All-Catholic League matchup highlights first round of select football playoff pairings

All-Catholic League Matchup Highlights First Round of Select Football Playoff Pairings

The first round of the LHSAA Division I select playoffs features an all-Catholic League game for the second consecutive year. A year after John Curtis eliminated Brother Martin in the opening round, No. 22 Holy Cross (4-6) will meet Rummel in their inaugural playoff encounter.

Series History Between Rummel and Holy Cross

Rummel recently defeated Holy Cross 24-3 in Week 8 at Tad Gormley Stadium, extending their series lead to 41 wins against 15 losses. Although Rummel has dominated since the rivalry began in 1966, Holy Cross won in 2021 and 2023.

Path Forward in the Playoffs

The winner of Rummel vs. Holy Cross will advance to face No. 6 Tioga (8-2) in the second round.
The victor in that matchup could then meet No. 9 Augustine (9-1) in the quarterfinals.
Augustine, holding its highest playoff seed since 2013, has a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 19 Carencro (6-4) in round two.

Other Notable District 9-5A Playoff Highlights

The reigning state champion Karr, boasting a 23-game winning streak, also has a bye in the first round. Karr recorded shutouts over both John Curtis and other opponents this season.

John Curtis will face the winner between No. 12 Brother Martin (6-4) and No. 21 Liberty (6-4). The winner of that game will advance to compete against No. 5 Alexandria (8-2), last season’s state runner-up.

"The winner will advance to face No. 6 Tioga (8-2) in the second round, and the winner there could advance to face No. Augustine (9-1) in a quarterfinal."

Author’s summary: The opening round of the LHSAA playoffs features a key all-Catholic League clash and sets the stage for top seeded teams like Augustine and Karr to make deep runs.

NOLA.com — 2025-11-09