High school football teams from all over Louisiana notched eye-catching victories that were difficult to ignore not just in their metro areas, but in a bigger-picture, statewide perspective.
This week’s “Statement Wins” discussion included a short list of about a dozen notable results, and the five that rose to the top featured programs from all over the state, spanning the length of Interstate 10 and also a prominent north-Louisiana matchup.
Fans around the state who have followed Louisiana vs. All Y’all through the years are familiar with the weekly feature during each football season to spotlight some of these notable victories that carry some big-picture storyline.
But it’s important to remind folks that the “Statement Wins” moniker does not exclusively mean the most surprising outcomes of the week. The “statement” may vary between each game, but each game included said something of note that caught our eye. Sometimes there’s a surprise element, but that’s not always the primary factor or message being sent.
1. LAKE CHARLES COLLEGE PREP 39, STERLINGTON 38
Lake Charles College Prep’s performance throughout this season has largely looked the part of its title aspirations, but no point on the résumé thus far says “contender” more loudly that gutting out a win against perennial power and back-to-back champion Sterlington. Not only did the Blazers pull out the win against one of the state’s programs with the most consistent track records for several years now, they did show in the top of hard-fought game they will have to win somewhere along their upcoming playoff path if they want to reach Caesars Superdome and potentially bring a historic trophy back home. Lake Charles College Prep now sits at No. 3 in the power ratings and is positioning itself well for home-field advantage through at least the quarterfinals, if not also the semis.
2. SAM HOUSTON 33, ACADIANA 20
Sam Houston’s big win against Southside and Acadiana’s staggering loss against Barbe had already put both of these teams on the wrong end of top “Statement Wins” in recent weeks, so hesitated some on doubling up so quickly on those heels. But the Broncos’ first-ever win against the Wreckin’ Rams is impossible to ignore with its mix of both history and — maybe for folks anywhere but Moss Bluff — surprise factor. Ending any long series drought, let alone nabbing the first-ever win, is always significant. And, as we’ve mentioned in recent weeks, the balance of power in District 3-5A has live on the east side of the Lake Charles-Lafayette district and in particular with Acadiana. In a collective sense, the Lake Charles area teams continue to send the message that they’re here to compete and win games against Acadiana and Southside they typical haven’t. And Sam Houston now boasts wins against both of those teams in the past three weeks.
3. LUTCHER 35, ST. JAMES 20
St. James has been among the best stories in the state this season with its navigation of well over a dozen major injuries to still win its first five games and continue looking the part of one of the top Division-III Non-Select contenders. Cross-river rival Lutcher had meanwhile flown relatively under-the-radar by comparison after a 2-2 start. But the Bulldogs have been battle-tested against a solid early slate overall and have now won three straight, including their two-score win against the Wildcats in the programs’ first meeting since 2021. Lutcher is now No. 4 in the Division-II Non-Select power ratings with a chance to earn a first-round bye by winning out or still a top-six seed even with a loss.
4. ST. THOMAS MORE 35, BARBE 14
Barbe had become one of the trendiest teams in the state with its explosive offense, 6-0 start and dismantling of Acadiana this past week to flip the tables on a rivalry series in which it had suffered a long drought. But St. Thomas bottled up and slowed down both the Buccaneers’ weapons and momentum with a big win to take full control of the District 3-5A race and send another strong message to the state to not sleep on the Cougars as the playoffs approach. For all the progress by the Lake Charles area teams to be more of a factor in the league than they had been, St. Thomas More, which just moved back up from Class 4A, will still lead the way. The buzz around this year’s somewhat new-look Cougars squad has felt a little lighter than usual, perhaps due less to its own shortcomings than to the focus on the deep New Orleans Catholic League this fall. But the disciplined, resilient bunch with some key future college talent now has wins against Acadiana, Catholic-Baton Rouge and Barbe under their belt.
5. WEST MONROE 49, OUACHITA PARISH 0
Both Ouachita Parish Schools rivals have ridden through some ups and downs thus far this season. And while West Monroe has handily led the series, has put together the stronger résumé thus far this season and had to be considered the favorite Friday, the manner in which the Rebels dominated the contest certainly caught some attention around the state. West Monroe reportedly only allowed a single first down all night, a remarkable defensive accomplishment, en route to its largest margin of victory in more than two calendar years and largest against the Lions in more than two decades. The Rebels now sit at No. 10 in the Division-I Non-Select power ratings and, barring a major curveball, should secure a first-round home game.
