The Louisiana Sports Writers Association released its preseason statewide football polls Monday.
Suffice it to say, Louisiana high school football season is officially here, and so are all the heated debates that come with it.
Rankings are always a challenge and an inexact science — particularly in the preseason, which is entirely projection before any résumé-building has even begun.
Take the polls for what they are as a talking point or a starting point.
And, with all that being said, here are some notes and takeaways to the first polls of the new football season.
WIDE-OPEN SEASON AHEAD
This season feels even more evenly matched and open in most classes and divisions than usual. And the polls reflect that. Eighteen different teams received first-place votes in the fives classifications with only one having fewer than four teams receiving at least one first-place vote. And nearly 90 total schools received votes overall. Teams ranked No. 6 in three different classifications received first-place votes. So consensuses were few and far between among the voters from around the state. For comparison, only 11 different teams received first-place votes in 2024, despite one more voter on the committee last year. No class with more than three teams receiving first-place votes, and no school to receive a first-place vote landed below No. 4 in its class.
ONE UNANIMOUS NO.1
Edna Karr is the clear exception to that theme. The Cougars were the only unanimous No. 1 in any class — despite playing in the state’s toughest district, which starts the season with three top-10 teams and six of the 11 teams to receive the most votes. The schedule is a gauntlet, and other notable challengers — particularly consistent playoff rival Catholic (Baton Rouge) — would await in the Division-I Select bracket. But Edna Karr’s combination of returning experience and talent all over the field from its dominant 2024 state championship run is staggering. And the distinction of being the lone team to sweep its classification’s first-place votes is well warranted.
WINNSBORO, STAND UP
Franklin Parish being tied atop the Class 4A rankings with St. Thomas More is an interesting story from a number of angles. For one, it’s historic. The preseason rankings marks the first time the school’s football team has ever been ranked No. 1 in the LSWA polls since the parish system consolidated its high schools in 2005. The last time predecessor Winnsboro High was No. 1 of the state’s primary high school polls was Week 9 of the 1968 in Class 2A. The Patriots splitting the top spot with the perennial power private St. Thomas More, which has reached state title games seven of the past 10 years, is a fun juxtaposition. I didn’t anticipate Franklin Parish would come out the gate with a piece of No. 1 in the polls already, because I thought some voters may take more time to buy in on its ascent. But the Patriots have enough talent and leadership on both their roster and their staff to be as strong a title contender in Division-II Non-Select as anyone in the open field. The season has the potential to be special. And, now, Franklin Parish starts with that much more of a spotlight.
SCRIMMAGE DISCREPANCIES
A few instances stand out in which teams are ranked below opponents they beat during the scrimmage or jamboree week. For a couple of examples in Class 5A, No. 8 St. Augustine cruised past No. 5 Destrehan and No. 4 Ruston came back to beat No. 3 Neville in this weekend’s Bayou Jamb. That said, the preseason matchups only mean so much. Some teams take different approaches to the matchups. And some voters may put different stock in their significance. After all, one doesn’t have to look far for examples in which teams that lost scrimmages or jamborees went on to win rematches when the teams met again. Ruston beat Neville in last year’s Bayou Jamb, only to fall to the Tigers during district play. And their schedules different, but Destrehan rebounded from last year’s scrimmage loss to St. Augustine to finish with a better regular-season record and a deeper playoff run.
MADISON PREP SHOULD BE IN THE MIX
Sleep on Madison Prep at your own risk. The Chargers open the season at No. 6 in the Class 3A polls despite being one of four teams on the list receiving first-place votes, along with No. 1 St. James (six first-place votes), No. 2 Sterlington (three first-place votes) and No. 3 University Lab (one first-place vote). The District 6-3A champs (a league with U-High) and Division-II Select semifinals boast as much size in the trenches as any team in the state and a good core of athletes at the skill positions on both sides of the ball. Madison Prep battled top Class 5A opponents the past two weeks in Central and Catholic-B.R. and more than held its own and should be every bit in the the mix among the state’s top Class 3A squads.
A FEW MORE TEAMS WE’RE BOUGHT IN ON
If Madison Prep does prove itself — as I expect — to be a bit underrated heading into the season, it certainly wouldn’t be alone. A few teams I seem to the most bullish on compared to their polls rankings include the aforementioned No. 8 St. Augustine and No. 10 John Curtis in Class 5A, Westgate (receiving votes) in Class 4A, Lafayette Renaissance (receiving votes) and No. 6 Southern Lab, No. 9 Riverside Academy and West St. John (receiving votes) and Jeanerette in Class 1A. We’ll see how it all plays out on the field during the next three and a half months. Some teams will live up to my or others’ high expectations, some will fall shorts and others will surprise everyone. That’s the part of what we all love about sports. Whether your team is underrated, overrated or perfectly ranked No. 1, it’s exciting to get this season going. Best of luck to all!