Louisiana High School Football Top 25 State Rankings (Sept. 14, 2026)

Questions are quickly being answered in Louisiana high school football, due to a proliferation of excellent early season matchups, which will include No. 1 Ruston vs. No. 2 Edna Karr Saturday in New Orleans.

Catholic-BR bounced back from 34-point loss to hammer Dunham in a Baton Rouge rivalry game, while John Curtis Christian traveled out-of-state to claim a win over a top 10 Mississippi school.

PREVIOUS: PRESEASON | WK1 | WK2

1. Ruston (2-0)

Previous ranking: 1

Last week: Defeated Longview (Texas) 36-22

Next up: at Edna Karr (2-0)

Junior running back Dalen Powell continued to slice through defenses, rushing for 180 yards and four touchdowns on 28 carries. Through two games, Powell has 451 yards on the ground, according to Kyle Roberts of The Lincoln Parish Journal. The Bearcats take on Karr in the Superdome on Saturday.

2. Edna Karr (2-0)

Previous ranking: 2

Last week: Defeated Huntington 50-0

Next up: vs. Ruston (2-0)

Karr pushed its winning streak to 29 games leading into Saturday afternoon's clash with Ruston in New Orleans.

3. Alexandria (2-0)

Previous ranking: 3

Last week: Defeated Union Parish 59-16

Next up vs. Lafayette Christian (2-0)

The Trojans amassed 446 yards of offense on 43 plays, according to Bret McCormick of Louisiana vs. All Y'all. Karsen Sellers passed for 193 yards and four TDs. Noble Williams rushed for 203 yards on 13 carries with four scores.

4. John Curtis (1-1)

Previous ranking: 4

Last week: Defeated Louisville (Mississippi) 29-22

Next up: at Lafayette Renaissance (1-1)

Issac Hrabovsky ran for 104 yards on 15 carries with two TDs for the Patriots, who led 15-0. Curtis takes on an up-and-coming Lafayette Renaissance team that pitched a 46-0 shutout on the road at Class 2A top 10 ranked Catholic New Iberia.

5. St. Augustine (2-0)

Previous ranking: 5

Last week: Defeated Destrehan 42-13

Next up: vs. East Ascension (2-0)

Jaelle Noble produced 311 yards and six touchdowns from his quarterback spot, according to Christopher Dabe of The New Orleans Advocate. The Purple Knights face East Ascension on Saturday in Game 2 of the doubleheader featuring Karr/Ruston at the Caesars Superdome.

6. Archbishop Rummel (2-0)

Previous ranking: 6

Last week: Defeated Vandebilt Catholic 35-0

Next up: at Archbishop Shaw (2-0)

Colton Nussmeier completed 15 of 17 passes for 208 yards with a 35-yard TD pass to Nathaniel Singleton, according to Spencer Urquhart of The New Orleans Advocate. Rummel, which led 28-0 at the half, was without Tulane running back commit Jaden Terrance again.

7. Acadiana (2-0)

Previous ranking: 8

Last week: Defeated Zachary 36-28

Next up: at Carencro (1-1)

Senior DaShun Lightfoot ran for all five scores, according to Nick Fontenot of The Acadiana Advocate. Lightfoot has nine TDs on the year.

8. Westgate (2-0)

Previous ranking: 9

Last week: Defeated Southside 42-33

Next up: vs. Jena (2-0)

The Tigers got a fourth quarter scoop and score from sophomore linebacker Bam Curl to put the game on ice at Southside. QB Noah Antoine has nine TD passes on the season with no interceptions. Cayden Lancelin caught five passes for 180 yards and three TDs.

9. Catholic-BR (1-1)

Previous ranking: 11

Last week: Defeated Dunham 58-8

Next up: vs. St. Thomas More (1-1)

The Bears bounced back from a loss to nationally ranked Carrollton (Georgia) with a 41-point first half against Dunham, according to Jackson Reyes of The Baton Rouge Advocate. Jayden Miles ran for an 80-yard TD on the first play.

10. Brother Martin (2-0)

Previous ranking: 12

Last week: Defeated St. Paul's 47-16

Next up: at Warren Easton (0-2)

Quarterbacks Hudson Fields and Justin Morgan combined for five touchdowns, with Fields throwing for three scores and Morgan rushing for two, highlighted by a 79-yarder, according to Ken Trahan of Crescent City Sports.

11. Archbishop Shaw (2-0)

Previous ranking: 14

Last week: Defeated West Jefferson 35-0

Next up: vs. Archbishop Rummel (2-0)

The Battle for the Megaphone - aka Shaw vs. Rummel - was won last year by the Raiders 29-0.

12. Neville (1-1)

Previous ranking: 15

Last week: Defeated Evangel Christian 43-27

Next up: vs. Ouachita Parish (2-0)

Sophomore defensive back CJ Goins intercepted Evangel quarterback Peyton Houston twice, returning one for a touchdown. Neville faces the reigning Division I Non-Select champions next.

13. Lafayette Christian (2-0)

Previous ranking: 18

Last week: Defeated Westminster Christian 44-0

Next up: at Alexandria (2-0)

The Knights' stellar defense will be put to the test at powerful Alexandria. Joseph Adams was a terror at defensive end in the shutout win at WCA. Kyzer White and Ty Hills combined to carry 27 times for 178 yards and two scores.

14. Jesuit (2-0)

Previous ranking: 19

Last week: Defeated St. Thomas More 30-10

Next up: at Bonnabel (1-1)

Michael Cerruti ran for 167 yards and two touchdowns, while quarterbacks Sully Sullivan and Roland "Mani" Vandenweghe each threw a TD pass to Benjamin Neff.

15. Dunham (1-1)

Previous ranking: 9

Last week: Lost to Catholic-BR 58-8

Next up: vs. Collegiate-BR (0-1)

The Tigers came down to Earth in a loss to Catholic-BR, rushing for 59 yards on 30 carries, according to Jackson Reyes of The Baton Rouge Advocate. QB Elijah Haven completed 14 of 34 passes for 144 yards. After a cakewalk this week, the Tigers play Class 3A power St. James in a matchup of teams ranked near the top of the 3A and 2A polls.

16. St. Thomas More (1-1)

Previous ranking: 10

Last week: Lost to Jesuit 30-10

Next up: at Catholic-BR (1-1)

Grayson Hemard threw a pass to William Foreman for the Cougars' touchdown against Jesuit. A sophomore, Hemard threw for over 200 yards and rushed for 86 yards on 13 carries.

Jacques Christie of St. Thomas More | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

17. Barbe (2-0)

Previous ranking: 20

Last week: Defeated St. Louis 47-0

Next up: vs. Cecilia (2-0)

The Buccaneers can show just how much they've improved on defense vs. Class 4A top 10-ranked Cecilia, which features four-star LSU receiver commit Braylon Calais.

18. West Monroe (2-0)

Previous ranking: 23

Last week: Defeated Plaquemine 51-8

Next up: at Brandon (Mississippi (2-1)

Well, that was a stunning turnaround for the Rebels after a 27-0 jamboree loss to Neville. West Monroe plays its first road game this week at Brandon, which is ranked No. 11 in Mississippi.

19. Riverside Academy. (2-0)

Previous ranking: 21

Last week: Defeated Covenant Christian 55-20

Next up: at Ponchatoula (0-2)

The Class 1A top-ranked Rebels go on the road to the Florida Parishes to meet 5A Ponchatoula, which is winless despite averaging 38.5 ppg. Riverside is No. 1 in Class 1A according to Louisiana Sportsline (No. 2 LSWA).

20. Madison Prep (1-1)

Previous ranking: Not ranked (1st three out)

Last week: Defeated University Lab 38-21

Next up: at Zachary (0-2)

The Chargers avenged two 2025 losses to old district rival U-High and will meet a stinging Zachary team that lost by a score at Acadiana and was highly ranked entering the season.

21. Destrehan (1-1)

Previous ranking: 17

Last week: Lost to St. Aug 42-13

Next up: at Central Lafourche (2-0)

Destrehan begins District 7-5A play against Central Lafourche, which has won its first two games by a combined score of 88-14.

22. Calvary Baptist (2-0)

Previous ranking: 22

Last week: Defeated Bunkie 58-12

Next up: vs. Grant (1-1)

The Cavaliers were ranked No. 1 in Class 2A by the LSWA this week and received nine of 11 first-place votes (Dunham got the other two).

23. Jena (2-0)

Previous ranking: Not ranked

Last week: Defeated Sterlington 34-28

Next up: at Westgate (2-0)

Daniel Hatcher and the Giants avenged a loss in the 2025 Division III Non-Select title game and will travel to New Iberia.

24. North DeSoto (2-0)

Previous ranking: Not ranked (1st three out)

Last week: vs. C.E. Byrd (0-2)

Freshman quarterback Mason Smith is already setting passing records for the Griffins.

25. Sterlington (1-1)

Previous ranking: 13

Last week: Lost to Jena 34-28

Next up: vs. Natchitoches-Central (0-2)

The Panthers' running game should feast on a defense that has allowed 96 points in two games.

Dropped out: No. 16 University Lab, No. 24 Plaquemine, No. 25 Southside

First out: St. Charles Catholic, Ouachita Parish, Mandeville, Lake Charles College Prep, Cecilia, St. James, Notre Dame, Lafayette Renaissance

Add us as a preferred source on Google