An all-Catholic League matchup highlights first round of select football playoff pairings

The first round of the LHSAA Division I select playoffs will have an all-Catholic League matchup.

No. 14 Brother Martin (6-4) and No. 19 John Curtis (4-5) will open the Division I select playoffs in a rematch from when Curtis won 17-14 in Week 7 at the Shrine on Airline. 

Curtis has a four-game win streak against Brother Martin that includes a state-title victory at the Caesars Superdome in 2022. The winner this week will travel to face No. 3 Acadiana (9-1).

Among other 9-5A schools, No. 1 Edna Karr (9-0) and No. 5 Rummel (8-2) each have a bye into the second round of the playoffs, where Karr will face the Hammond/Huntington winner and Rummel will face the McDonogh 35/Riverdale winner.

Rummel could also face familiar playoff opponent Catholic-Baton Rouge in the quarterfinals. The schools have met five times in the past six seasons with Rummel winning once in the 2019 state final. Catholic won 28-16 in a semifinal last season. The reigning state champion Bears are a No. 4 seed this season.

Other 9-5A matchups in the first round have No. 9 St. Augustine (6-4) hosting No. 24 Carencro (4-6) and No. 11 Jesuit (6-4) hosing No. 22 Lafayette (5-5).

Holy Cross and Warren Easton did not qualify for the playoffs.

U-High in the field

The two top seeds in Division II select are No. 1 Shaw and No. 2 University High of Baton Rouge.

The placement of U-High in the field came after the LHSAA posted to its website Sunday that U-High would be credited with an 8-2 record.

U-High sued the LHSAA last week over the forfeiture of seven wins due to a player-eligibility ruling, but the LHSAA put those wins back on U-High’s record after a temporary restraining order issued Friday, the website said.

A possible quarterfinal opponent for Shaw is No. 8 Kennedy, which has a 9-1 on-the-field record but had to forfeit three wins against Class 5A schools after a player-eligibility ruling in October.

Without those forfeits, Kennedy would have a power rating of 13.99, which would put it at No. 2 ahead of U-High, making Shaw-Kennedy a de facto 1-vs.-2 matchup that would otherwise occur only in the Caesars Superdome.

Extra points

• Other local schools to have a bye into the second round are No. 7 St. Paul’s (8-2) in Division I select, No. 4 Haynes (9-0) in Division II select, No. 2 Newman (8-0) in Division III select and No. 7 Riverside (7-2) in Division IV select.

• Newman and No. 3 Calvary Baptist (8-2) are on the same side of the bracket and could meet in a semifinal rematch from when Newman lost on the road last season. De La Salle (5-5), at No. 14, also could face Calvary in the second round. De La Salle will open against No. 19 Fisher (6-4).

• Other all-local matchups include No. 20 Bonnabel (5-5) against No. 13 East Jefferson (7-3) in Division I select, and No. 19 Livingston Collegiate (5-5) against No. 14 Frederick A. Douglass (6-2) in Division II select.