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

The penultimate weekend of Louisiana’s high school football regular season features five top-20 matchups according to the Massey Ratings.

The Friday slate, which also includes a half-dozen other top-50 matchups, is the most loaded with high-profile matchups of any week since we’ve launched this feature highlighting several of the state’s top games to watch.

Here’s a look at those five top-20 matchups, which headline — but should just be the tip of the iceberg of — a memorable Week 9 of fierce rivalries and district-deciding battles.

Teurlings Catholic (8-0, 4-0) at St. Thomas More (5-3, 4-0)

Friday, 7 p.m., at STM’s Cougar Stadium

Rankings: Teurlings Catholic (No. 10 overall Massey, No. 1 LSWA Class 4A, No. 1 Division-I Select power ratings); St. Thomas More (No. 8 overall Massey, No. 4 LSWA Class 4A, No. 8 Division-I Select power ratings)

Last week: Teurlings Catholic beat East Ascension, 28-14, on the road. St. Thomas More beat Rayne, 61-0, at home.

Players to Watch: 2026 St. Thomas More QB Cole Bergeron, 2025 St. Thomas More LB Nico Blanchard, 2025 St. Thomas More DB Brian Broussard Jr., 2026 Teurlings Catholic WR Nick Celestine, 2025 Teurlings Catholic DB Kaleb Daniels, 2025 St. Thomas More DB Gavin Duplechin, 2025 St. Thomas More RB Gabe Mocek, 2026 Teurlings Catholic QB Alex Munoz, 2026 Teurlings Catholic OL Drake Perry, 2025 Teurlings Catholic OL Gresham Perry (Tulane), 2025 Teurlings Catholic RB Doug E. Viltz.

Recent History: St. Thomas More has won the past nine meetings, including eight straight regular-season games and a 2025 Division-II Select semifinal. But the past three games have been decided by six points or fewer, including last year’s 35-34 comeback. Teurlings Catholic won the 2014 and 2015 meetings.

Massey Prediction: St. Thomas More (90%), 38-14.

Jerit Thoughts: Teurlings Catholic has mounted a somewhat underdog rise thus far to the top of the District 4-4A standings and Class 4A rankings behind its physical play up front, stingy defense and efficient offense. But this week will mark the Rebels’ biggest challenge to date as they try to flip the recent script on their heated rival St. Thomas More who has had their number for nearly a decade now. Teurlings Catholic has been knocking hard at that door in recent years, and this has been a down season thus far for the Cougars by their standards. But my gut’s telling me St. Thomas More has finally found its passing game and has enough balance to go with a stout defense to scratch out a 10th straight win in the series and further mix up the chaotic 4A picture.

Edna Karr (7-0, 5-0) at John Curtis (4-3, 3-2)

Friday, 7 p.m., at Morris F.X. Jeff Stadium

Rankings: Edna Karr (No. 1 overall Massey, No. 1 LSWA Class 5A, No. 1 Division-I Select power ratings); John Curtis (No. 16 overall ratings, 14th-most votes LSWA Class 5A, No. 15 Division-I Select power ratings).

Last week: Edna Karr beat Warren Easton, 62-16, at home. John Curtis lost to Jesuit, 17-10, at home.

Players to Watch: 2025 Edna Karr DL Corey Adams Jr. (Ole Miss), 2026 Edna Karr DL Richard Anderson (LSU), 2025 John Curtis DL Logan Barnes, 2025 Edna Karr LB Arsenio Bolds Jr., 2025 Edna Karr DB/LB Tyrik Brigalia, 2025 John Curtis DB Trey Brown, 2025 John Curtis DB Jason Curtis, 2025 John Curtis LB Hayden Delatte, 2025 John Curtis TE JoJo Fagin, 2025 Edna Karr WR TaRon Francis (LSU), 2026 Edna Karr DB Aiden Hall (LSU), 2026 Edna Karr DB Hayward Howard Jr., 2026 Edna Karr QB John Johnson Jr., 2025 John Curtis QB Reggie Johnson, 2026 John Curtis LB Lane Lecron, 2025 Edna Karr WR Oliver Mitchell Jr. (Tulane), 2025 Edna Karr RB Bryant Sanchez, 2026 Edna Karr DB Torrence Sanders, 2025 John Curtis RB Anthony Smith Jr., 2025 Edna Karr WR Daejawn Smith, 2026 Edna Karr DB Maurice Williams Jr.

Recent History: John Curtis capped the 2023 regular season with an emphatic 41-7 rout of Edna Karr to end a three-game skid in the series. The teams have met each of the past five years with the Cougars claiming three of the five.

Massey Prediction: Edna Karr (79%), 30-14.

Jerit Thoughts: The Patriots should boast one of the best defenses, if not the best, that Edna Karr has faced all season, so I don’t expect the Cougars to roll off to another another 30- or 40-points blowout win. But Johnson and his bevy of weapons should be able to break loose for a few scores, and I don’t expect John Curtis to have the firepower this season to match against a stout Karr defense in its own right. The Cougars look to be the clear top squad in an otherwise muddled Catholic League and could prove so with a win by a couple scores this week.

West Monroe (5-3, 2-1) at Neville (8-0, 3-0)

Friday, 7 p.m., at Bill Ruple Stadium

Rankings: West Monroe (No. 15 overall Massey, 15th-most votes LSWA Class 5A, No. 15 Division-I Non-Select power ratings); Neville (No. 3 overall Massey, No. 2 LSWA Class 5A, No. 1 Division-I Non-Select power ratings).

Last week: West Monroe beat Pineville, 41-13, at home. Neville beat Ouachita Parish, 41-14.

Players to Watch: 2026 Neville S Julian Burns, 2025 Neville TE Thomas Campbell (Nicholls State), 2026 West Monroe WR Trez Davis, 2026 West Monroe QB Ryder DeJean, 2026 Neville DL Jordan Fobbs-White, 2025 Neville DB Robert Graves, 2026 West Monroe DL Smoltz Lilly, 2026 West Monroe RB Kedrian McNeil, 2025 West Monroe RB Ranaldrick Myles, 2025 Neville RB Jaylon Nichols, 2025 West Monroe WR An’Jahvion Perkins, 2025 Neville DL Anzelon Perkins, 2026 West Monroe RB Christian Ponti, 2026 Neville DB Jayden Reed, 2025 Neville CB Cameron Riley (Ragin’ Cajuns), 2027 Neville QB Parker Robinson, 2025 Neville WR Kaleb Vaughn, 2025 Neville DL Brody Whatley (TCU), 2026 Neville WR Ze’land Young.

Recent History: The teams will meet in the regular season for the first time since Neville’s 28-7 non-district win in 2021. West Monroe won meetings the four regular seasons prior. The teams have also met more recently in scrimmage and jamboree capacities.

Massey Prediction: Neville (67%), 35-26.

Jerit Thoughts: West Monroe feels to have been somewhat maligned this season with its three losses already, matching 2021 for the program’s most regular-season losses over the past two-plus decades. The Rebels still feel like one of the top 15-20 teams in the state, though — particularly dangerous when they can play from ahead — and have typically had an edge on their cross-river rival more often than not in more recent years. But Neville has a strong case right now for No. 1, particularly with the continued emergence of Robinson and the passing game. The history here should help prevent the Tigers from looking ahead to Alexandria in Week 10 and take care of business.

Archbishop Rummel (7-1, 4-1) at Jesuit (5-3, 3-2)

Friday, 7 p.m., at the Shrine on Airline

Rankings: Archbishop Rummel (No. 7 overall Massey, No. 8 LSWA Class 5A, No. 6 Division-I Select power ratings); Jesuit (No. 11 overall Massey, 12th-most votes LSWA Class 5A, No. 9 Division-I Select power ratings).

Last week: Rummel beat Holy Cross, 13-7, at home. Jesuit beat John Curtis, 17-10, at the Shrine.

Players to Watch: 2027 Rummel WR Jaylan Ash, 2025 Rummel DT Fred Banks Jr., 2025 Jesuit DL Will Berry, 2025 Rummel QB Generald Buggage, 2027 Jesuit WR Ja’ir Burks, 2025 Jesuit DL Griffin Ellis, 2025 Rummel DB Lennis Finister Jr., 2027 Jesuit DL Zyron Forstall, 2025 Rummel DB Lester Johnson, 2025 Rummel WR Kendrick Joseph, 2025 Rummel OL Ja’Mard Jones (Nicholls State), 2026 Jesuit WR Roman Larre, 2026 Jesuit QB Taylor Norton, 2026 Jesuit RB Gavin Palmisano, 2025 Rummel RB Norman Taylor.

Recent History: Jesuit has actually had Rummel’s number the past three seasons, including a 13-10 win in 2023, after the Raiders’ run of eight straight wins in the series, including a couple playoff games.

Massey Prediction: Rummel (71%), 21-14.

Jerit Thoughts: The 2024 Catholic League, where you should always take the under and except a one-score margin. Rummel and Jesuit have won a combined nine games this season by eight or fewer points, including three each in district play. Since starting to get healthy as the season has progressed, the Raiders have looked as consistent as anyone in the league with three straight wins. Meanwhile a young, but hard-nosed and efficient Jesuit has developed into somewhere along the lines of the surprise or the dark horse with its wins against St. Augustine and John Curtis in the past three weeks. I feel like I’ve gotten into the habit of telling y’all my toughest game to predict each week, and this is certainly it for Week 9. But I’ll give the edge to Rummel and its senior backfield in a game likely to pivot on a single miscue or highlight.

Zachary (6-1, 3-0) at Central-BR (7-1, 2-1)

Friday, 7 p.m., at Central High Football Stadium

Rankings: Zachary (No. 9 overall Massey, No. 7 LSWA Class 5A, No. 7 Division-I Non-Select power ratings); Central (No. 13 overall Massey, 11th-most votes LSWA Class 5A, No. 4 Division-I Non-Select power ratings).

Last week: Zachary beat Woodlawn (Baton Rouge), 45-21, at home. Central beat Liberty Magnet, 35-20, at home.

Players to Watch: 2026 Zachary WR Kristion Brooks, 2025 Central QB Jackson Firmin (Nicholls State), 2025 Zachary QB Caleb Gonzales, 2025 Zachary DL Sean Hamilton, 2026 Central OL Graham Harris, 2026 Zachary DB Zakarri Hogan, 2027 Central S/RB Marvin Joseph, 2025 Central DL DK Mays (Houston), 2025 Central LB KD Mays, 2025 Central DB Steven Ranel, 2025 Zachary RB DaVekio Ruffin, 2026 Zachary LB Dylan Shelmire, 2026 Central DL Scott Smith Jr., 2026 Zachary LB Isaiah Stokes, 2025 Central WR Kylen Thomas, 2026 Central WR Keithon Womack, 2025 Central K/P Nathan Zimmer.

Recent History: Zachary has won the past six in the series, with last season’s 35-28 victory the closest margin in that span. Central’s most recent win came by a 20-19 final in 2016.

Massey Prediction: Zachary (75%), 35-21.

Jerit Thoughts: The hierarchy of the new(ish) District 4-5A has looked in its early years to be Catholic-BR and Zachary battling for titles and everyone else battling for third place. But Central has arisen since David Simoneaux’s hire last year as the clear challenger to mix up that narrative and pecking order. The Wildcats are 0-3 so far against the Bears and Broncos in the span, but feel like just a matter of time before they break through. I’ve got to give Zachary the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise, though. Even in a relative rebuilding year, they’re the deeper team, which could prove important in what should be a tight, hard-fought contest.