It’s playoff time in Louisiana, and St. Tammany Parish will be well represented when the football postseason begins this week.
Nine St. Tammany teams are headed to the postseason. Three teams will be at home in the first round. Five teams will be on the road, and Lakeshore will enjoy a first-round bye in Division II nonselect.
Below are outlooks and recent histories for all nine playoff teams from St. Tammany Parish.
DIVISION I NONSELECT
Mandeville (6-4)
Seed: 18 (travels to No. 15 Thibodaux)
2024 playoff results: Mandeville was the 5 seed, defeating (28) Thibodaux, 31-16, in the first round; before falling to (21) West Monroe, 20-9, in the second round.
State championships: Mandeville has never won a state title.
Playoff record the past five seasons: 4-2.
Best finish the past five seasons: Semifinals in 2023.
Notable: The Skippers opened with a 38-25 home win over Salmen, but third-year starting QB Ben Hendricks suffered a season-ending injury. … The injury forced freshman Krew Collura under center a year early, and the Skippers struggled as they searched for a new identity on offense. … Mandeville seemingly took a huge step forward with a 26-9 road win over Covington to open District 6-5A play in Week 6. … But Mandeville fell at Hammond, 20-17, the following week to even their district record. … The Skippers and Collura grew from that experience as Mandeville won two of its final three games to close out the regular season and secure a postseason berth.
Outlook: Mandeville has averaged 31 points over its last last three games. Collura has looked more and more comfortable under center as the offense has grown. At the same time, the defense has played well and continued to put more and more pressure on opposing teams. That’s a good sign for a relatively young team. The Skippers seem to be peaking at the right time and will be a tough out.
Prediction: The Skippers will pull off a road upset in the first round before falling at Neville in the second round.
Salmen (6-4)
Seed: 20 (travels to No. 13 Zachary)
2024 playoff results: Salmen was the 26 seed, falling to (7) Northwood-Shreveport, 54-27, in the first round.
State championships: Salmen has won three state titles (1994, 1995, 2000).
Playoff record the past five seasons: 1-4.
Best finish the past five seasons: Second round in 2023.
Notable: Just like a year ago, the Spartans dropped their first two games of the season to Mandeville and East Ascension, but this time, the scores were much closer. It was a good sign for the rest of the season. … Salmen reeled off three straight wins after that including an impressive 35-28 home victory over Lakeshore in Week 5. … District 7-5A play was a wild ride as Salmen fell 31-28 to Northshore in the district opener in Week 6, only to rebound with wins over Fontainebleau (32-7) and Slidell (35-21). … Those victories set up a Week 10 shutdown with defending district champion Chalmette. The Spartans scored 14 points in the final two minutes to earn a thrilling 28-24 victory and a share of the district crown.
Outlook: Salmen seems to have a found a little magic in the second half of the season. Junior QB Da’John Howard has been impressive with both his passing and running ability, and it’s a big reason why the Spartans ended the season winning three of their last four games. The offense is averaging 32 points per game, while the defense is giving up 26 points. It’s a recipe for the success, if Salmen can limit its turnovers and hit on a few big offensive plays a game.
Prediction: The Spartans will fall in a close game on the road in the first round.
Slidell (6-4)
Seed: 22 (travels to No. 11 Hahnville)
2024 playoff results: Did not qualify for the playoffs.
State championships: Slidell has won two state titles (1944, 1945).
Playoff record the past five seasons: 1-3.
Best finish the past five seasons: Second round in 2022.
Notable: After managing just two wins during the 2024 season, the Tigers opened the 2025 season with three wins in their first four games including a dominating 28-14 home victory over Mandeville in Week 4. … The Tigers struggled a bit over their next four games with three losses including a 35-21 defeat at home to District 7-5A rival Salmen in Week 8. … Slidell showed its resolve over the final two weeks as the Tigers earned a 36-28 overtime win at Chalmette in Week 9, and followed that up with a 42-3 dismantling of Northshore to lock up a share of the District 7-5A title.
Outlook: Slidell grew up a lot this season. The Tigers are guaranteed a winning record after finishing with just two wins last year. It’s been fun to watch what is still a relatively young team find its way to a district title. Junior running back Ja’Kwan Jones is a difference-maker on an offense full of talent, and the defense has improved from its early-season struggles. Slidell is a dangerous team.
Prediction: The Tigers will lose a close first-round on the road.
Covington (6-4)
Seed: 27 (travels to No. 6 Parkway)
2024 playoff results: Covington was the 16 seed, defeating (17) Barbe, 36-29, in the first round; before falling to (1) Neville, 44-13, in the second round.
State championships: Covington has won one state title (1976).
Playoff record the past five seasons: 1-4.
Best finish the past five seasons: Second round in 2024.
Notable: The Lions opened the season with a 4-1 record, capped by a 28-7 win at Fontainebleau before District 6-5A play began. Covington outscored their opponents, 171-56, over those five games. … Covington suffered its second loss in Week 6 against Mandeville as the Lions fell 26-9 in the District 6-5A opener for both teams. … It was a see-saw season from that point forward as Covington scored back-to-back wins over Slidell (28-7) and Hammond (25-14) before dropping its final two games to Ponchatoula (24-14) and St. Paul’s (34-14) to end the regular season.
Outlook: Covington’s season has been a rollercoaster to say the least. When the Lions are good, they are very solid, but when mistakes, both mental and physical, creep into their play, they struggle. After averaging 34 points per game through the first half of the season, the offense bogged down, averaging just half of that over the final five games. The Lions simply can’t overcome mental mistakes or penalties that put them behind the chains as the defense has spent too much time on the field in the second half of the season. If Covington has any hope of making a run, it will take a disciplined effort on both sides of ball to pull off a first-round upset.
Prediction: The Lions will fall on the road in the first round.
DIVISION I SELECT
St. Paul’s (8-2)
Seed: 9 (hosts No. 24 Pineville)
2024 playoff results: St. Paul’s was the 7 seed, falling to (10) C.E. Byrd, 37-15, in the second round.
State championships: St. Paul’s has never won a state title.
Playoff record the past five seasons: 3-5.
Best finish the past five seasons: Semifinals in 2021.
Notable: This is the 23nd consecutive season the Wolves finished the regular season with a non-losing record. … St. Paul’s weathered a tough pre-district schedule that included tight losses to Brother Martin and University High. … The Wolves reeled off five straight victories to end the regular season by a combined score of 189-74. … The Wolves locked up the District 6-5A title with a 31-24 victory over Mandeville in Week 9. … St. Paul’s secured its 19th consecutive district win and third straight undefeated district title with a 34-14 win over Covington in Week 10 in the Battle for the Little Brown Jug.
Outlook: St. Paul’s has scored 30 or more points in each of its last five games, and the Wolves are averaging 34 points per game overall. Most importantly, St. Paul’s has found its identity as a ground and pound offense led by senior running back Cody Corales, who now has over 1,400 yards and 17 TDs on the season. He’s a huge weapon to have, and the defense is coming into its own. The Wolves are playing complimentary football at the right time, and if that continues, St. Paul’s can compete against anyone.
Prediction: St. Paul’s will win its first-round game at Hunter Stadium before falling on the road in a close second-round contest at Evangel.
DIVISION II NONSELECT
Lakeshore (8-2)
Seed: 4 (first-round bye)
2024 playoff results: Lakeshore was the 8 seed, defeating (25) Rayne, 48-12, in the first round; knocking off (9) Iota, 17-10, in the second round before falling to (1) Franklinton, 41-40, in the quarterfinals.
State championships: Lakeshore has never won a state title.
Playoff record the past five seasons: 5-5.
Best finish the past five seasons: Quarterfinals in 2024.
Notable: Lakeshore opened the season on a 4-game win streak, outscoring its opponents 128-40. … The Titans stumbled against Salmen as the Spartans turned three fumbles into 21 points en route to a 35-28 defeat in Week 5. … Lakeshore opened District 7-4A play with a 41-27 home victory over Franklinton, who knocked the Titans out of the quarterfinals last season. … Lakeshore carried that momentum to three more district wins by a combined score of 122-34 to lock up an undefeated district title, their first since 2022. … The Titans dropped the regular-season finale 28-21 against Class 5A Hahnville.
Outlook: The Titans has been the most consistent team in the parish this season. When they hold on to the ball and take advantage of their scoring chances, they are tough to beat. Mid-season injuries showed this team’s toughness as the Titans adjusted and were still successful. Junior QB Brody Loudermilk has grown into the position, but Lakeshore will need to vary the offense a bit to have success deeper in the playoffs. The Titans have all the tools for a deep run, but they need to play clean football to achieve their goals.
Prediction: The Titans will make their first semifinals run since 2019 before falling on the road at top-seeded North Caddo.
Pearl River (4-5)
Seed: 14 (hosts No. 19 Opelousas)
2024 playoff results: Pearl River was the 15 seed, losing to (18) Cecilia, 50-29, in the first round.
State championships: Pearl River has never won a state title.
Playoff record the past five seasons: 0-5.
Best finish the past five seasons: First round in 2020-24.
Notable: The Rebels started the season with a 30-20 road win at St. Martin’s to give first-year coach Jerry Leonard his first win after an 8-year hiatus from coaching. … Pearl River dropped five of its next six games as injuries especially on the offensive and defensive lines reeked havoc on the team’s offense. … The Rebels stayed the course and finished the season with back-to-back wins over Pope John Paul II (35-21) and Loranger (41-20) as the ground game took over. … The late surge means that the Rebels will play in the postseason for the 10th consecutive season and will host a home playoff game in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2018 and 2019.
Outlook: The Rebels have seemingly righted the ship in the final two games of the season. Injuries up front have been the story of the season, but to Pearl River’s credit, they have not made excuses for the adversity. Players and coaches went to work on solutions, and Pearl River is averaging 371 yards rushing in its last two victories. That is winning football. Now, they have a chance to win their first playoff game since 2018.
Prediction: The Rebels will win a first-round playoff game at home before falling on the road in the second round at Belle Chasse.
DIVISION III SELECT
Northlake Christian (6-3)
Seed: 12 (hosts No. 21 St. Louis Catholic)
2024 playoff results: Northlake was the 10 seed, defeating (23) St. Louis Catholic, 48-16, in the first round; before falling to (7) Catholic-NI, 59-22, in the second round.
State championships: The Wolverines have never won a state title.
Playoff record the past five seasons: 2-4.
Best finish the past five seasons: Second round in 2022 & 2024.
Notable: The Wolverines stumbled out of the gates losing 14-13 at Hannan to open the season. … After a convincing 37-20 win at Episcopal in Week 2, NCS dropped to 1-2 with a tough 28-8 home loss to Lakeshore in Week 4. … Then, Northlake caught fire and reeled off four straight victories by a combined score of 161-7. … The hot streak was snapped by St. Helena in Week 9 as the Hawks earned a 30-24 victory that eventually led to the district crown. … The Wolverines bounced back with a commanding 57-15 win over Independence in Week 10 to lock up a home playoff game.
Outlook: Northlake has plenty of talent on this team highlighted by senior skill players Kameron Casnave, Charlie Gilmore and Jordan Willis. That trio is special in terms of skill and speed on both sides of the ball. They are hard to defend on offense, and Gilmore and Willis are ballhawks in the secondary. The X-factor for NCS is the play of senior QB Sam Grant along with the offensive and defensive lines. If the Wolverines can control the line of scrimmage, they are hard to beat.
Prediction: Northlake will win first-round home playoff game before falling on the road in the second round at Dunham.
Pope John Paul II (5-5)
Seed: 19 (travels to No. 14 Slaughter Community Charter)
2024 playoff results: The Jaguars were the 11 seed, defeating (22) Holy Savior Menard, 39-14, in the first round; before falling to (6) Episcopal, 24-7, in the second round.
State championships: The Jaguars have never won a state title.
Playoff record the past five seasons: 1-3.
Best finish the past five seasons: Second round in 2024.
Notable: The Jaguars opened the season with tough losses to Pearl River Central (34-16) and Riverdale (36-14) sandwiched around a 50-6 domination of Varnado in Week 2. … PJP II reeled off three straight wins after that by a combined score of 126-25. … But the Jaguars stumbled down the stretch as they dropped three of their last four games. It all started with a 14-0 district loss to Northlake Christian in Week 7. … After a 40-8 rebound win over Independence in Week 8, the Jaguars lost to Pearl River (35-21) and St. Helena (34-24) en route to a road playoff game.
Outlook: Coming off a season where they won a playoff game for the first time since 2011, the Jaguars had plans to host another postseason contest this season, but it was not to be. Senior running back Dominik Smith has been dynamic, but PJP II will need to develop other offensive threats if they want to make a postseason run. The talent is there, but the Jaguars have to play a clean game if they want to advance.
Prediction: PJP II will win on the road in the first round before falling in the second round at Jewel Sumner.
