The toughest schedule being played in 5A this year is… (not who you think)

I found the state ranking of every opponent a 5A team has and added them up and divided by the games played…

It’s not Karr. The defending champs play a formidable Catholic League schedule and Ruston in the Superdome as a nondistrict blockbuster, but the games against #88 Huntington and #85 Chalmette bring it down just a notch.

It’s not Ruston. They go all over the map playing top teams from three states (and do have the strongest nonselect schedule), but their games against #101 Pineville and #214 Peabody drop their average just enough.

It’s not Catholic of Baton Rouge. They have four different states represented, but also #65 Liberty Magnet and #78 Woodlawn of Baton Rouge.

It’s not John Curtis. #61 Lafayette Renaissance in week 3 drops them below the top.

The toughest schedule being played in Louisiana 5A in 2026 belongs to the Brother Martin Crusaders.

W1 @ Southside
W2 @ St. Paul’s
W3 @ Warren Easton
W4 @ Jesuit*
W5 Karr*
W6 Rummel*
W7 @ John Curtis*
W8 St. Augustine*
W9 @ Chalmette*
W10 @ Holy Cross*

It doesn’t have the out of state flash of other elite LA teams, but there are no weak spots until Chalmette (and we’re not a weak 5A team, just weak for the Catholic League). Easton Royal will have a battle every week, but that’s why he is who he is.

Brother Martin 23.7
John Curtis 24.5
Catholic BR 25.4
Holy Cross 25.7
Rummel 26.6
Jesuit 30.8
Karr 32
St. Augustine 33.9
Ruston 38.5
Zachary 38.7
West Monroe 43.5
Central 46.5
Chalmette 49.4
C.E. Byrd 51.2
Alexandria 52.2
Huntington 53.6

*I’ll probably remake this list later, but with the best and worst opponent for each team dropped from the calculation, and probably another one with just non district games factored in, since teams you’re forced to play can skew things