Mandeville Football Seeks Historic State Title With No. 1 Seed
Nine St. Tammany Parish teams enter the Louisiana playoffs this week, with the undefeated Skippers holding home field advantage and a clear path to the championship game.
By Arjun Weber ·
The Louisiana High School Association Athletic Activities football postseason begins this week with nine teams from St. Tammany Parish participating. For the first time in school history, Mandeville enters the brackets as the No. 1 seed in Division I nonselect. The Skippers, who finished the regular season with a 10-0 record, will host their first-round opponent at Sidney Theriot Stadium. This home-field advantage eliminates travel and allows the squad to rest before facing a potential opponent in the second round.
Mandeville’s path to the state championship game is clear because the No. 1 seed does not play in the first round. The team must defeat its second-round opponent to advance to the semifinals and then win a third game to reach the final. If the Skippers win the state title, they will play in the Superdome, a venue they have never reached in their program history. Their most recent deep playoff run occurred in 2023, when they reached the semifinals.
The team’s success this season relied on consistent scoring and defensive improvement. Sophomore quarterback Krew Collura has started 21 varsity games and holds a 16-5 record, including a playoff road win. In Week 9, Mandeville defeated Northshore 20-17 in a battle of unbeatens. Junior kicker Kingsley Hunt made a 40-yard field goal with under two minutes remaining to secure that victory. The Skippers also set a new single-game scoring record with a 78-21 win over Bonnabel in Week 2, surpassing a 76-point mark set in 1976.
Five other St. Tammany teams will play at home in the first round. Mandeville and Northshore both received first-round byes. Covington is the only St. Tammany team forced to travel in the opening round, heading to West Monroe. The remaining home teams are Slidell, St. Paul’s, Salmen, and Northshore. Northshore, which finished 9-1, allows just 46 points over its last five games. Senior defensive back Tyson Burns recorded four interceptions in the final regular season win over Slidell.
Covington will face West Monroe, the No. 13 seed, in a road game. The Lions finished 6-4 and have won three consecutive games, including a 20-17 victory over St. Paul’s to retain the Little Brown Jug. Senior running back Rodney Clark rushed for 261 yards in that final district game. St. Paul’s, also 6-4, hosts Woodlawn-BR, the No. 19 seed. The Wolves are in their 24th consecutive season with a non-losing record, though they lost their final game of the regular season to Covington. Salmen, a 7-3 team, hosts Franklinton, the No. 28 seed.
These nine teams represent the full depth of St. Tammany Parish football in the 2026 playoffs. The brackets include teams from Division I select, Division I nonselect, and Division II nonselect. Mandeville’s No. 1 seed status places them in the strongest position to claim the state trophy. The first round games are scheduled to begin this week, with Mandeville and Northshore waiting for their opponents to emerge.
