Two Louisiana High School Football Teams Cancel Games Amid Safety Concerns

In Louisiana’s smallest football classification, two programs — Gueydan and Highland Baptist — have canceled games to protect their players, raising questions about depth, health, and the future of Class 1A football.

A pair of Louisiana Class 1A football programs - Gueydan and Highland Baptist - have canceled their games this week over safety concerns. / SBLive Sports

Numbers can be tough in Louisiana's Class 1A, the smallest football-playing classification. Two schools- Gueydan and Highland Baptist - canceled their games this week, citing the health and well-being of their student-athletes.

Shared Mascot, Shared Struggles

Gueydan (0-7) canceled its game against Westminster Christian-Lafayette, which was coming off a 49-14 win over Highland Baptist. Gueydan and Highland Baptist, which share the same mascot (Bears), are both members of District 6-1A. The two schools are scheduled to meet in Week 10.

A Season of Setbacks and Small Victories

Highland Baptist was set to face undefeated Ascension Episcopal tonight. The Bears, who have been shutout four times, played Berchmans Academy tough in Week 3 (lost 25-19). Last year, Highland Baptist recorded its one win with a 42-20 defeat of Gueydan.

Gueydan was coming off its closest loss of the season, a 30-20 setback to Trhive Academy. Located in rural western Vermilion Parish, Gueydan has a population of a little more 1,000 residents and is known for its annual duck festival.

District 6-1A is also home to Vermilion Catholic, which went undefeated in 2024 and won the Division IV select state championship. Vermilion Catholic blanked Highland Baptist 63-0 in Week 5 and is scheduled to host Gueydan next week.

Impact Across Class 1A

Elsewhere in Class 1A, Oberlin forfeited its Week Six game against Elton, which affected the race for the state's rushing leader. Elton's Makelin Lemoine, who is second behind Trevin Simon (Ascension Catholic) has played one less game.

The Numbers Tell the Story

Oberlin (2-4) resumed play last week with a 51-48 win over Merryville. The Tigers from Allen Parish have 120 students. Gueydan has an enrollment of 125; Highland Baptist 134. Undefeated Hamiton Christian of Lake Charles has only 87 students.

By comparison, the largest non-football playing school in Class B (Choudrant) has 213 students.

Hope for the Future

The future should be brighter for Highland Baptist located in New Iberia, a city of approximately 30,000. The Bears have only a couple of seniors with six juniors and 13 sophomores. In 2021, the Bears finished 5-5 under retired coach Rick Hutson. Hopefully, both the Gueydan and Highland Baptist programs can return to action soon.

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