Louisiana’s high school football season provided another nice slate of pre-district matchups in Week 2 loaded with memorable outcomes and performances.
The second straight weekend to begin the season provided some real no-brainers in the “Statement Wins” conversation, as well as some tough calls for the final couple spots in the top five because of several worthy candidates in the discussion.
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 often important to remind folks that the “Statement Wins” moniker does not 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.
In any event, here are the five that topped the list this weekend.
1. JENA 34, STERLINGTON 28
Anytime a program gets an opportunity to beat the foe that ended its previous season carries some statement to it. Jena got the opportunity to do so Friday despite Sterlington moving up in division this year. And, notably to the teams’ history, last season’s lopsided title game ended marked the second straight year in which the Panthers’ ended the Giants’ deepest-ever playoff run. Coach Jay Roark’s team his the road to Dell Ashley Field, where it had fallen in the 2024 semifinals, and navigated that adversity and the backs and forths of a fitting slugfest and managed to pull out the victory late. Jena has been continued by many to be the favorite in Division-III Non-Select this year. That’s a conversation Roark don’t want to have just yet as their team continues to develop, but the Giants have put together a strong early résumé for that case with wins against Mangham and Sterlington.
2. MADISON PREP 38, UNIVERSITY LAB 21
Madison Prep doesn’t generally receive the same level of statewide buzz as its nearby rivals on LSU’s campus and certainly hadn’t this year with the headline names of sons of Tigers coaches and other talented student-athletes moving into town and joining the Cubs. But the Chargers have battled U-High as well as anyone through recent years, including three meetings the past two years boasted a dead-even scoring margin. Still, the Cubs have won more games in the series, including both in 2025, and had been the one with more of the lopsided victories under their belts. Madison Prep beat up its now-former district rival Thursday, though, on its way to its second-biggest victory in the series. And, even now moved up into Class 4A and Division-II Select, the Chargers continue to make early-season cases to those around the state paying attention that they are a contender to be kept squarely on the radar.
3. WESTGATE 42, SOUTHSIDE 33
Coach Ryan Antoine admitted Thursday’s short road trip up to Youngsville was a game his players had had circled on their calendars since a 35-20 home loss last season in the nearby programs’ first meeting. Both programs have been considered among the top few contenders in their respective playoff divisions, and the Tigers heading up to the Sharks’ place and snatching a victory was a marquee win early in their schedule that showed some of their potential. Also notably for Westgate, the journey to that end result was one from which the players can take a lot of lessons and confidence after the way they battled adversity, stayed their course and overcame a deficit to get the job done. The Tigers showed no quit, kept applying pressure and won the fourth quarter on the road against a good opponent — an experience that should serve them come playoff time.
4. CATHOLIC-BR 58, DUNHAM 8
Catholic-Baton Rouge bounced back — emphatically — from a tough opener against Georgia powerhouse Carrollton and reminded everyone which team tops the pecking order in capital city. There’s no surprise to the Bears beating any Class 2A opponent, even defending Division-III Select champion Dunham. But the way they so, in 50-point blowout, was enough to force fans, media and coaches around not only the city, but the state, to take notice — particularly on the heels of the Tigers’ 55-15 rout of another Class 5A opponent, Parkway, to open the season. Dunham has come a long way as a program during the past decade and is among the top contenders at its level again to potentially repeat for the first time in school history. But, with a jamboree shutout of U-High already on their résumé, the Bears made another strong statement in any debate over the kings of the Baton Rouge jungle.
5. EAST FELICIANA 30, ST. HELENA 2
This rural, small-schools showdown might not have garnered as much fanfare and headline around the state, but the outcome should not be overlooked. There’s some confidence around East Feliciana that this year’s team has a chance to make some noise in the Division-IV championship race, and the Tigers are receiving some votes in early-season polls, but outside the top 10 through two weeks. The complete script-flip to a 30-2 defeat of a respectable St. Helena program after dropping the meetings the past two years, 36-7 and 14-0, seemed to catch the attention of some peer programs’ coaches and fans — and rightfully so.
