Louisiana
Top performers from Louisiana high school state championships
NEW ORLEANS, La. — The Louisiana high school football season came to a riveting finish in the Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans over the weekend as eight champions were crowned and prospects from around the state stepped up in their final games of the season.
The Boot is regularly loaded with future Saturday stars, and in this case, future Sunday standouts as well. Several Power 4-caliber recruits turned in strong performances in the Dome. Rivals was on-hand for all three days of action.
Here are the top 10 performers from championship weekend headlined by Rivals MVP four-star LSU DL commit Richard Anderson
FOUR-STAR DL RICHARD ANDERSON – LSU COMMIT
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Richard Anderson put forth a dominant performance working inside in the trenches helping to slow down a rushing attack that’s been unsolvable for nearly four months of the season. Anderson, the No. 8 ranked defensive tackle in the Rivals250, came through with 7 tackles, including 6 TFL, a sack, and topped off a safety — in addition to occupying multiple blockers on a play-to-play basis. Anderson’s impact on the game was worthy of Most Outstanding Player consideration. The four-star LSU commitment from New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr is a force up front capable of causing havoc at 6-foot-4 and 315-plus pounds. Anderson is immensely powerful and bouncy and came away with several splash plays behind the line of scrimmage to impact this game’s outcome.
FIVE-STAR QB ELIJAH HAVEN
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Elijah Haven has taken a massive leap forward from his freshman to sophomore season, and in the process anchored Baton Rouge (La.) Dunham to the state championship game and eclipsed 100 touchdowns, etching his name in the program’s record books. The five-star quarterback from The Boot completed 25-of-37 (68 percent) passes for 300 yards with 2 TD in his first state title game appearance. He also carried the rock 32 times for 153 yards for 2 TD.
Haven completed 9 of his first 10 passes making big-time throws in the middle of the field with anticipation and arm strength to attack vertically downfield, including a controversial Hail Mary in the waning seconds of the first half. The 2027 passer was superb at maneuvering within the pocket, extending plays, and improvising outside of structure. At 6-foot-5 and 200-plus pounds, Haven evades pressure at a high clip and maintains accuracy on his throws under duress. He also has the frame to break tackles and extend runs.
FOUR-STAR WR JACOB WASHINGTON – MICHIGAN SIGNEE
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Jacob Washington broke through with his best game of his senior season at Marrero (La.) Shaw on the biggest stage to date. The Michigan signee came through with 8 receptions for 105 yards and 2 TD on 11 targets. The four-star WR piled up seven of his eight catches in the first half — separating at a high clip, making plays in the open field, and operating smoothly outside the numbers. Washington’s first touchdown came in the final seconds of the first half — and his second iced the victory in the fourth quarter. The future Wolverine also came through with plus blocking in the run game and finished with Most Outstanding Player honors.
FOUR-STAR WR TARON FRANCIS – LSU SIGNEE
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TaRon Francis capped a productive four-year run at New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr with a state championship. The blue-chipper came through with 3 catches for 66 yards on 3 targets, including 2 TD, and finished with 91 all-purpose yards. Francis was able to easily generate separation downfield, and at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, the LSU signee is able to make big-time contested receptions in the red zone. He’s sure-handed and a big, physical receiver capable of game-altering plays on the perimeter. Francis boasts major upside.
FOUR-STAR RB JASPER PARKER – MICHIGAN SIGNEE
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Jasper Parker is going to add another layer of physicality to the Michigan backfield. The four-star running back from Lousiana turned 19 carries into 174 yards and a TD — averaging north of 9 yards per carry. Parker’s 62-yard TD run in the third quarter put Marrero (La.) Shaw on top late. The 6-foot-2, 200-plus pounder barreled downhill through a host of defenders; his tough running style is tone-setting and demands the attention of opposing defenses. The Wolverines signee is a workhorse with good hands and quick feet. Playing through an ankle injury, Parker was hard to corral once he got some steam behind him.
FOUR-STAR ATH BRAYLON CALAIS
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Braylon Calais saw action at multiple positions showcasing different areas of his skill set in Cecilia’s (La.) triumphant title game victory. The top-100 ATH saw snaps at running back, receiver, and linebacker — in addition to return duties — to the tune of 192 all-purpose yardage (52 rushing, 36 receiving, 88 KOR yardage). Calais returned his first kickoff of the game to the house as the 6-foot-2, 190-pounder flashed his elusiveness in the open field and his ability to change direction seamlessly. After a spring evaluation of Calais, there was plenty of evidence of his upside at receiver. He was equally as impressive toting the rock out of the backfield and working in the box at linebacker. His speed translates to both sides of the ball and he takes direct paths to the ball.
THREE-STAR DE DK MAYS – HOUSTON SIGNEE
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DK Mays battled a wrist injury for the first half of the season and played his best football down the stretch, including in Baton Rouge (La.) Central’s championship game. The Houston signee filled the box score with 2 tackles, 2 quarterback hits, and 2 fumble recoveries, including one returned for a touchdown. The 6-foot-4, 240-pounder also batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage and helped set the edge against the run at a high clip.
FOUR-STAR SAF AIDEN HALL – LSU COMMIT
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Aiden Hall is a difference-maker in the secondary. Hall saw snaps at free safety and in the nickel and came up with the first big play on the first pass attempt of the game in man coverage housing an interception. Hall’s first-quarter pick-6 was complemented by a handful of tackles made and a pass defended on fourth down defending the middle of the field in the slot. The LSU commit has outstanding range and is a plus tackler in the open field.
FOUR-STAR RB JT LINDSEY – LSU SIGNEE
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JT Lindsey put forth a senior season for the record books at Alexandria (La.) Senior High. The LSU signee amassed almost 2,800 yards from scrimmage this year, including 127 yards rushing in the Dome on Saturday averaging north of 5 YPC. At 6-feet and 185 pounds, Lindsey can accelerate at a rapid clip and hits the next gear almost immediately. The speedster from Central Louisiana is a threat to score from anywhere on the field, and even in his quietest game of the fall, eclipsed the 100-yard mark with some eye-catching runs. He’s a slasher with home-run ability and a physical touch to his running style.
WR KEITHON WOMACK
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2026 Baton Rouge (La.) Central WR Keithon Womack put himself on the map during the surge to victory. Womack was a favorite for Nicholls State-bound QB Jackson Firmin, who made a great contested grab despite tight coverage downfield to open the game and emerged as the Wildcats’ leading receiver. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound junior pass-catcher broke loose for 6 receptions for 113 yards and 2 TD. Womack separated well at multiple parts of the field and displayed fantastic body control operating in tight windows. He’s someone warranting college’s attention in a big way.
Louisiana
AG Liz Murrill’s office can hire husband’s law firm to defend death sentences, court rules
Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office can employ the Baton Rouge law firm where her husband is a partner to help the agency defend death sentences, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
The decision in the case of condemned inmate Darrell Draughn of Caddo Parish clears the way for Murrill’s office to employ the Taylor Porter firm in other capital post-conviction cases as well.
Murrill has stepped into a host of post-conviction cases involving death row prisoners since Louisiana resumed executions in the spring after a 15-year hiatus. The Republican attorney general has said she’s intent on speeding up their path to the execution chamber, and a recent state law that Murrill supported forces many long-dormant challenges forward.
With the ruling, Taylor Porter attorneys are expected to enroll in more capital post-conviction cases for the attorney general. The firm currently represents the state in four such cases, according to Murrill’s office, under a contract that allows it to charge up to $350 hourly.
Among them is the case of former New Orleans Police Department officer Antoinette Frank, the only condemned woman in Louisiana.
Murrill’s husband, John Murrill, is one of about three dozen partners in the Taylor Porter firm. Capital defense advocates argued that the arrangement amounts to a conflict of interest.
Ethics experts say state law requires a higher stake than John Murrill’s 2.7% share of Taylor Porter to amount to a conflict. The state Ethics Board agreed in an advisory opinion in June, which the high court cited in its opinion.
The Louisiana Supreme Court earlier this year cleared Murrill’s office to represent the state in capital post-conviction cases when a district attorney requests it. Its ruling on Tuesday makes clear that the attorney general can outsource the work.
“Taylor Porter has been selected by the Attorney General pursuant to her clear statutory authority to hire private counsel to defend the warden and state. There is little as fundamental to a litigant as one’s ability to select the counsel of your choice,” the court stated.
Murrill says the government work done by Taylor Porter has been carved out from their income since she took office early last year.
“Neither my husband nor I profit off of this work. We won’t be deterred from our mission to see that justice is served, despite frivolous bad faith attacks from anti-death penalty lawyers,” Murrill said Tuesday in a statement.
Defense advocates, however, point to reduced funding for capital defense and a higher workload under the deadlines of the new state law. They say the state is paying outside lawyers at three times the rate of capital appeals attorneys.
“It’s just outrageous,” said James Boren, immediate past president of the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
“What is absurd is after the attorney general and governor and legislature decrease funding for capital defense, increase the workload, decrease the amount of time to do it, the attorney general’s husband’s law firm is awarded a contract for hundreds of thousands of dollars for less work.”
Prosecutors and capital defense attorneys both say it’s unusual to see a private law firm step into a post-conviction proceeding for the state. Taylor Porter is one of three contractors doing post-conviction work for Murrill’s office, according to state records show.
While the court freed the firm, one of its lawyers remains barred from representing Murrill’s office on those cases. The ethics board found that Grant Willis, who previously led appeals for the attorney general, must sit out for two years. The blackout period for Willis ends next month.
Louisiana
Goon Squad victim arrested by Louisiana Police, held without bond on multiple charges
TALLULAH, La. (WLBT) – One of the two Goon Squad victims who later won a civil suit against Rankin County and the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department was arrested by the Louisiana State Police Wednesday night.
According to officials, Eddie Terrell Parker is currently being held in the Madison Parish Jail without bond on at least two pages of charges.
These charges include multiple narcotics violations, possession with intent to distribute, felon in possession of a firearm, and carrying a concealed weapon.
No other information has been released at this time.
This is a developing story. More updates will come as further information is released.
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Louisiana
Louisiana lands another $10 billion AI data center
Demand for more Midwest data centers skyrockets
What are data centers and why are they needed?
Louisiana has finalized details on another $10 billion data center, this one from Hut 8 in West Feliciana Parish.,
Hut 8, which develops and operates an integrated portfolio of power, digital infrastructure and compute assets, said more than 1,000 construction workers will be on site of its River Bend artificial intelligence (AI) data center campus at its peak.
Anthropic, an artificial intelligence company whose flagship chatbot is Claude, has signed a long-term deal to use the facility, Hut 8 and the state announced Dec. 17.
“It’s a transformational and generational project for our parish and region,” West Feliciana Parish President Kenny Havard said in an interview with USA Today Network. “The possibilities really are endless.”
The official announcement and details come after months of preparation from the parish government and its partnership with the state for the data center on which construction has been underway for months.
It’s the second $10 billion plus data center announced in Louisiana during the past two years. Meta’s massive data center project is under way in northeastern Louisiana’s Richland Parish. Meta originally announced a $10 billion investment but has since increased that scope to at least $25 billion.
“Hut 8’s investment in River Bend builds on our track record of attracting global-scale projects in the industries of the future,” Gov. Jeff Landry said in a statement. “As the campus grows, it will further cement Louisiana’s position as a national leader in energy and innovation, creating thousands of jobs and reaffirming our ability to compete and win on the global stage.”
Construction is scheduled to be complete in the second quarter of 2027.
“River Bend demonstrates that Louisiana’s economic strategy is taking our state from plans to progress,” Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois said in a statement. “This project will generate high-wage jobs and create pathways for Louisianans to build long-term careers in the industries of the future. It’s a clear example of how aligning policy, partnership and people translates into lasting opportunity.”
Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.
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