10 things we learned in Louisiana high school football Week 9

Calvary Baptist surges late, District 9-5A eyes competitive finish: Everything you missed in Louisiana (LHSAA) football last week

Calvary verses Oak Grove Friday evening, September 6, 2024, at Calvary Baptist Academy. John Simon (31) / Henrietta Wildsmith/The Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Week 9 of the 2024 Louisiana high school football season is in the books and the postseason is approaching.

High School on SI scanned the entire Pelican State for the top storylines out of the weekend. Here are 10 things we learned

10 THINGS WE LEARNED IN LOUISIANA HIGH SCH

1. Second-half Sizzlers

In the Lafayette area, Westgate and Southside rode strong second-half performances to wins over Northside and Carencro. 

Westgate trailed the Vikings 13-6 at intermission before pouring on 36 points to win, 42-28. Trandin Benjamin intercepted two passes and ran for a touchdown. Tavias Gordon and DyTraveous Lively each ran for two scores. Gordon gained 178 yards on 18 carries to surpass the 1,000-yard rushing mark.

Westgate (6-2) has won four straight games heading into its Week 10 matchup against Comeaux (0-9). The Tigers, who lost starting quarterback Jaboree Antoine and his backup, Bryant Leon, to injury, have settled on a starting signal-caller in freshman Brock Mitchell. Leon was also the team's leading receiver.

Carencro jumped out to a 14-0 lead on Southside, which scored the final 29 points to prevail, 44-21. Five Sharks rushed for a score, led by Justin Williams (15-107, TD). Quarterback Parker Dies ran for 96 yards on 10 carries. 

It was a nice bounce-back win for coach Jess Curtis and the Sharks (6-2), who had a five-game winning streak snapped the previous week by Acadiana.

2. Cavaliers coming on strong

After losing two of three games to begin the season, Calvary Baptist won its sixth straight by downing Green Oaks, 48-8, to secure its 12th straight district title, according to Roy Lang of The Shreveport Bossier Advocate. 

The Cavaliers have been stingy on defense in their last three games, which included a 24-14 district win at reigning Division III nonselect champion Union Parish and a 21-14 win over Class 5A Huntington. 

Calvary Baptist, which was No. 3 in the Division III select power ratings as of Saturday afternoon, has losses to Class 5A Neville (9-0) and Class 4A Franklin Parish (8-1). The Cavaliers are seeking to repeat as champions in a field that currently includes unbeaten teams Dunham (No. 1), Isidore Newman (No. 2) and Bunkie, which is No. 5 in the power ratings.

3. Mays-Day 

The Central-BR defense, spearheaded by DK and KD Mays, stifled Class 5A seventh-ranked Zachary, 14-3, in a District 4-5A showdown.

Zachary (6-2, 3-1), which hadn't lost to the Wildcats since 2016, had scored at least 40 points in each of its previous three games. 

DK Mays, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound senior Univ. of Houston commit, pressured Broncos quarterback Caleb Gonzales throughout. KD Mays, a 5-11, 210-pound linebacker, sacked Gonzales on a fourth down play. Defensive back Steven Ranel also made plays at receiver, according to the Recruit Louisiana x page, which described KD Mays as "a freight train."

Central (8-1, 3-1) was No. 4 and Zachary No. 7 in the Division I nonselect power ratings ahead of a small slate of Saturday games.

4. Renaissance men

Liafayette Renaissance Charter had lofty expectations placed on its first-year varsity program with the addition of high-profile coaches such as Trev Faulk and Hunter Landry, and the Tigers haven't disappointed.

LRCA dropped to 6-2 after losing 48-34 to Notre Dame on Friday, but the Tigers fared well against one of the state's perennial small-school powers, leading 21-7 and 27-14. 

Sophomore quarterback Kennan Brown was leading the Lafayette metro area in passing through Week 8. Jaquelle Smith and JaCourey Duhon were among the top 10 receivers.

The Tigers, whose only other loss was to Lafayette Christian, collected close road wins in Weeks 7 and 8 at Division IV nonselect No 7 Welsh and Lake Arthur.  LRCA trailed Lake Arthur 21-0 at the half before rallying to win, 26-21.

LRCA has a non-district game against Class 1A 10th-ranked Ascension Episcopal (8-1) on Thursday that will be good preparation for the postseason. At No. 16 in the Division III select power ratings, the Tigers would host No. 17 Parkview Baptist (5-4) if the playoffs began today (Nov. 2).

5. Catholic League cluster 

At the top of District 9-5A, you have Edna Karr (8-0, 6-0) and Archbishop Rummel (8-1, 5-1), and then there is everyone else: Jesuit (5-4, 3-3), St. Augustine (5-4, 3-3), John Curtis Christian (4-4, 3-3), Holy Cross (3-6, 2-4) and Brother Martin (4-4, 1-4), whose only win was against Rummel ahead of Saturday's game vs. Warren Easton (3-5, 0-5).

Karr and Rummel will meet next week.

A quick glance at Catholic League scores further illustrates the league's parity. Holy Cross has had its last five games decided by an average of eight points, including a 13-7 loss to Rummel. At No. 22 in the Division I select power ratings, the Tigers would travel to No. 11 McDonogh #35 (5-3) if the playoffs began today (Nov. 2) and would be considered the favorite.

6. STM strikes again

Put St. Thomas More's early-season struggles in the rearview mirror. The Cougars, who lost three of four to begin the year, won their fifth straight with a convincing 48-34 defeat of Teurlings Catholic in the District 4-4A matchup known as the Holy War. 

STM junior quarterback Cole Bergeron was a pro at managing the game, rushing for a pair of short scores and completing 10 of 16 passes for 117 yards. Gabe Mocek and Carter Melancon combined to rush for 241 yards on 24 carries with five TDs, Receiver John Avery Barton totaled 84 yards on two touches (rush, reception), according to Kevin Foote of The Acadiana Advocate.

STM improved to 6-3, 5-0, ahead of its Week 10 matchup vs. North Vermilion (3-6, 2-3). Teurlings Catholic (8-1, 4-1) faces Northside (4-5, 2-3). It was STM's ninth straight win over the Rebels.

7. The Viking Way

Airline stayed unbeaten with a 35-21 win over C.E. Byrd that should have answered questions about the Vikings' defense. 

Airline (9-0, 7-0 in District 1-5A), shut out the Yellow Jackets while building a 21-0 lead, according to Brian McCallum of The Shreveport Bossier Advocate. Byrd (7-2, 5-2) had posted at least 31 points in six games. 

The Vikings have given up 42-or-more points in four games in high-scoring 1-5A, including a 69-68 win over Captain Shreve. 

8. Victory dances with Wolves

St. Paul's handed Mandeville its first loss of the season Friday.

Drew Talley kicked a field goal to lift the Wolves to the 30-28 win on the game's final play, according to Mike Gegenheimer of The New Orleans Advocate. 

Quarterback Brennan Keim rushed for two TDs and passed for 341 yards on 11 completions with a TD for St. Paul's (7-2, 3-2 in District 5-5A), which can win its second straight league title by defeating Covington (8-1, 2-1) on the road in Week 10.

Mandeville (8-1, 3-1) was playing its first game without Duke running back commit Nate Sheppard (season-ending injury). Isaiah Baham had his second straight huge rushing performance, carrying 34 times for 266 yards and two TD.

9. Haven sent 

Class 2A third-ranked Dunham stayed unbeaten with a hard-fought 18-0 district win over No. 7 Episcopal as sophomore quarterback Elijah Haven rushed for three scores. 

It was the Tigers' third straight district title, according to Will Weathers of The Baton Rouge Advocate. Dunham (9-0, 4-0 District 8-2A) pushed its regular season winning streak to 14 games. If the playoffs began today, Dunham would be the top seed in Division III select. Episcopal (7-2, 4-1) would be No. 4. 

10. Eagles flying high

Archbishop Shaw holds the No. 1 power rating in Division II by a country mile over University Lab, which was surprised by Madison Prep in Week 9. 

The Eagles (7-2), who were ranked No. 6 in last week's LSWA Class 4A poll, drubbed Kenner Discovery 79-0 in Week 8 and Belle Chasse 54-7 in Week 9 and have won six straight games with losses to only Class 5A frontrunners Edna Karr and Archbishop Rummel. 

With Teurlings Catholic, St. Thomas More and Lafayette Christian - all of which reached the 2023 semifinals - gone from Division II select, the bracket will be up for grabs. Shaw lost to STM in last year's semis.

In addition to Shaw and U-High (7-2), Madison Prep (6-3) is No. 5. Haynes Academy, a relatively new program in the New Orleans metro area, is 9-0 and No. 3. 

No. 4 Vandebilt Catholic (8-1) with Jaylon Coleman, No. 6 E.D. White (7-2) and No. 7 Leesville (7-2) all feature strong rushing attacks. Leesville's Xavier Ford was leading the state in rushing through Week 8. 

Shaw faces St. Charles Catholic in Week 10 for the District 9-4A title. The Comets hold the No. 10 power rating in Division II select despite a 3-5 record and have won two straight games.

-- Mike Coppage | @sblivela