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

Louisiana’s high school regular season hits its midway mark this weekend with talented teams around the state facing a mixture of early district battles and late non-district matchups.

As part of the new On3 Massey High School Ratings and of my addition to the Bengal Tiger team, we’ll start looking each week at five top games to watch — complete with a handful of top players to watch and the predictions on the outcome.

And I’ll let y’all know which matchups I’ll be catching live (theoretically at least one of these games each week) as well as my thoughts on each of the five.

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Opelousas (2-2) at Zachary (2-1)

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

The Tigers, No. 26 in the overall Massey Ratings and No. 4 in the LSWA’s latest Class 4A poll, visit the Broncos, No. 7 in the Massey Ratings and No. 8 in the LSWA’s latest Class 5A poll, in an intriguing matchup between the 2023 Division-II Non-Select state champion and 2023 Division-I Non-Select state runner-up, respectively.

Opelousas hits the road hoping to shake back from a heartbreaking loss to Alexandria, which has been one of the top-performing Class 5A teams early this season. The Tigers led big in that game before the Trojans’ furious comeback. Zachary meanwhile enjoyed a bye after holding off Carencro, 34-33, two weeks ago.

Players to Watch: 2025 Opelousas LB/DE Corey Amos Jr. (Ole Miss), 2026 Zachary WR Kristion Brooks, 2026 Opelousas DE/LB Jamarion Daugherty, 2025 Opelousas WR Korey Fontenot, 2025 Opelousas RB D’Shaun Ford, 2025 Opelousas DL Jonathan Ford, 2025 Zachary QB Caleb Gonzales, 2025 Zachary DL Sean Hamilton, 2025 Opelousas DB Landon Hammond (Tulane), 2026 Zachary DB Zakarri Hogan, 2025 Opelousas QB/ATH Zackeus Malveaux, 2025 Opelousas DB Kyran Moore, 2026 Zachary LB Dylan Shelmire, 2026 Zachary LB Isaiah Stokes.

Recent History: The programs haven’t met in at least two decades.

Massey Prediction: Zachary (91%), 42-14.

Jerit Thoughts: Zachary hasn’t lost to a non-5A opponent since 2018 — a home game against University Lab that, coincidentally, I covered — so is understandably favored. But I don’t feel as confident or lopsided about the matchup as the Massey Prediction. The Broncos’ schedule has been solid, but not quite the gauntlet some others have faced thus far. And they lost to the best opponent they’ve faced in Acadiana, another physical, run-dominant Lafayette area team. Opelousas meanwhile showed last week its ability to match up with a top Class 5A team in the state in Alexandria. I’m not going to be surprised either way. But I think my gut is telling me Zachary, fresh off a bye, manages to slow down the Tigers’ rushing attack enough and has enough of an edge in special teams that the Broncos win — just probably not by 28 or 30.

Westgate (2-1) at St. Thomas More (1-3)

Friday, 7 p.m., at St. Thomas More

A pair of perennial powers with recent state championship history, including St. Thomas More’s back-to-back Division-II Select crowns, somewhat limp into this week’s district battle both really needing a win. The Cougars, working through clear growing pains after big roster turnover on offense, fell to 1-3 against a tough non-district slate last week with a loss to Neville. Meanwhile Westgate suffered its first loss of the season to Teurlings Catholic, but also lost two of its top playmakers in Miami commit Jaboree Antoine and versatile standout Bryant Leon Jr. to seemingly serious injuries.

St. Thomas More is still No. 16 in the state in the Massey Rankings, and Westgate isn’t far behind at No. 24. Both teams dropped four spots in the latest LSWA Class 4A poll to No. 6 and No. 8, respectively. Even with a little less luster entering the week than felt like would be the case, we give it the nod over some others with both teams still ranked so highly on both lists, plus the familiarity and need for this win.

Player to Watch: 2025 Westgate DB Khylon Antoine, 2026 Westgate DB Trandin Benjamin, 2026 St. Thomas More QB Cole Bergeron, 2025 St. Thomas More LB Nico Blanchard, 2025 St. Thomas More DB Brian Broussard Jr., 2025 Westgate DL Evan Bryant (Grambling State), 2025 St. Thomas More DB Gavin Duplechin, 2025 Westgate RB Tavias Gordon, 2025 Westgate ATH Da’Vian Jackson (Mississippi State), 2028 Westgate DB Cayden Lancelin, 2025 Westgate LB Dy’traevous Lively (Central Arkansas), 2025 St. Thomas More RB Gabe Mocek, 2025 Westgate DB Amari Simon.

Recent History: St. Thomas More has won the past two contests, 31-21 in 2023 and 42-34 in 2022, and five of the seven since the teams joined the same district in 2017.

Massey Prediction: St. Thomas More (91%), 41-14.

Jerit Thoughts: This matchup was actually the week I had initially circled to see Westgate for the first time this season — and for the second time last season — until Antoine’s injuries each time and other on-field outcomes changed up my schedule. I was leaning toward predicting a Westgate win this year before the Antoine and Leon news. And even without its top prospect, the Tigers actually played a better St. Thomas More team last season more tightly than Massey is projecting this time around, so I’m leaning toward that being the case once again. But I do now lean toward the Cougars finding a bit more balance and slowing down Gordon, Jackson and company just enough to come out on top at home in a key Louisiana matchup.

Cecilia (2-2) at Notre Dame (2-2)

Friday, 7 p.m., at Notre Dame

Another matchup that looks a little different with both teams coming off losses and because of injury, as the buzz is that dynamic Cecilia quarterback/athlete Diesel Solari is working through an ankle issue suffered last week vs. Central (Baton Rouge). But the Bulldogs, the 2023 Division-II Non-Select runners-up, still have lots of notable talent; both teams are top-10 in their respective classifications in the LSWA polls with Cecilia at No. 10 in Class 4A and Notre Dame at No. 9 in Class 2A; and the matchup boasts one of the state’s closest Massey projections of the week.

Players to Watch: 2025 Cecilia OL Ryker Airhart, 2027 Cecilia ATH Braylon Calais, 2025 Notre Dame LB Jackson Casanova, 2025 Notre Dame QB Parker Faust, 2027 Cecilia DB Franky Frank Jr., 2025 Cecilia DB/WR Brent Gordon Jr. (Ragin’ Cajuns), 2025 Notre Dame DB Eli Gros, 2026 Cecilia LB Braylon Jones, 2025 Cecilia OL Christian Menard, 2025 Notre Dame OL Landon Mouton, 2025 Notre Dame LB William Prevost, 2025 Cecilia WR/ATH Ellis Stewart.

Recent History: Cecilia has won the past two, 35-20 in 2023 and 25-24 in 2022, in what has been a slug fest between the teams the past three seasons.

Massey Prediction: Cecilia (51%), 35-34.

Jerit Thoughts: This one might be the toughest for me to read of this bunch because of how much of a difference-maker Solari is for Cecilia. I think I’ll still give the Bulldogs the edge with some of the experience other standouts such as Stewart and Calais have taking quarterback snaps at various levels and the potential for them and Gordon to make game-changing explosive plays with the ball in their hands. But a hard-hitting Notre Dame team certainly has the potential to set the tone and control some pace with its rushing attack. Which team manages the better start and gets to play from ahead could go a long way in determining this game.

Vermilion Catholic (5-0) at Riverside Academy (2-1)

Friday, 7 p.m., at Riverside Academy

Two of the top contenders in Division-IV select, the past two runners-up in that bracket, will meet this week in the top small-schools matchup of the week. And, as noted in the “recent history” section, while the teams haven’t squared off much recently, this matchup does carry a little added juice following last year’s playoffs. Both teams have been great to start the season with Vermilion Catholic undefeated, and Riverside Academy a solid 2-1 against two Class 5A opponents and one Class 2A the Rebels beat handily last week.

Players to Watch: 2025 Vermilion Catholic DB/WR Jyrin Bessard, 2025 Vermilion Catholic DL/OL Gabe Boudreaux, 2026 Riverside OL Ayden Bullock, 2025 Vermilion Catholic QB Jonathan Dartez, 2027 Riverside DL Ahmad Cage, 2028 Riverside ATH Kenric Johnson Jr., 2025 Riverside DL Martrell Henry, 2025 Riverside RB Dedric Lastie, 2025 Vermilion Catholic LB Allen McLain, 2025 Riverside WR Nehemiah Philip, 2025 Vermilion Catholic OL Jackson Trahan.

Recent History: What the teams’ history lacks in quantity, its two meetings of the past decade make up for in significance. Riverside Academy ended top-seeded Vermilion Catholic’s undefeated 2023 run in the semifinals, 34-7. The teams also met in a 2020 quarterfinal, a 33-20 win for Vermilion Catholic.

Massey Prediction: Riverside Academy (57%), 35-30.

Jerit Thoughts: Vermilion Catholic is undefeated again. And, once again, there’s Riverside Academy representing arguably the toughest test to date. Senior quarterback Jonathan Dartez has been a magician for the Eagles for four years now, racking up prolific totals with both his arm and his legs seemingly every week. But the Rebels return some key pieces from a 2023 defense that showed its ability to slow down that attack, and they bring a wealth of weapons into the matchup in their own right to pose one of the most explosive small-school offenses in the state. Lastie as the big-numbers bell-cow out of the backfield, but Riverside also boasts explosive weapons outside that can flip a game in a hurry if an opponent sells out on containing the senior running back. I’ve picked more games thus far to be closer than the Massey Predictions for the Louisiana matchup, so let’s say this one is actually a little bigger margin.

Edna Karr (3-0) at St. Augustine (3-1)

Saturday, 7 p.m., at Tad Gormley (Jerit covering)

The top high school matchup of the weekend — maybe inarguably — will almost serve Saturday night as another college game for Louisiana this week with LSU and Louisiana Tech off and Tulane and Louisiana (Lafayette) both on the road. Edna Karr crosses the river to meet St. Augustine in an early-district Catholic League showdown that features two loaded teams playing as well as anyone in the state with the only loss on either record coming in the Purple Knights’ matchup with out-of-state power Cardinal Ritter (Missouri).

The Cougars and Purple Knights have not only both been top 10 teams in the LSWA’s Class 5A polls each week, most recently at No. 2 and No. 9 in Louisiana, respectively. But they’re both nearly top-10 teams in the Massey Rankings at No. 8 and No. 11. And as if the game needed any extra electricity, let’s not forget the dynamic of top prospect Jahkeem Stewart’s recent transfer from St. Augustine to Edna Karr.

Players to Watch: 2025 Edna Karr DL Corey Adams Jr. (Ole Miss), 2026 Edna Karr DL Richard Anderson (LSU), 2025 St. Augustine OL Juelz Baptiste (Tulane), 2025 Edna Karr LB Arsenio Bolds Jr., 2026 St. Augustine QB/ATH Vashaun Coulon, 2026 St. Augustine DL Ty Dominique, 2025 Edna Karr WR TaRon Francis (LSU), 2026 Edna Karr DB Aiden Hall (LSU), 2026 St. Augustine DB Clinton Hill Jr., 2026 St. Augustine RB/ATH Keith Hill Jr., 2026 Edna Karr DB Hayward Howard Jr., 2026 Edna Karr QB John Johnson Jr., 2026 St. Augustine LB Chad Jones Jr., 2025 St. Augustine DB Frederick Lewis, 2025 Edna Karr WR Oliver Mitchell Jr. (Tulane), 2025 St. Augustine DL/LB Warren Roberts Jr. (Tulane), 2025 Edna Karr WR Daejawn Smith, 2025 St. Augustine DB Seth St. Martin, 2027 St. Augustine WR Miguel Whitley, 2026 Edna Karr DB Maurice Williams Jr., 2027 St. Augustine WR Ray’Quan Williams.

Recent History: Edna Karr has won the past two matchups, 27-16 in 2023 and 49-7 in 2022, after a 27-26 St. Augustine win in 2020 and early-season cancellation in 2021.

Massey Prediction: Edna Karr (65%), 37-28.

Jerit Thoughts: Saturday night will be a major litmus test for these two teams. This looks to be St. Augustine’s top team in several years, but Edna Karr has been one of Louisiana’s biggest bullies on the block for a decade-plus now. Even with state championships eluding the Cougars in recent years, they have still been as consistent as arguably a top-five team in the state as any program and are widely considered to be there once again in 2024 with a group they think can get back over the hump in December. The Purple Knights meanwhile are the toughest test for Edna Karr thus far this season, a team with a quarterback playing at a high level, weapons everywhere and a salty defense on the other side.

With a combined 27-1 record the past three regular seasons on top of all the other history, Edna Karr has reached the territory where you just bet on them until proven otherwise — and end up correct the vast, vast, vast majority of the time in Louisiana. The trench warfare in this matchup will be top-notch for a high school game, and I think Edna Karr’s defensive line has more of an edge on St. Augustine’s offensive line than the other way around. And I also give the Cougars the slight edges right now between two really good secondaries and two really good receiving corps.