Vermilion Catholic placekicker Dane Richoux (8) prepares to kick an extra point as Jonathan Dartez (1) holds the ball during a district game at Jeanerette this season. The Eagles are currently No. 1 in the LHSAA’s power ratings in Select Division IV and are expected to have a first-round bye in the playoffs. Playoff brackets and first-round pairings will be announced on Sunday.
Abbeville running back Edmar Simon III (5) carries the ball against St. Martinville this past week. The Wildcats close out the regular season tonight at home against Kaplan. The winner will claim both the District 5-3A title and the Peter Russo Memorial Trophy. Abbeville is No. 14 in the Non-Select Division II power ratings.
Kaplan fullback Jed Devoltz (11) carries the ball against North Vermilion in the 2023 season opener. The Pirates close out the regular season at Abbeville tonight with the District 5-3A title and the Peter Russo Memorial Trophy on the line. Kaplan is No. 20 in the Non-Select Division II power ratings.
3 VP teams aim for playoffs
Three Vermilion Parish teams are solidly in the playoff picture with one game remaining in the 2023 high school football season.
Vermilion Catholic, Abbeville and Kaplan each are situated in the top 20 in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s unofficial power ratings for their respective divisions.
The top 28 ranked teams in each non-select division at the end of the season will receive bids to the playoffs. The top 24 teams in each select division receive playoff bids. Select schools are any private, full magnet and lab schools, and some charter schools. Non-select schools are any public schools not classified as magnet schools, lab schools or those charter schools not classified as select schools.
VC (9-0) is currently the No. 1 team in the unofficial Select Division IV power rankings. Division IV is for schools with the smallest enrollments, with Division I for the largest.
The Screaming Eagles have the fourth highest power rating of any school in any select or non-select division at 16.17. The only schools with higher power ratings are Calvary Baptist (17.34), St. Charles Catholic (16.71) and Isidore Newman (16.71) in Select Division III. Jena (16.15) of Non-Select Division III and St. Thomas More (16.03) of Select Division II are the only other schools in any division with a power rating above 16.00.
Vermilion Catholic will draw a first-round bye in the playoffs as the top eight teams in each select division have byes and open the playoffs at home in the regional round. Teams seeded ninth through 16th host first-round games. The higher seeded team is home in each matchup until the championship round.
Abbeville (7-2) is currently No. 14 in the Non-Select Division II power ratings with an 11.57 rating. Kaplan (7-2) is 20th in Non-Select Division II with a 10.62 power rating.
The top four seeds in the non-select divisions receive byes, with teams seeded fifth through 16th hosting first-round playoff games.
Geauxpreps.com, a website dedicated to Louisiana prep sports, projects Abbeville as the No. 13 seed in Division II and matches the Wildcats up with No. 20 Rayne (6-3) at Wildcat Stadium.
Geauxpreps projects Kaplan as the No. 23 seed with a first-round road game at No. 10 Franklin Parish (6-3).
Bi-district playoff games will be played Nov. 9-11. Regional round games are scheduled Nov. 16-18. The quarterfinals are set Nov. 24-25. The semifinals are Nov. 30-Dec. 1.
The Ochsner LHSAA Prep Classic championship games will be played at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans from Dec. 7-9.
North Vermilion (2-7) is No. 33 in the current power ratings in Non-Select Division II and Erath (1-8) is 40th in Non-Select Division II.
Five teams that compete in District 4-4A with North Vermilion are currently in the playoff picture.
Westgate (5-4) is No. 21 in the Non-Select Division I power ratings.
The remaining teams are eligible for the Select Division II playoffs, including No. 1 St. Thomas More (9-0), No. 2 Lafayette Christian (8-1), No. 5 Teurlings Catholic (6-3) and No. 16 Northside (4-5).
Delcambre (0-9) is No. 34 in Select Division IV and Gueydan (0-9) is No. 40 in Non-Select Division IV.
Several schools in District 8-2A alongside Delcambre are in position for the playoffs. Loreauville (6-3) is No. 12 in Non-Select Division III. Franklin (4-5) is No. 19 in Non-Select Division IV. Catholic High of New Iberia (7-2) is fifth and Ascension Episcopal (6-3) is 15th in Select Division III.
Teams in District 5-A alongside Gueydan also have playoff aspirations. Oberlin (7-2) is No. 15 and Elton (5-3) is No. 24 in Non-Select Division IV. Hamilon Christian (4-5) is No. 2 in Select Division IV.
Vermilion Catholic also has several district opponents set for playoff bids. Jeanerette (7-2) is No. 5 and Centerville (5-4) is No. 23 in Non-Select Division IV.
In Select Division IV, Central Catholic (6-3) is No. 7, Hanson Memorial (7-2) is No. 15 and Covenant Christian (3-6) is No. 20.
The LHSAA power ratings remain unofficial until after the regular season concludes and teams are given the opportunity to appeal their seedings or results. The playoff brackets will be released by the LHSAA on Sunday.