They lost five college prospects to graduation, but the Raiders of
Archbishop Rummel (Metairie) are well prepared to repeat their dream 2019 season in 2020. After a tumultuous offseason due to COVID-19, Louisiana kicks off its high school football season this week.
The Raiders, coming off a 13-0 season and a Louisiana High School Athletic Association Division I championship, begin the season at No. 1 in the MaxPreps preseason computer rankings. They host Hammond on Friday to open the season.
Rummel returns two of the top seniors in Louisiana in 6-foot, 195-pound running back
Logan Diggs, ranked No. 17 in the 247Sports state rankings, along with 6-1, 205-pound linebacker
Kobe Fields (No. 24).
Diggs, who rushed for 924 yards and five touchdowns last year, has committed to Notre Dame, while Fields is headed to Oklahoma State.
Last year's title was the Raiders third state title of the decade, after winning back-to-back crowns starting in 2012.
Two other undefeated defending state champions also earned Top 10 rankings in No. 2
Acadiana (Lafayette) (15-0, 5A) and No. 10
St. James (15-0, 3A).
Acadiana outscored opponents by an average score of 46-16, but used its defense to pull out an 8-3 win over Destrehan in last year's 5A finals for the Rams' fourth state title of the decade.
St. James had no such struggle in last year's 3A title game, beating Jennings 51-14. The Wildcats return the top state's top-rated senior defensive end in
Saivion Jones, a 6-5, 245-pounder. Junior wide receiver
Shazz Preston (6-2, 190) and senior linebacker/running back
Kaleb Brown (5-10, 195) are other top returners for St. James.
Just out of the Top 25 is No. 29
Terrebonne (Houma), which features the state's top senior recruit, defensive tackle
Maason Smith, the nation's No. 19 recruit overall who will join Jones at LSU.
Perhaps the state's most watched player is the country's top-rated sophomore quarterback in
Arch Manning of
Newman (New Orleans). The Greenies starts the season at No. 63 after going 9-2 at the Division III level.
Manning is the nephew of NFL Super Bowl championship quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning.
Louisiana high school football rankings
1. Archbishop Rummel, 13-0 last season
2. Acadiana, 15-0
3.
Edna Karr (New Orleans), 12-2
4.
Catholic-B.R. (Baton Rouge), 12-1
5.
Carencro (Lafayette), 10-3
6.
John Curtis Christian (River Ridge), 10-2
7.
Brother Martin (New Orleans), 9-3
8.
Lafayette Christian Academy (Lafayette), 12-1
9.
Ruston, 7-6
10. St. James, 15-0
11.
East Ascension (Gonzales), 9-3
12.
Easton (New Orleans), 10-4
13.
St. Thomas More (Lafayette), 11-2
14.
West Monroe, 11-2
15.
Holy Cross (New Orleans), 5-6
16.
Alexandria, 10-2
17.
Haughton, 11-3
18.
St. Augustine (New Orleans), 6-6
19.
Destrehan, 11-4
20.
Airline (Bossier City), 10-3
21.
Mandeville, 10-4
22.
Walker, 8-4
23.
Zachary, 12-3
24.
Hahnville (Boutte), 9-3
