Predicting Day 2 of the Louisiana High School Football State Championships

The Superdome Classics continue with three state champions games in New Orleans

Cecilia and Franklinton will meet in the nightcap of Friday's Louisiana state championship triple-header at the Superdome in the Division II Nonselect title game. / SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Here are our predictions for Day 2 of the Superdome Prep Classic

Division II Select 

Friday, December 13, 12 P.M.

No. 1 Archbishop Shaw (11-2) vs. No. 3 E.D. White (11-2)

E.D. White's run-oriented offense has benefited from the passing of quarterback Grant Barbera (15 TDs), who orchestrated a lengthy fourth quarter drive in a come-from-behind win over rival Vandebilt Catholic in the quarterfinals. 

Barbera tossed the game-winning touchdown pass in the quarterfinals. The Cardinals didn't need late heroics in the semifinals, a 41-13 rout of No. 7 Leesville. Junior running back Carter Douglas ran for over 100 yards, and the defense held Leesville tailback Xavier Ford under 50 yards in the first half. 

Shaw has come through in the clutch in consecutive weeks, stopping No. 8-seeded John F. Kennedy and No. 5 Madison Prep at the goal-line in one-score games. 

Quarterback Mason Wilson keeps defenses from focusing too much attention on senior tailback Jasper Parker (6-1, 200), who has rushed for nearly 1,800 yards with 21 TDs. Receiver Jacob Washington (6-3, 180) is listed as a four-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings. Washington and Parker are both headed to the Univ. of Michigan for college. 

PICK: Archbishop Shaw 

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Division III Select 

Fri, Dec. 13, 3:30 P.M.

No. 1 Dunham (13-0) vs. No. 7 Catholic-New Iberia (12-1)

Catholic New Iberia is coming off back-to-back wins in opposite corners of the state. The Panthers shutout No. 2 Newman in the quarterfinals in New Orleans and defeated No. 3 Calvary Baptist last week in Shreveport, 33-31, on a last-second field goal by Bennett Boudreaux.

Boudreaux's onside kick was recovered by Chris Green with Catholic trailing 31-30 with less than two minutes remaining. 

Green, a 6-foot-1,175-pound senior strong safety, is part of a talented secondary that includes Karon Eugene, Layton Mitchell and Tristan Lewis, who is averaging eight yards per carry with 10 TDs at RB. 

The four DBs have combined for 15 interceptions. Linebacker Izaac Andre, who had a huge semifinal game, has three picks. Xander LaBauve (five sacks) and Jack Romero (4.5) are aggressive pass rushers. LB JD Hidalgo has a team-high 130 stops and four sacks.

The Panthers have recorded more than 80 tackles for loss with 23 interceptions. 

Offensively, quarterback Luke Landry has thrown for 37 touchdowns and three interceptions. The senior was picked off only once during the regular season. Jaiden Mitchell, Gavin Roy and Joseph LeBlanc are the top targets. LeBlanc, a tight end, has been a consistent mismatch for opponents. 

Owen Morris and Lewis have combined for nearly 1,100 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns.

Dunham counters with the top player in the nation in 2027 quarterback Elijah Haven, a 6-foot-5, 210-pounder who accounted for nearly 500 yards in last week's 46-22 win over previously undefeated No. 5 Bunkie.

Haven is the leading ballcarrier for the Tigers. Trevor Hamen and 6-foot-5 junior Jarvis Washington are receivers to watch, along with Eason Jarreau. 

Richard Montgomery had one of the Tigers' three interceptions last week. Andrew Barwell kicked a field goal.

The Panthers knocked off an undefeated Dunham team led by five-star Derek Stingley in the 2018 quarterfinals during the tenure of coach Brent Indest (now at Lakeshore HS). 

Will history repeat itself?

PICK: Catholic New Iberia 

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Division II Nonselect 

Friday, Dec. 13, 7:00 P.M.

No. 1 Franklinton (12-1) vs. No. 18 Cecilia (11-3)

The power ratings are deceptive when it comes to Cecilia and quarterback Diesel Solari, who made it back to the Dome after finishing as runner-up to district foe Opelousas in 2023.

The Bulldogs were without Solari for part of the regular season after he injured an ankle early in a loss at Central-BR, which is 12-1 and will play for the Division I nonselect state title on Saturday. 

Senior Ellis Stewart played QB with Solari out and has continued to take snaps here and there under center. Stewart, UL Ragin' Cajuns' safety signee Brent Gordon and four-star 2027 prospect Braylon Calais are all versatile. Solari and the offensive skill players alternate on a defense led by Gordon (five interceptions).

Calais, who is projected as a receiver in college, has rushed for over 1,000 yards. He's also a dangerous receiver with great size in the 6-foot-2, 195-pound range. 

Franklinton has shown a penchant for winning close games. The Demons have collected eight single digit wins behind an offense that has amassed over 5,000 yards. 

Quarterback Jacob Crain has thrown for nearly 2,300 yards and 24 TDs with four INT. DaMikies McClain, Connor Magee and tailback Sy Austin have combined for over 100 catches and 1,800 yards with 18 TDs. The Demons' five top receivers are averaging more than 16 yards per catch.

Austin has run for just under 2,000 yards on 301 yards with 29 TDs. 

PICK: Cecilia - Solari has been unstoppable in the postseason, rushing for over 450 yards with eight TDs and passing for over 700 with 10 scores and no interceptions. The 5-foot-8, 175-pounder may not have blazing speed, but he is difficult to tackle with surprising strength. 

The Bulldogs love to run trick plays. Our crystal ball says...Solari fakes a handoff to Calais and pitches the ball on a reverse to Stewart, who finds junior Jermaine Davis for the winning score and Cecilia's first state title since it beat Edna Karr for the Class 3A crown in 1995.

Friday's slate of LHSAA state championship games features a trio of top seeds - Archbishop Shaw, Dunham and Frankllinton - seeking to topple underdogs E.D. White, Catholic New Iberia, and Cecilia, a No. 18 seed that hasn't played a home game since the regular season.