5 Big Louisiana HS Playoff Matchups: The Massey Ratings (and Jerit's Take)

The LHSAA football playoffs are off and rolling with eight brackets’ worth of action all aiming toward the Caesars Superdome for state championships in mid-December.

A combined 160 teams are in action this weekend, with another 48 enjoying byes and joining the fray next week.

Here’s a look at five of the most intriguing first-round matchups around the state on Friday evening, with Division-I Non-Select clearly leading the way in terms of top games.

No. 21 West Monroe (5-5) at No. 12 Parkway (8-2)

Division-I Non-Select

Friday, 7 p.m., at Preston Crownover Stadum

Massey Rankings: No. 18 vs. No. 35

Last week: West Monroe lost to Ruston, 36-0. Parkway lost to Evangel Christian, 45-43.

Players to Watch: 2026 West Monroe WR Trez Davis, 2026 West Monroe QB Ryder DeJean, 2025 Parkway RB C.J. Dudley, 2025 Parkway QB Gavin Ferrington (Centenary lacrosse), 2025 Parkway LB Christian Harris, 2026 West Monroe DL Smoltz Lilly, 2025 Parkway DB Carmaro Mayo, 2026 West Monroe RB Kedrian McNeil, 2025 West Monroe RB Ranaldrick Myles, 2025 Parkway DL Devon Oliver, 2025 West Monroe WR An’Jahvion Perkins, 2025 Parkway OL Ethan Plunkett, 2026 West Monroe RB Christian Ponti, 2026 Parkway DL Korde’ Sharp.

Recent History: West Monroe beat Parkway, 38-7, in the 2004 season opener.

Massey Prediction: West Monroe (73%), 35-21.

Jerit Thoughts: Shreveport had the state’s most intriguing matchups of the week, in my opinion, on back-to-back nights with the Evangel Christian vs. Captain Shreve rematch Thursday and now West Monroe vs. Parkway on Friday. I predicted upsets in both and hit on Evangel on Thursday, but Friday will be interesting. The matchup should be among the most physical around the state this week and prove a test not only in that regard, but in their meddle and buy-in as both the Rebels and Panthers try to shake back from disappointing Week 10 performances to extend their seasons. The winner advances to face a No. 5 Mandeville without its star player after a season-ending injury, so the path could unfold in interesting fashion. But the

No. 23 Ouachita Parish (4-5) at No. 10 Destrehan (7-3)

Division-I Non-Select

Friday, 7 p.m., at Wildcat Stadium (Jerit Roser will be on the sidelines for coverage)

Massey Rankings: No. 37 vs. No. 25

Last week: Ouachita Parish beat Pineville, 49-13. Destrehan beat Thibodaux, 61-10.

Players to Watch: 2025 Destrehan DB Jayden Bailey, 2026 Ouachita Parish DL Dylan Berymon, 2026 Destrehan DL Bryce Bufkin, 2026 Ouachita Parish WR Wydell Clark Jr., 2026 Ouachita Parish ATH Montrell Conner Jr., 2027 Destrehan RB Malachi Dabney, 2026 Ouachita Parish ATH Macario Dade, 2026 Destrehan QB Jackson Fields, 2025 Destrehan LB Myd Gilbert, 2026 Destrehan WR Jabari Mack, 2026 Destrehan DL Braylon Montero, 2025 Destrehan WR/DB Johnnie Thiel IV (Louisiana Tech), 2025 Destrehan DB/ATH Jhase Thomas (LSU), 2025 Destrehan LB Semaj Walker, 2025 Destrehan RB Shane Ward, 2026 Ouachita Parish DL A.J. Washington, 2026 Destrehan WR Greg Wilfred, 2025 Destrehan WR Phillip Wright III (LSU).

Recent History: No. 5 Destrehan beat No. 28 Ouachita Parish, 35-14, in the first round of the 2020 playoffs.

Massey Prediction: Destrehan (71%), 34-22.

Jerit Thoughts: Division-I Non-Select boasts the best set of opening-round games of any bracket, including four of the five on this list. Destrehan vs. Ouachita Parish represents a clash of north vs. south with a wealth of talent headlined by the Wildcats’ skill positions and the Lions’ big defensive front. Destrehan has gotten healthy the back half of the season and also seen some younger players emerge in a notably fashion, a combination that should make the Wildcats better entering the playoffs than their No. 10 seed might suggest — capable of not only handling business Friday, but potentially piecing together a deep run.

No. 22 Walker (6-4) at No. 11 Dutchtown (9-1)

Division-I Non-Select

Friday, 7 p.m., at Dutchtown Griffin Stadium

Massey Rankings: No. 43 vs. No. 21

Last week: Walker beat East Ascension, 38-17. Dutchtown beat Live Oak, 42-13.

Players to Watch: 2025 Dutchtown QB Dylan Champagne, 2025 Dutchtown WR Andrew Fields (Northwestern State), 2025 Walker DE Donte Flowers, 2025 Dutchtown OL Christian Gautreau, 2025 Dutchtown RB Lekedrin Harvey, 2025 Walker RB Cayden Jones, 2025 Walker WR Carleiyon Joseph, 2025 Dutchtown DL Joshua Lewis, 2025 Dutchtown WR Rylan Mayeaux, 2026 Dutchtown OL England Phillips, 2025 Dutchtown DB Laithon Riley, 2026 Dutchtown WR/DB Martell Rogers, 2025 Walker DB Zyon Russ, 2025 Walker QB Troy Sylve, 2026 Walker OL Charlie Ward.

Recent History: Walker handed Dutchtown its only loss this season, 44-24, in Week 8. The Wildcats also won last year’s district game, 21-20, after the Griffins won, 27-0, in the teams’ first year together in the league in 2022.

Massey Prediction: Dutchtown (77%), 38-21.

Jerit Thoughts: The District 5-5A rivals both made their deepest-ever playoff runs in 2023, but only one can advance to the second round this year because of the draw. Walker is the only team to beat Dutchtown the past two regular seasons and will make the short trip to Ascension Parish with plenty of confidence in the matchup. The Griffins meanwhile look at their loss three weeks ago as a wake-up call that can serve them well this postseason and this rematch as a get-back opportunity against a Wildcats group that lost three of its final five games of the regular season. A few pivotal plays can swing this either way. But if Dutchtown can slow down Cayden Jones a bit — as it has every other opponent it’s faced this season — and keep Walker in the 20’s or potentially 30’s, the Griffins can get back on the right side of this series and win a playoff game of the third straight season.

No. 19 John Curtis at No. 14 Brother Martin

Division-I Select

Friday, 3:30 p.m., at Tad Gormley Stadium

Massey Rankings: No. 20 vs. No. 13

Last week: John Curtis lost to St. Augustine, 28-20. Brother Martin beat Holy Cross, 18-0.

Players to Watch: 2025 John Curtis DL Logan Barnes, 2025 John Curtis DB Trey Brown, 2025 Brother Martin DL Chase Chesser (Nicholls State), 2025 John Curtis DB Jason Curtis, 2025 John Curtis LB Hayden Delatte, 2026 Brother Martin WR Brodie DuMontier, 2025 John Curtis TE JoJo Fagin, 2025 Brother Martin RB Sidney Harris, 2025 John Curtis QB Reggie Johnson, 2026 Brother Martin WR Rex LeBlanc, 2026 John Curtis LB Lane Lecron, 2026 Brother Martin WR Rowan Lipscomb, 2025 Brother Martin DL Nathan Malek, 2027 Brother Martin WR/ATH Easton Royal, 2025 John Curtis RB Anthony Smith Jr., 2025 Brother Martin OL Caleb Smith (Nicholls State), 2025 Brother Martin DB/RB Treshoun Ware, 2025 Brother Martin LB Jadon Weber,

Recent History: John Curtis won this year’s district matchup, 17-14, and has now won four straight against Brother Martin and eight of the past 10, including the 2022 state championship game. The Crusaders won the 2020 and 2021 regular-season finales, 38-35 and 41-12, respectively.

Jerit Thoughts: John Curtis starts in simultaneously rare and familiar territory, with its lowest playoff seed since the system began resulting in a short road trip to a rematch with a district rival. The Patriots escaped the Week 7 date by a field goal, but have lost three straight since then. Brother Martin has meanwhile appeared to get healthier and build some momentum with a pair of wins to close the regular season. Beating the same team twice in a span of five weeks when the matchup is as close as these two squads is always tough. This should be another close one, and I’m going with the Crusaders to split the season series and advance.

No. 18 Westgate (7-2) at No. 15 St. Amant (7-2)

Division-I Non-Select

Friday, 7 p.m., at The Pit

Massey Rankings: No. 28 vs. No. 45

Last week: Westgate beat Comeaux, 52-16. St. Amant beat Denham Springs, 38-8.

Players to Watch: 2025 Westgate DB Khylon Antoine, 2026 St. Amant QB Cooper Babin, 2026 Westgate DB Trandin Benjamin, 2025 Westgate DL Evan Bryant (Grambling State), 2025 St. Amant DE Gavin Carpenter, 2025 Westgate RB Tavias Gordon, 2025 St. Amant DB Easton Humphrey, 2025 Westgate ATH Da’Vian Jackson (Mississippi State), 2025 St. Amant WR Timothy Johnson, 2028 Westgate DB Cayden Lancelin, 2027 St. Amant OL Ethan LeBeau, 2025 Westgate LB Dy’traevous Lively (Central Arkansas), 2025 St. Amant DB Caleb Ricks, 2025 Westgate DB Amari Simon.

Recent History: The teams haven’t met in the regular season or playoffs in at least two decades.

Massey Prediction: Westgate (55%), 30-27.

Jerit Thoughts: Westgate has won at least one playoff game each of the past six years, but this week presents a notable challenge to that streak as a team which lost multiple top players to injury midseason travels to a solid St. Amant. The Tigers open the postseason on the road for the first time since 2018 — a game which they won before losing at home the next week. But, since 2019, their postseason records have been 7-0 at home and 4-4 in true road games. All that said, this feels like a matchup where Westgate can carry some confidence and momentum with them after five straight wins, play stout defense and muster enough success behind Tavias Gordon on the ground to potentially play spoiler to the home Gators. So I’ll take that swing on another upset.