Louisiana vs. All Y’all’s biggest “Statement Wins” don’t always come in the most marquee matchups, given the wide range of factors weighted into each list.
But the stars certainly aligned in major ways this week with three of our top seven or eight games to watch in Week 6 providing results that packed some message-sending punch.
Series droughts were swung around in significant ways, get-backs and rebounds were achieved and teams that had been relatively underrated to varying degrees made themselves impossible to ignore.
As always, more than five games caught our attention and garnered some discussion, but here’s why these five earned top billing.
1. BARBE 66, ACADIANA 17
Let’s be honest. All the other games were competing for second place this week. The Buccaneers’ dominant victory was a perfect storm both in terms of how they accomplished it and its layers of magnitude. They came out firing on all cylinders on both sides of the ball and never let up, pounced on every Acadiana miscue and fortuitous bounce available and only continued to gain momentum. Barbe took out more than a decade of frustration on the Wreckin’ Rams, who had owned the series and district for years, and handed them one of the most lopsided losses in program history.
More importantly than what the win means in a historical context is what it could signify right now. In a year in which “Who will realistically compete with Ruston in Division-I Non-Select?” has been a big discussion, the Buccaneers now look like the prime contender atop that list of challengers and have the opportunity to potentially secure home-field advantage all the way through the bracket. Acadiana will flush the embarrassing night, regroup and know that both the likelihood as much goes that wrong for it again in one game is unlikely and that a couple of its best players are still due to return from injury in the weeks ahead. And, honestly, if the Wreckin’ Rams rebound the way they very well might, Barbe’s win may only continue to look more impressive.
2. NORTHSHORE 7, ST. PAUL’S 3
The Panthers’ win Friday afternoon in the north shore’s marquee matchup of the week didn’t have the same eye-popping score as the aforementioned Barbe-Acadiana game, but much of the rest of the recipe of messages sent was there. Northshore snapped a 17-game losing streak to St. Paul’s with its lights-out, swarming defense and a game-changing explosive catch-and-run. Northshore is now 6-0 for the first time in program history — this year’s team already carving that notable legacy in the record books and looking for more. And the Panthers, with an average margin of victory of 8.7 points, continue to show the discipline and confidence to win tight games with their third single-score win in the past four weeks, this one against the program typically most known in the teams’ area for pulling out those types of contests.
3. ALEXANDRIA 44, WEST MONROE 7
Alexandria had finally gotten on the right side a couple times — a 2020 semifinal and 2024 district game— of a series that West Monroe has historically owned. But the Rebels rallied late at home last seasons to mark a 12th win in the14 meetings since joining the same district and stun the Trojans with their first loss of the season. This past week was certainly a game circled on a lot of purple-and-gold calendars in Rapides Parish this season, and the Trojans played like it Friday, flying around and controlling the contest from start to finish en route to five-score rout of the Rebels. A few years ago, an Alexandria win against West Monroe at all was statement in its own right. Those times have certainly changed, but the get-back from last year’s disappointing finish and the dominant fashion make this one particularly stand out.
4. ST. MICHAEL 28, PLAQUEMINE 27
St. Michael entered this season largely under the radar from a statewide perspective despite some notable progress with its first two playoff wins in program history the past three years and some good talent returning. Plaquemine meanwhile appeared to potentially be one of the top handful or so of Class 4A teams and Division-II Non-Select contenders and then opened the season with an eye-catching win against Zachary. The past two years in the series, the Warriors had fallen by 32- and 33-point margins. But not this season and not this Friday night. St. Michael built leads and had just enough late to hold off the Green Devils as their final field goal came up short. The win may have come by a razor-thin margin, but should garner some well-deserved respect. And the Warriors remain undefeated in district play and well-positioned in the Division-II Select power ratings to compete for a possible first-round bye.
5. SOUTHSIDE 77, SULPHUR 39
The start to this season has been more inconsistent than anticipated for Southside, most recently and particularly including its Week 5 loss to Sam Houston. But, man, did the Sharks bounce back in a major way Friday with a new school record for most points in a game and the second-most points scored in a game this season by any team this season. Obviously, little can be taken for granted from one week to the next, and Southside still has arguably its three, if not four, toughest district opponents still remaining. The performance was a huge show of continued confidence and fight on which the Sharks can potentially build moving forward. And the win puts them in a favorable position to reach the playoffs with some opportunity for big upward trajectory in the seeding if they can finish .500 or better.
