The LHSAA’s Week 8 football schedule is packed with marquee and high-leverage matchups as playoff picture continues to come into focus.
Highly ranked teams in both the LSWA statewide polls and bracket-determining power ratings are set to square off all over Louisiana with pivotal opportunities to secure or bolster their chances for No. 1 overall seeds, first-round byes or multiple rounds of home-field advantage.
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Two contests in the 337 area code even pit pairs of the state’s final 25 remaining undefeated teams head-to-head with those unblemished records on the line.
But no matchup in the state appears to carry more weight and fanfare than a District 2-5A showdown between Ruston and Alexandria, a pair of title-hopefuls in their respective Division-I groups and two teams that have looked among the best handful or so in The Boot all season long.
RUSTON (6-1, 2-0) at ALEXANDRIA (6-1, 2-0) — Friday, 7 p.m.
Alexandria’s clutch win against Ruston in 2024 felt like a notable statement moment in its ascent as a program in recent years. As the Trojans have continued to solidify themselves among the top programs in the state, the matchup with the Bearcats has continued to grow into one of the most prominent statewide in each year’s schedule. Alexandria won bigger in 2025 to go back-to-back against the Bearcats and now have home-field advantage Friday as it seeks a third straight. But Ruston has been absolutely rolling since a Week 3 stumble against Edna Karr and has likely had this matchup circled on its calendar as much as any other. Both sides include major college-bound seniors such as Ruston tight end Ahmad Hudson (LSU), safety Jayden Anding (LSU) and wide receiver Josiah Morgan (Baylor) and Alexandria defensive tackle Jaden Bayonne (Mississippi State) and wide receiver Alex Fontenot (Maryland), but the three highly touted junior running backs in Dalen Powell for the Bearcats and Noble Williams and Kason Williams for the Trojans may be as intriguing of a positional spotlight as any.
CALVARY BAPTIST (7-0) at ARCHBISHOP SHAW (6-1) — Friday, 7 p.m.
No matchup in the state pits less familiar foes or teams from farther apart, and the intrigue of the first meeting between the Cavaliers and Eagles, two state runners-up in 2025, extends well past the novelty factor. Calvary Baptist has been the unanimous No. 1 team in the LSWA Class 2A polls for weeks and is positioned as a likely top-four seed in the Division-III Select bracket. Archbishop Shaw meanwhile has been No. 3 in the LSWA Class 4A poll, the highest-ranked Select program in that classification, and is in pole position to earn its second No. 1 seed in Division-II Select. The defenses are among the best in the state and have allowed 12.1 points and 6.3 points per contest, respectively. And while they each would love to control the ball on the ground with good rushing attacks, they also boast big-play, future-college receivers such as Braylun Huglon for the Cavs and Nasir Parker and Baylon Jackson for the Eagles.
ASCENSION CATHOLIC (7-0, 2-0) at RIVERSIDE ACADEMY (6-1, 2-0) — Friday, 7 p.m.
Week 8 features a wealth of prominent options with easy-to-sell cases for their respective magnitudes. But the only 1-vs-2 showdown in the power ratings will take place in Reserve and in District 10-1A. Undefeated Ascension Catholic will visit one-loss Riverside Academy, whose only stumble came to St. Charles Catholic, in a rematch of last year’s District-IV Select state championship and a potential preview of another December matchup on the horizon. As much intrigue as each week brings with its great games all over the state, the Bulldogs’ and Rebels’ rematch is truly singular in Week 8.
ST. AUGUSTINE (7-0, 4-0) at BROTHER MARTIN (5-2, 2-2) — Friday, 7 p.m., at Tad Gormley Stadium
Every. Single. Week. is loaded with multiple Catholic League matchups between highly ranked teams to a point that three or four of our top 10 games to watch each week could live in District 9-5A. But, as we try to pick spots and not overlook some of the pivotal contests all over the state, the tilt between the Purple Knights and Crusaders has to top the scales as the league’s representative in Week 8. The teams are No. 3 and No. 6 in the latest Division-I Select power ratings. And while, from a position and recruiting standpoint, arguably the state’s top receiver corps for St. Augustine and its highest-ranked receiver for Brother Martin may garner much of the buzz, both programs have shown a level of balance and complementary football that has been key to their overall success.
NORTH DESOTO (7-0) at FRANKLIN PARISH (5-2) — Friday, 7 p.m.
Not many potential playoff rematches, especially this late in the season, come in non-district affairs. But the Griffins and Patriots happened to cycle byes from their respective leagues on the same week and opted for a high-leverage, highly competitive showdown rather than sit home a week. The result is an intriguing, talent-packed matchup the winner of which will position itself well for a potential first-round bye with any slip-up by any current top-four seed. The headline prospect at the moment is LSU-committed running back Trey Martin, who is putting together a prolific senior season for Franklin Parish. And North DeSoto freshman quarterback Mason Smith is consistently showcasing why Ole Miss, LSU and other programs have identified him so early as a key target for the 2030 recruiting class. But the game will feature several other underrated prospects all over as well, including Franklin Parish senior receiver Kaiden Seals (McNeese State) and junior running back D.J. Neal.
HAUGHTON (7-0, 3-0) at AIRLINE (6-1, 4-0) — Friday, 7 p.m.
Two of the three remaining District 1-5A teams without a league loss — along with Evangel Christian — will kick off a three-week run of games to sort out the top of the standings. Haughton is off to its best start since 2014 with prolific senior running back Brandon Craig Jr., sack artist Luke Hensley and versatile safety Kyron Turner (Cincinnati) among a long list of leaders in the effort. The Bucs — the district’s leaders in both most points scored and fewest allowed — feel for real, but they’ll have maybe their best opportunity yet to test themselves Friday with a trip to Airline, the program in the district with the best record and most playoff success over the past few seasons. The Vikings have had to replace huge pieces of that puzzle each of the past few years, but senior the senior quarterback-receiver duo of Chase Deon Williams and Terrance Hays is leading a once-again explosive offense.
LAKE ARTHUR (7-0, 2-0) at NOTRE DAME (7-0, 1-0) — Friday, 7 p.m.
Lake Arthur is off to its best start in decades and, after having a strong 2025 start in its own right slip into a season-ending losing streak, has a chance Friday to make some history and match itself against a prime measuring stick. Few programs around the state have been as consistently competitive and title-contending as long as Notre Dame, a mainstay in not only the postseason, but in high seeds within its brackets. While the Tigers aim to match a program-best 8-0 start last accomplished in 1994, the Pios are seeking their first since an undefeated 2018 title team, their most recent. Senior running back Jaydon Prudhomme is a name more fans around the state need to know — if they didn’t already learn it during his LHSAA Network Game of the Week showing last Thursday with 269 yards and four scores. Notre Dame has been among the best stories of resiliency this season, battling heavy injuries and continuing to stack wins, and is now situated as a potential No. 1 seed in Division-III Select with key pieces potentially starting to rejoin the lineup.
WEST FELICIANA (7-0, 2-0) at UNIVERSITY LAB (5-2, 1-0) — Friday, 7 p.m.
This District 7-3A matchup is sneakily one of our favorites anywhere in the state this week. A talented and well-coached West Feliciana will make the short trip down to Baton Rouge still relatively under-the-radar for most fans and media despite a 7-0 start with some particularly notable wins already on the résumé. A star-studded and surging University Lab squad awaits with a five-game winning streak and appears to have found a rhythm since its 0-2 start against tough opening opponents. But the Saints may be its toughest challenge since then. Fans are familiar with many Cubs’ names, such as quarterback Knox Kiffin, running back Caiden Bellard and wide receiver Kevin Smith Jr., but counterparts such as quarterback Brooks Hebert, running back Ean Hills and wide receiver Dustin “Petey” Davis are more than capable of holding their own.
LOREAUVILLE (5-2, 2-0) at LAFAYETTE CHRISTIAN (5-2, 2-0) — Friday, 7 p.m.
The likely District 8-2A title and potentially also some key postseason positioning runs through Knight Stadium on Friday as the only two teams still without a loss in the league’s action meet for the first time since 2018. Loreauville won 2015 and 2016 meetings by margins of 44-14 and 22-20, respectively, before Lafayette Christian exploded into another gear as a program, including a combined 111-13 rout of two matchups with the Tigers in 2017 and 2018. The home team and its particularly stout defense will certainly be the favorite heading into the rekindling of the series, but a new-look Knights bunch — particularly on offense — have had a couple growing pains and midseason slip-ups, while Loreauville is fresh off a nice rivalry win against Catholic-New Iberia, 12-10.
ROSEPINE (7-0, 1-0) at VINTON (7-0, 1-0) — Friday, 7 p.m.
Another pivotal district matchup between a pair of undefeated teams battling to hold onto first-round byes in their respective postseason brackets. And the quality of this contest commanding inclusion on the list is a notable testament in and of itself to the progression of the programs in recent years. Rosepine is authoring the biggest turnarounds in the state this year from an 0-9 start and 1-9 record in 2025 to now undefeated through seven weeks. Vinton was 1-9 just three years ago and is working for a third straight year improving its win total. Among the players to know for each team are workhorse senior running backs Brynnum Chaney for the Eagles and Traylen Carrier for the Lions. But each take pride in their trench work and also possesses a respective level of balance. Junior quarterback and multisport standout Creek Smith and Rosepine’s passing attack, in which Chaney is also an effective weapon, are putting up good numbers, while Carrier is one of four Vinton rushers already over 500 yards for the season according to KPLC.
