Nine St. Tammany Parish teams enter Louisiana’s high school football playoffs with distinct paths: undefeated Mandeville and 9-1 Northshore earned first-round byes, while seven others begin this week. Mandeville is projected to reach the state championship for the first time; Salmen is another pick for a deep run, with most of the remaining teams expected to exit by the second round.

By the Numbers
  • 9 St. Tammany teams qualified for the playoffs.
  • 2 teams — Mandeville and Northshore — earned first-round byes.
  • 3 teams are projected to reach at least the semifinals: Mandeville, Northshore and Salmen.
Yes, But

Mandeville’s perfect regular season and top seed make it the parish’s strongest title contender, but it has never won a state championship. Northshore’s defense has been dominant, yet the Panthers must protect the ball to sustain their run. For several other teams, turnovers, injuries or narrow losses could quickly end the season.

State of Play
  • Mandeville and Northshore are off this week and begin their postseason runs in the second round.
  • Slidell, St. Paul’s, Salmen, Lakeshore, Hannan and Pope John Paul II host first-round games; Covington travels to West Monroe.
  • The outlooks favor first-round wins for Slidell, St. Paul’s, Lakeshore, Hannan and Pope John Paul II; Covington is projected to lose.
What's Next

The first round begins this week. Mandeville is projected to reach the state title game, Northshore the semifinals and Salmen the quarterfinals; most other parish teams are expected to be eliminated by the second round.

Bottom Line

St. Tammany has its strongest opportunity in the top-seeded Mandeville Skippers, but the parish’s playoff story is broader: two byes, several home games and multiple teams capable of making a run.