E.D. White and Catholic High have already earned enough points to virtually assure themselves a spot in the postseason, but their District 6-3A finale Friday night at Panther Stadium still looms large game as the playoffs approach.

Not only can Catholic High earn a share of the district championship, which is more for bragging rights these days since the Louisiana High School Athletic Association implemented its power ratings to determine which teams earn playoff bids earlier this decade, but they can also give themselves a big boost in the final power ratings and likely earn a home game in the playoffs with a win.

“I think if we beat these guys we move up to 12 or 13” in the final LHSAA power ratings, said CHS coach Craig Brodie. “In my estimation we get 18 points for the win (10 for a win, 8 points for the opponent’s win total), and two more from the district championship, so that’s 20 points. We could get possibly 4 more points from our (previous) opponents winning this week, so that’s maybe 24 points.”

Catholic High receiver Devin Boutte (7), shown in action against West St. Mary two weeks ago, is second among all receivers in the state with 1,011 yards and 12 touchdowns. - Lee Ball / The Daily Iberian Advertisement

Right now, CHS (6-3) is 20th in the unofficial power rankings on the LHSAA Web site. E.D. White (8-1) is second. The Cardinals, ranked sixth by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association, lead the district with a 4-0 record. CHS and Patterson, which plays 3-6 Berwick this week, are each 3-1 in district.

“I think the kids know what they’re in for this week,” said Brodie. “We’re going to have to play a good football game. We’re going to have to play good football from now on in order to keep playing.”

Winning a district title is nice for hanging a championship banner in the gym, and printing up championship T-shirts and caps, the coach added, but a win this week is much more important for the Panthers’ playoff road than for future bragging rights.

“It’s a big thing,” he said. “We want to have a home playoff game in the first round.”

Brodie thinks that playing the final regular-season game at home is an advantage for the Panthers.

“Any time you play at home, you don’t have to worry about the distractions -- a long bus ride to Thibodaux, all that stuff,” said Brodie.

The CHS coaches have spent extensive time viewing game film of the Cardinals. E.D. White lines up in a wing-T formation but runs an inside veer/outside veer option out of that formation rather than typical wing-T plays.

The majority of the offense centers around quarterback Grant Chiasson, with fullback Dylan Ledet (6 feet tall, 200 pounds) providing a good inside presence to the run game. Ledet rushed for 175 yards in the Cardinals’ 17-14 win over Patterson, a team that beat CHS 48-20.

E.D. White averages 251 pounds on the offensive front.

“They matched up great against Patterson,” said Brodie.

But CHS looks to match up well against what E.D. White has done all season, which is to defend the run with three linemen and a couple of linebackers and drop into deep zone coverages in the secondary. The Panthers have the ability to turn short passes into big gains -- receiver Devin Boutte turned a simple hitch pass into a 70-yard touchdown in a win over Berwick last week -- so that type of defense plays into Catholic High’s strengths.

Quarterback Taylor Bullock is fourth in the state, in all classifications, with 2,256 passing yards and 29 touchdowns, to only three interceptions. Boutte is at 1,011 yards and 12 touchdowns on 46 catches, second in the state. Thomas Theriot has 39 catches for 479 yards and seven TDs, and leads the Panthers with 593 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

“I think with what they do on defense our offense will match up well with them,” said Brodie. “Taylor should have time to sit back and pass. Our offensive line has done a great job protecting Taylor all year long.

“(E.D. White) has a nose guard and two guys standing up over the tackles (on the line). Running the ball’s going to be something I think we’re going to be able to do.”

Catholic High runs combination routes are designed to cover three levels -- short, intermediate and long -- which makes it difficult to cover every receiver, Brodie said.

“Taylor’s done a great job of recognizing (which receivers are open),” the coach said.

But Brodie is not overlooking what the Cardinals are capable of doing. He compares them to St. Louis, which beat CHS 38-24 in the third week of the season.

“They’re a sound team,” he said.

But the Panthers remain focused. CHS has outscored its last three district opponents 152-13.

“They stay on a pretty even keel,” said Brodie. “It’s been a nice few weeks of working on fundamentals. We’ve been playing teams we’re just a little bit better than. We’ve gotten to play kids in a little different positions.”

Friday’s kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.