A pair of programs from the Baton Rouge area will battle Thursday in an intriguingly pivotal early-season matchup to help kickoff Louisiana’s third week of high school action.
Perennial power Lutcher (0-2) will travel into the capital city to visit Liberty Magnet (2-0) with a 7 p.m. kickoff at BREC’s Olympia Stadium.
The visiting Bulldogs have fallen out of the LSWA’s Class 4A top 10 after an 0-2 start against a tough schedule: 30-22 at Slidell and 28-0 at St. Charles Catholic.
Meanwhile, the Patriots have come out of the gates strong under new coach Jimmy Zachery to their first 2-0 start since 2019 — but with Lutcher figuring to pose the biggest challenge to date after a pair of Class 1A opponents in Southern Lab and White Castle.
The LHSAA Network will broadcast the matchup as its Game of the Week.
Liberty has averaged 50 points per contest thus far in the season’s early going with talented, senior playmakers including running back Zaiden Foster and wide receiver Conner Nairn — a multisport athlete and tall target who could be a sleeper prospect in the state’s 2026 class.
The Bulldogs are meanwhile still looking to find their rhythm with a new-look backfield behind their veteran offensive line, anchored by Louisiana (Lafayette) commit Jayden Michael, and with weapons that include three-phase playmakers Ashton Stark and Chase Pittman. Senior defensive lineman Caden Parquette is a standout up front on defense with Stark, Pittman and Derrick Johnson among names to now in the secondary and linebacking corps.
Can Lutcher bounce back from its slow start in the win-loss columns and build some positive momentum? Or can Liberty stay undefeated with an early marquee win under its new coaching regime?