TL;DR
My wrist is killing me, and I didn’t play a single down. St. Augustine crushed Edna Karr 52–14 on Halloween night, snapping the Cougars’ 35-game winning streak and paying them back for last December’s title-game loss. Jaelle Noble accounted for seven touchdowns. Freshman Louis Brown III picked off three passes and took one back 99 yards. And some report more than 18,000 people got to watch Black excellence in purple, gold, red and blue.
Key Points
- St. Augustine beat two-time defending state champion Edna Karr 52–14 and moved to 9–0.
- After trailing 8–0, the Purple Knights scored 52 straight points.
- Junior quarterback Jaelle Noble threw five touchdowns and ran for two more.
- Freshman Louis Brown III had three interceptions, including a 99-yard pick-six.
- The win avenged St. Aug’s 49–14 loss to Karr in last year’s Division I Select championship.
- A December rematch in the Superdome is very much on the table.
My wrist is aching this morning. I didn’t play a down.
I didn’t throw a pass, make a tackle or block one of those massive Edna Karr defensive linemen. All I did was sit in the stands at Tad Gormley Stadium, surrounded by St. Augustine alumni and friends, while the Purple Knights took apart Karr 52–14. And every time St. Aug scored a touchdown or intercepted a pass or sacked their QB, I was a high fiving fool.
I believe I sprained my wrist. All that high-fiving will do that to you. After a night like this, I may need medical attention.
Let me start at the beginning.
Before the Football, There Was Black Joy
Before kickoff, the skies opened up. Rain poured over the stadium, lightning flashed nearby, and officials cleared the stands.
For a while, the weather threatened New Orleans’ biggest high school game of the year. Nobody left. The second officials gave the all-clear, fans poured right back into their seats. By kickoff, the crowd reportedly topped 18,000.
And then something magical happened. The Black joy was as thick as the after-rain humidity.
The bands started playing, and the crowds started dancing. One band played a song. The other side answered with its own. Take that! No, YOU take that!
Two proud Black institutions faced each other with thousands of families, generations of alumni and a field full of gifted young men. That was Black excellence on full display, and nobody had snapped the ball yet.
St. Aug Fans Could Feel Something Different
St. Aug fans seemed to outnumber Karr’s in the stands. More importantly, they had confidence.
This wasn’t the usual nervous hope that the Purple Knights might pull off an upset. These fans believed they had the better team.
That was a bold belief. Karr came in undefeated, a two-time defending state champion riding a 35-game winning streak. The Cougars hadn’t lost on the field since December 2023. And last December, Karr beat St. Aug 49–14 in the Division I Select title game at the Superdome. Purple Knight fans remembered every point of that one.
Still, this St. Augustine team felt different. It spent the season putting opponents on running clocks. The offense was explosive, the defense was aggressive, and the quarterback could beat you with his arm or his legs.
Karr was still Karr, though. The Cougars had size, speed, depth and championship experience. Nobody expected a walkover. Certainly not me.
“First, congratulations to Edna Karr on an incredible 35-game winning streak. But Saturday night belonged to the Purple Knights. These young men have worked hard for this moment, and I truly believe this is our time to win it all. Congratulations on an outstanding performance. Keep pushing toward that championship!”
— Shawn Flot, St. Augustine Class of 1980
Flot said what a lot of us were feeling. We respect what Karr built. We also believe this team can bring home St. Aug’s first state title since 1979.
In our pregame analysis, we said this game would be won in the trenches. We were right. Even I didn’t see what came next.
Karr Struck First. Then St. Aug Scored 52 Straight.
Both defenses came out swinging. Karr went nowhere on its first drive and punted.
St. Aug missed a few early chances. Then disaster struck. Karr blocked a St. Aug punt, recovered it in the end zone and added a two-point conversion. Cougars 8, Purple Knights 0.
For a moment, it looked like the champs were about to remind everybody who they were. That moment didn’t last.
Noble answered with a 10-yard touchdown run and punched in the two-pointer himself. Tie game. By the end of the first quarter, St. Aug led 20–8, and the floodgates were open. Noble found Lucas Jefferson for a long touchdown, then hit Miguel Whitley from 17 yards out to make it 27–8.
And the play that turned a win into a rout? It came from a freshman.
Louis Brown III: Remember the Name
Karr was driving deep into St. Aug territory, desperate for a touchdown to get back in it.
Freshman safety Louis Brown III had other plans. He picked off the pass near his own goal line and took off. Ninety-nine yards later, he was celebrating in the end zone. St. Aug 33, Karr 8.
Somewhere in the stands, my wrist suffered another injury. High-five! High-five! Another high-five!
Brown wasn’t finished. He finished with three interceptions. A freshman. Against the two-time defending state champions.
St. Augustine has a long line of great defensive backs, including the class of ’79’s Daryl Songy who was an All American DB at Oklahoma under the legendary Barry Switzer. Brown brings back memories of that tradition. His instincts and composure are remarkable for a ninth grader. If he keeps developing, the scouts will be calling.
The Little Guys Up Front Won the Big Fight
All week, people talked about Karr’s size on the line. The Cougars had several enormous linemen. St. Aug was smaller across the board.
On paper, Karr had the edge. Football isn’t played on paper.
It’s played with leverage, technique, preparation and execution. Saturday night, St. Augustine’s offensive line put on a clinic. Noble had time to throw. Running lanes opened up, and the protection held against a very good defensive front. The Purple Knights mostly avoided the holding penalties that kill drives for undersized lines.
Yes, Karr got to Noble a few times. Those were exceptions.
By the late third quarter, it was 52–8, and Louisiana’s mercy rule kicked in. St. Aug put a running clock on Edna Karr. Not a rebuilding program. Not some overmatched opponent. Edna Karr.
That is exactly what we wrote before the game. Protect Noble, and St. Aug’s weapons take over. They did.
What Is a Running Clock?
Under Louisiana’s high school football mercy rule, a running clock kicks in when one team leads by 42 or more points. The clock keeps running through many situations that would normally stop it, so a lopsided game ends sooner. Some timeouts and administrative stoppages still apply. Source: Louisiana Football Officials Manual.
Jaelle Noble Could Be the Greatest St. Aug Quarterback Ever
Now I’m going to say something some older Purple Knights will want to argue about. Jaelle Noble has a chance to become the greatest quarterback in St. Augustine history.
That is saying something. Roy Henry was a remarkable talent who went to Notre Dame and was the starter over a guy named Joe Montana. Darren Dixon helped lead two championship teams. Louis Holmes helped build the Purple Knights’ championship tradition with a 15-0 record and the first undefeated champion in Louisiana football history at the highest classification. Raymond Gray was one of the purest passers ever to wear purple and gold. All were great QBs.
Those men earned their places in St. Aug history. Noble is building a different résumé.
Against Karr, he completed 9 of 14 passes for 230 yards and five touchdowns. He ran seven times for 84 yards and two more scores. Seven touchdowns, against the best defense St. Aug has seen all year.
What impresses me most is that he doesn’t panic. Remember that 8–0 hole? Noble didn’t blink. He just took over.
I believe he could become the first St. Augustine alumnus to start at quarterback in the NFL. He’s only a junior, and college, development, health and opportunity will decide the rest. After Saturday night, I wouldn’t bet against him.
The St. Aug Legacy Is Bigger Than One Game
Few high schools in America can match St. Augustine’s football tradition. Historical rankings have placed it among the nation’s leaders in NFL alumni. Think about the names: Tyrann Mathieu, Leonard Fournette, Trai Turner, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Leroy Hoard, Tyrone Hughes and James Hall.
The Honey Badger himself was in the stands Saturday night. Imagine being a freshman defensive back, picking off three passes while Tyrann Mathieu watches.
The tradition goes back even further. Melvin Howard, one of St. Aug’s early star running backs, earned a full scholarship to Northwestern and later went into its football Hall of Fame.
“The tradition and legacy of St. Augustine are unlike any other. Our dedication to excellence and our constant pursuit of improvement have always defined this program. That’s why we’re once again the dominant football program in Louisiana.”
— Melvin Howard, St. Augustine Class of 1968 and Northwestern football Hall of Fame inductee
Howard nailed it. Young men walk onto that campus knowing they’ve inherited something bigger than themselves. Saturday night, this group added to it.
Karr Is Still Karr. Hold the Parade.
Before my St. Aug friends accuse me of going soft, let me say it plainly: Edna Karr is still an outstanding program.
One loss doesn’t erase two straight state titles or 35 straight wins. Karr’s coaches will study every turnover and missed assignment from Saturday night. Championship teams respond to embarrassment. They don’t disappear.
We all know where this could be headed. These two teams could meet again in December, with the Division I Select title on the line in the Superdome, just like last year. A lot can change between now and then. Players get hurt, players grow up, and coaches adjust.
First, St. Aug has business Friday against Rummel, with an outright Catholic League title at stake. Saturday did settle one thing, though. St. Augustine was the better team. Not by a little. By a whole lot.
My Wrist Still Hurts. I’d Do It Again.
As I type this, my wrist is aching. Seriously. Every keystroke reminds me of another touchdown, another interception, another perfectly executed block and another high-five.
I wouldn’t change a thing.
Saturday night was bigger than a football score. Thousands of Black New Orleanians came together to celebrate excellence. Proud parents watched their sons compete, and old alumni relived their glory days. Two great Black institutions showed this city what preparation and discipline look like.
For St. Augustine, it was also about finally knocking off the giant.
Fifty-two to fourteen. A 35-game streak, snapped. Seven touchdowns from Jaelle Noble. Three picks from Louis Brown. A running clock on the defending champs.
High five after high five. And one very sore wrist.
If these teams meet again in the Dome, I’ll be there. This time, I’m bringing a wrist brace. All that high-fiving is tough, but it’s worth every ache.
Related reading at BSM: St. Aug vs. Karr: The Halloween Rematch Will Be Won in the Trenches | [Second BSM link]
About the Author
Jeff Thomas is the founder and publisher of Black Source Media and an owner of WBOK 1230 AM in New Orleans. He writes about New Orleans and Louisiana politics, power, culture and accountability, and he high-fives with enthusiasm.
Sources
- Crescent City Sports: St. Augustine ends Edna Karr win streak with 52-14 domination (Nov. 1, 2026)
- Fox 8: St. Aug ends Edna Karr’s 35-game win streak (Nov. 1, 2026)
- On3: St. Augustine snaps Edna Karr’s 35-game winning streak
- Fox 8: St. Augustine chasing first championship since 1979 (Dec. 13, 2025)
- Louisiana Football Officials Manual
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