Brodie DuMontier (14) scores a touchdown to cap Brother Martin's 31-3 victory over Holy Cross in a District 9-5A game at Tad Gormley Stadium on Nov. 7.

By: Ron Brocato

Brother Martin will open the LHSAA Select Division I football playoffs with an unfamiliar opponent on Friday, Nov. 14.

The No. 12-seeded Crusaders will host the No. 20 seed, Liberty, a Baton Rouge magnet school with a similar record of 6-4. The game will be played at Tad Gormley Stadium at 7 p.m., and Brother Martin, as the higher seed, will be the host team. The LHSAA announced the Select and Non-Select playoff brackets on Sunday. The Crusaders gained the berth by virtue of their 31-3 victory over District 9-5A rival Holy Cross on Nov. 7 to end the regular season with two consecutive victories. They finished district play in fourth place with a 3-4 record in the league and are 6-4 overall. The Crusaders are one of seven district rivals to qualify for the state playoffs. Warren Easton, winless in its seven district games, was eliminated for the second consecutive year.

Joining Coach Mark Bonis’s Crusaders are the defending Division I champion and top-seeded Edna Karr, No. 3 St. Augustine (9-1 overall, 6-1 in district play), No. 7 John Curtis (7-2, 5-2), No. 11 Rummel (6-4, 4-3), and No. 12 Brother Martin as host schools. Also from the district are No. 17 Jesuit (5-5, 2-5) and No. 22 Holy Cross (4-6, 1-6), which will play Rummel, to whom the Tigers lost, 24-3, three weeks ago.

Jesuit will face No. 16 McDonogh 35, with the winner facing Karr in the regional round on Nov. 20. Karr defeated Jesuit, 41-0, in a district game. Among the top eight seeds, Karr, St. Augustine, and Curtis will have first round byes and then join the opening round winners in the regional playoff round on Nov 21-22.

Brother Martin’s first round opponent has not been a playoff contender since 2021, when the Patriots were eliminated by St. Thomas More in the regional round of the Select D-I tournament. A member of District 4-5A, placed third in its district behind Catholic High, the No. 4 playoff seed, and No. 5 Central. As did Brother Martin, the Patriots ended district and season play with a pair of wins over 1-9 Scotlandville, 52-31, and 4-6 Woodlawn, 30-21. Liberty has non-district wins over Class 1A opponents Southern Lab, 41-28; and White Castle, 58-0, and 3A Bogalusa, 62-0, and has lost to 3A Lutcher, 27-20, and 5A Salmen, 38-22.

The Brother Martin-Liberty victor will travel to Alexandria Senior High, the No. 5 seed, in the regional round.

The Brother Martin defense had Holy Cross ball carriers hemmed in throughout their District 9-5A finale on Nov. 7. The Crusaders held their opponent to a field goal to win in convincing fashion, 31-3.