosepine and Lake Arthur are all 7-0 overall.
    • Grand Lake is 2-0 in District 5-1A.

    CONFIRMED — Source: American Press

    3. Football stat leaders (Oct. 20)

    • Leesville’s Grant Braxton leads big-school rushers with 1,313 yards and 19 TDs.
    • Sam Houston’s Markeithon Simon has 1,289 rushing yards.
    • LCCP’s Dylan Vital has 1,707 passing yards and 22 TDs.
    • LCCP’s Javon Vital has 808 receiving yards.

    CONFIRMED — Source: American Press

    4. Volleyball district standings (Oct. 20)

    • Sulphur leads Division I, District 3 at 2-0 (20-10 overall).
    • Sam Houston leads Division II, District 3 at 2-0.
    • St. Louis Catholic is 3-0 in Division III, District 1, the district’s only unbeaten team; Iowa is 4-1.

    CONFIRMED — Source: American Press

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