Louisiana
Top 25 Louisiana High School Football Rankings (11/27/2024)
Here is a look at the Top 25 Louisiana High School Football Rankings heading into the quarterfinal round of the LHSAA football playoffs:
Playoff Seed: No. 1 (Division I select) Up next: Against No. 8 St. Thomas More (8-3)
The Cougars defeated No. 17 Huntington, 56-6. LSU receiver commit TaRon Francis had six catches for 175 yards and two scores, according to Andrew Valenti of The New Orleans Advocate. Junior quarterback John Johnson passed for 324 yards. Daejawn Smith and Oliver Mitchell each caught a TD pass. The Cougars’ defense and special teams each tacked on a TD.
Power Rating: No. 2 (Division I select) Up next: Against No. 10 C.E Byrd (9-3)
The Trojans defeated No. 18 Evangel Christian, 49-6. LSU running back commit J.T. Lindsey rushed for 220 yards and four TDs, according to John Marcase of The Shreveport Bossier Advocate. The Trojans held Evangel to negative rushing yards and intercepted quarterback Peyton Houston three times.
Playoff seed: No. 1 (Division I nonselect) Up next: Against No. 24 Chalmette (9-3)
The Tigers defeated No. 16 Covington, 44-13. UL Ragin’ Cajuns commit Cam Riley had multiple interceptions, according to Jake Martin of The Ouachita Citizen. Jaylon Nichols (15 carries, 109 yards) scored three touchdowns. Sophomore QB Parker Robinson was 14 for 14 passing.
Playoff seed: No. 3 (Division I nonselect) Up next: Against No. 6 Southside (9-2)
The Bearcats defeated No. 14 Zachary, 42-21. Jordan Hayes ran for two touchdowns – one from 70 yards – and caught a TD pass from Tulane QB commit Joshua Brantley, who also ran for a score, according to T. Scott Boatright of The Baton Rouge Advocate. Brantley threw a TD pass to Darius James. It was the third straight year the teams met in the postseason with Ruston winning all three.
Playoff seed: No. 4 (Division I select) Up next: Against No. 5 Archbishop Rummel (9-2)
The Bears defeated No. 13 East Jefferson, 42-0. Rylan Parker ran for 105 yards and two TDs, according to Terry Robinson of The Baton Rouge Advocate. Jayden Miles added a rushing score. Baylor Graves threw a 66-yard TD pass to Amari Clayton as Catholic scored all of its points in the first half.
Playoff seed: No. 2 (Division I nonselect) Up next: Against No. 10 Destrehan (9-3)
The Vikings defeated No. 18 Westgate, 42-16. QB Ben Taylor ran for a score and passed for two, and DJ Allen ran for two TDs, according to Roy Lang of The Shreveport Bossier Advocate. LSU commit Kenny Darby caught eight passes for 135 yards and a TD. Senior receiver Jarvis Davis left the game with an injury.
Playoff seed: No. 4 (Division I nonselect) Up next: Against No. 21 West Monroe (7-5)
The Wildcats defeated No. 13 West Ouachita, 45-20. Nicholls State QB commit Jackson Firmin ran for a score, and sophomore Marvin Joseph ran for another, according to William Weathers of Geaux Preps. The Central defense forced three turnovers. Joseph finished with 117 yards on 13 carries. Linebacker KD Mays returned a fumble for a TD.
Playoff seed: No. 1 (Division II select) Up next: Against No. 8 John F. Kennedy (7-4)
The Eagles defeated No. 16 Loranger, 49-14. Michigan commit Jasper Parker ran for 109 yards on 12 carries with four TDs, according to Darrell Williams of The New Orleans Advocate. Mason Wilson threw a 54-yard TD pass to Jacob Washington (also a Michigan pledge). Shaw’s opponent this week, John F. Kennedy, only lost one game on the field (to St. Paul’s).
Playoff seed: No. 8 (Division I select) Up next: At No. 1 Edna Karr (10-0)
The Cougars defeated No. 9 St. Augustine, 28-27. Senior defensive back Gavin Duplechin blocked an extra point to seal the win, according to Eric Narcisse of The Acadiana Advocate. Quarterback Cole Bergeron completed 8 of 14 passes for 104 yards and two TDs to John Avery Barton (four catches for 72 yards). Gabe Mocek and Carter Melancon combined to carry 39 times for 214 yards. Mocek ran for two scores.
Playoff seed: No. 6 (Division I select) Up next: Against No. 19 John Curtis Christian (6-5)
The Rebels defeated No. 11 Jesuit, 31-23. Junior QB Alex Munoz completed 14 of 15 passes for 169 yards with a TD to tight end Jack Purser. Munoz is 84 of 120 on the year with 1,272 yards and 13 TDs with no interceptions. Doug E Viltz rushed for 82 yards on 24 carries with two TDs. Nick Celestine caught three passes for 36 yards, according to Kevin Foote of The Acadiana Advocate. Munoz, Viltz and Cason Evans have combined for over 2,000 yards rushing.
Playoff seed: No. 5 (Division I select) Up next: At No. 4 Catholic-BR (10-0)
The Raiders defeated No. 12 McDonogh 35, 50-25. Norman Taylor ran for 177 yards on 17 carries with four TDs, according to Chris Dabe of The New Orleans Advocate. The Raiders will face Catholic-BR in the postseason for the sixth time in seven seasons. QB Generald Buggage was 7 of 9 passing for 132 yards with a rushing touchdown.
Playoff seed: No. 19 (Division I select) Up next: At No. 6 Teurlings Catholic (10-1)
The Patriots defeated No. 3 Acadiana, 28-27. QB Reggie Johnson threw the game-winning TD pass to freshman Jarvis Stevenson, according to Nick Fontenot of The Acadiana Advocate. The Patriots totaled 363 yards rushing and averaged 13 yards per carry, according to Chris Dabe of The New Orleans Advocate. Johnson ran for 169 yards on 10 carries with two scores. Jacobi Boudreaux added 138 yards on eight carries.
Playoff seed: No. 3 (Division I select) Up next: Season complete
The Rams lost to No. 19 John Curtis, 28-27. Jonah Gauthier ran for 164 yards on 27 carries with three TDs. Tayden Collins added 103 yards on 12 carries. Caden DiBetta ran for a score. Gauthier and Collins combined to score 24 rushing TDs on the year.
Playoff seed: No. 6 (Division I nonselect) Up next: At No. 3 Ruston (9-2)
The Sharks defeated No. 22 Walker, 47-0. The Sharks notched 18 first downs to Walker’s six. Ramon Singleton ran for 136 yards and two TDs on 15 carries. Justin Williams added 84 yards on 16 carries with two scores. Singleton added two catches for 31 yards and a score. QB Parker Dies threw for a TD and ran for another. Dies, Singleton and QB Cruz Holden combined to complete 4 of 5 passes for 82 yards and a score.
Playoff seed: No. 10 (Division I nonselect) Up next: At No. 2 Airline (11-0)
The Wildcats defeated No. 7 Northwood-Shreveport, 63-21. Malachi Dabney scored five TDs, according to Lori Lyons of The Shreveport Bossier Journal. Jabari Mack and Greg Wilfred each caught a TD pass, and LSU receiver commit Phillip Wright ran for a score. The Wildcats have won seven straight games with QB Jackson Fields back in the lineup. Destrehan will be making back-to-back trips to the Shreveport-Bossier area.
Playoff seed: No. 14 (Division II nonselect) Up next: At No. 6 Plaquemine (11-1)
The Tigers defeated No. 3 Jennings, 30-19. Senior tailback D’Shaun Ford ran for 265 yards and two TDs. The Tigers’ losses were to Teurlings Catholic, Alexandria and Zachary. Opelousas led the undefeated Trojans by two scores early.
Playoff seed: No. 18 (Division II nonselect) Up next: At No. 7 North DeSoto (9-3)
The Bulldogs defeated No. 2 Lutfcher, 49-41. Diesel Solari completed 13 of 21 passes for 206 yards and three TDs. Braylon Calais ran for 113 yards on 15 carries with two TDs. Solari added 96 yards rushing and two TDs on 15 carries. Ellis Stewart totaled 104 yards and a TD on six touches. Brent Gordon and Jermaine Davis combined to catch five passes for 102 yards and two TDs.
Playoff seed: No. 5 (Division III select) Up next: at No. 4 Jewel Sumner (10-1)
The Panthers defeated No. 12 Amite, 39-14. QB Dillon Compton threw three first-half TD passes for Cain Milligan, according to Fast Break ENT. Compton was 10 of 15 passing for 195 yards and four TDs, according to LaMar Gafford of Cenla Preps. He also ran for a score. Zion Lee rushed for 94 yards on 16 carries. Jateren Gaines added 92 yards on 12 carries with two TDs.
Playoff seed: No. 10 (Division I select) Up next: At No. 2 Alexandria (11-0)
The Yellow Jackets defeated No. 7 St. Paul’s, 37-15. Desmond Simmons ran for 167 yards on 30 carries with a TD, according to Joseph Halm of The New Orleans Advocate. QB Harrison Ayres completed 5 of 6 passes for 82 yards and added 30 yards rushing and two scores on eight carries.
Playoff seed: No. 21 (Division I nonselect) Up next: At No. 4 Central-BR (10-1)
The Rebels pulled off their second upset by defeating No. 5 Mandeville, 20-9. Ranaldrick Myles and Kedrian McNeal combined for 209 yards rushing on 28 carries with two TDs, according to Dave Woodall of The New Orleans Advocate. QB Ryder Dejean completed 3 of 6 passes for 37 yards.
Playoff seed: No. 1 (Division III select) Up next: Against No. 9 Lafayette Christian (6-6)
The Tigers defeated No. 16 Parkview Baptist, 42-0. Sophomore QB Elijah Haven accounted for 406 yards and four TDs, according to Patrick Wright of The Baton Rouge Advocate. Trevor Haman caught seven passes for 128 yards and two TDs.
Playoff seed: No. 7 (Division II nonselect) Up next: Against No. 18 Cecilia (9-3)
The Griffins defeated No. 10 Belle Chasse, 38-14. Cole Cory continued to shine since his return from injury, catching two TD passes and returning a kick 56 yards, according to Lee Hiller of The Shreveport Bossier Advocate. Luke Delafield was 15 of 20 passing for 205 yards. Kenny Thomas ran for 107 yards on 23 carries with two TDs. Cory finished with seven receptions for 114 yards.
Playoff seed: No. 5 (Division II select) Up next: Against No. 13 Istrouma (9-3)
The Chargers defeated No. 12 St. Charles Catholic, 34-20. Tylan Johnson was 10 of 13 passing for 125 yards and two TDs, according to Charles Salzer of The Baton Rouge Advocate. Alfred McKnight ran for 180 yards and two TDs. Madison Prep, which led 21-0 at halftime, takes on Istrouma in a matchup of north Baton Rouge schools whose campuses are separated by 2.1 miles.
Playoff seed: No. 2 (Division II nonselect) Up next: Season complete
The Bulldogs lost to No. 18 Cecilia, 49-41. Trenton Chaney ran for 194 yards and three TDs on 24 carries, according to Reed Darcey of The Baton Rouge Advocate. QB Zach Jenkins rushed for 118 yards on 25 carries with three TDs. He passed for 75 yards and didn’t throw an interception this season.
Playoff seed: No. 1 (Division IV select) Up next: Against No. 8 St. Edmund (10-1)
The Eagles defeated No. 16 Westminster Christian-Opelousas, 47-17. QB Jonathan Dartez ran for 199 yards and had a hand in six TDs. The senior has rushed for 2,119 yards and 34 TDs on 239 carries with 1,360 yards passing (19 TDs, two INT).
Louisiana
3 Louisiana festivals among best in the US. Why they’re special here
Downtown Lafayette Louisiana: Cajun music, food, and festivals
See how downtown Lafayette blends live music, public art, local restaurants, and festivals into a walkable hub of Cajun culture in southwest Louisiana.
Louisiana is often referred to as the “Festival Capital of the World,” earning this title because of the hundreds of festivals that take place annually throughout the state.
More than 400 festivals take place each year in Louisiana, ranging from cultural and food celebrations to music and seasonal events.
Three festivals, Rougarou Fest, Jazz Fest and Beignet Fest, were named among the top 10 festivals in various categories by USA Today.
Rougarou Fest in Houma named on USA Today’s 10Best Cultural Festivals
Rougarou Fest in Houma was named by USA Today’s 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards as the seventh best cultural festival.
Rougarou Fest is a free, family-friendly festival that celebrates the rich folklore of Southeast Louisiana. The Rougarou is a folklore creature that’s described as having the head of a wolf or dog and the body of a human, like a werewolf. Stories of the Rougarou have been used by Cajun parents for generations to get children to behave.
The event, which takes place at 86 Valhi Blvd. in Houma, showcases live music, cultural activities, children’s activities, Cajun food, the Krewe Ga Rou parade and more. This year, the festival will take place from Oct. 23 to Oct. 25.
Here are the 10 best cultural festivals in the U.S. according to USA Today:
- Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
- Black Wall Street Rally (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
- Dublin Irish Festival (Dublin, Ohio)
- Fyr Bal Festival (Ephraim, Wisconsin)
- Anchorage Fur Rendezvous (Anchorage, Alaska)
- Black Food Truck Festival (Charleston, South Carolina)
- Rougarou Fest (Houma, Louisiana)
- World Food & Music Festival (Des Moines, Iowa)
- Celebrate Nashville Cultural Festival (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Celtic Music and Heritage Festival (St. Augustine, Florida)
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival named among 10 best music festivals by USA Today
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, also known as Jazz Fest, was named the seventh best music festival on USA Today’s 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards.
This festival is a legendary celebration of music, featuring some of the biggest names in music, with this year’s lineup featuring the Eagles, Stevie Nicks, Rod Stewart, Kings of Leon, Lorde, Tyler Childers and Earth, Wind and Fire, just to name a few.
The festival also puts the spotlight on local legends in the genres of jazz, blues, gospel, rock, R&B and Zydeco. This event is a great way for attendees to experience the rich musical heritage of New Orleans.
This year, the festival takes place on two separate weekends, from April 23 until May 3. In addition to music, there will also be authentic Louisiana cuisine, artisan crafts and cultural displays.
These are the 10 best music festivals in the U.S. according to USA Today:
- Musikfest (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)
- Mile 0 Fest (Key West, Florida)
- Joshua Tree Music Festival (Joshua Tree, California)
- Festival Napa Valley (Napa, California)
- Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion (Bristol, Tennessee and Bristol, Virginia)
- Summerfest (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
- New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (New Orleans, Louisiana)
- Waterfront Blues Festival (Portland, Oregon)
- Lollapalooza (Chicago, Illinois)
- Ohana Festival (Dana Point, California)
Beignet Fest in New Orleans among best specialty food festivals according to USA Today’s 10Best
Beignet Fest in New Orleans was named the eighth best specialty food festival by USA Today’s 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards.
This festival celebrates the food culture of New Orleans, especially beignets. Along with traditional beignets covered in a delicious heaping of powdered sugar, attendees can try specialty beignets stuffed with crawfish, gumbo and candied sweet potatoes.
This year, the festival will take place on Nov. 7 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. at the New Orleans City Park Festival Grounds.
Here are the 10 best specialty food festivals according to USA Today:
- Delta Hot Tamale Festival (Greenville, Mississippi)
- Maine Whoopie Pie Festival (Dover-Foxcroft, Maine)
- Picklesburgh (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
- Cheese Curd Festival (Ellsworth, Wisconsin)
- National Buffalo Wing Festival (Buffalo, New York)
- National Shrimp Festival (Gulf Shores, Alabama)
- Oregon Chocolate Festival (Ashland, Oregon)
- Beignet Fest (New Orleans, Louisiana)
- Kauai Poke Fest (Koloa, Hawaii)
- Drinks With Benefits (New York City, New York)
Presley Bo Tyler is a reporter for the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team for USA Today. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com
Louisiana
Louisiana considers opening recreational alligator hunting season
Massive alligator causes chaos, attempts to avoid capture
Officers wrangled and released an alligator after it was spotted near a home in Livingston Parish, Louisiana.
Louisiana may expand its wild alligator harvesting opportunities to recreational hunters if the Legislature passes a bill that secured unanimous approval in a committee hearing March 11.
Franklin state Sen. Robert Allain’s Senate Bill 244 would authorize the Louisiana Wildlife Commission to create a recreational season that would be open to 5,000 hunters annually, each with a two-gator limit.
The state already has a commercial hunting season for alligators, which is chronicled in the popular “Swamp People” TV reality series.
“We think the time is right,” Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Tyler Bosworth testified during the Senate Natural Resources Committee hearing. “We want to provide a recreational opportunity for the common folk of Louisiana.”
Louisiana’s alligator population has exploded in the past 50 years from fewer than 100,000 to more than 3 million today. Of those, about 2 million are wild with another 1 million farmed.
That’s at least twice the population in Florida, the state with the second most number of alligators.
And their Louisiana numbers have grown throughout the state where they can be commonly spotted from Lake Martin in Breaux Bridge to Caddo and Cross lakes in Shreveport to Caldwell Parish in northeastern Louisiana.
“This is a conservation success story on the highest level,” LDWF general counsel Garrett Cole said during the hearing. “This would create a true recreational opportunity outside our commercial season.”
Garrett said hunters would compete for hunting tags through a lottery will statewide opportunities. Recreational hunters would be limited to hook and line harvesting from land. No gators could be taken by boat as commercial hunters are allowed to do.
If approved, the first season could take place beginning Oct. 1.
Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.
Louisiana
How a sinkhole caused a whirlpool and formed Louisiana’s deepest lake
Responsible Anglers United, LDWF release bass into Lake Bouef
Responsible Anglers United team up with Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to release more than 3,000 Florida bass into Lake Bouef on Oct. 17.
While Louisiana’s largest lake, the Toledo Bend Reservoir, spans 1,200 miles of shoreline, the state’s deepest lake only spans 1,125 acres.
Lake Peigneur is the deepest lake in Louisiana, with a depth measuring approximately 200 feet.
Lake Peigneur is a brackish lake, meaning it contains saltwater but has less salinity than seawater, located in New Iberia Parish in South Louisiana.
How did Lake Peigneur become the deepest lake in Louisiana?
Lake Peigneur was not always considered the deepest lake in Louisiana, as it was only a 10-foot-deep freshwater lake 40 years ago.
On Nov. 20, 1980, an oil rig crew was attempting to free a 14-inch drill bit when they heard popping noises and the rig began to tilt. Shortly after the crew abandoned the rig and headed for shore, the crew watched the 150-foot oil rig disappear into the 10-foot-deep lake.
Soon, a whirlpool formed in place of the oil rig. The whirlpool grew rapidly until it was able to suck up nearby boats, barges, trees, a house and half an island.
At the same location of the oil drilling site, there was also a salt mine, and when the whirlpool formed after the oil rig collapsed, the mine began to fill with water. As the whirlpool grew, water was able to enter the mine at such a force that it caused a geyser to spew out of the mine’s opening for hours until the lake was drained.
After the lake was emptied, the Delcambre Canal began to flow backward, marking the only time in history that the Gulf of Mexico flowed into the continental U.S. This backflow continued until the entire mine and lake were filled with water, except now the lake was filled with saltwater, according to an article published on Louisiana Tech Digital Commons.
Can you swim in Lake Peigneur?
Before the oil rig and salt mine accident, Lake Peigneur was a popular spot for fishing and recreational activities. However, since the lake is almost entirely surrounded by private property, visitors will have to enter the nearby Rip Van Winkle Gardens in order to get a closer look, according to Atlas Obscura.
While there are no reports indicating the lake is unsafe, the lake is not exactly developed for public access. However, there are things to do around Lake Peigneur, like visiting Rip Van Winkle Gardens on Jefferson Island, or visiting Avery Island to tour the Tabasco Factory.
Presley Bo Tyler is a reporter for the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team for USA Today. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com
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