Welcome to the HOD Board, loriealcocer!
Placement is usually best determined based on the first page of the placement chart. LA skills are taught Charlotte Mason style, and as such are woven across virtually all subject areas. So, even if you are using different math and LA programs than HOD's suggestions, the assignments and assessments given in the other subject areas will reflect that level of skill as well. Here is a portion from a previous thread where PHFHG and CTC were compared...
The guide that fits your ds the best skillwise will be the guide he probably gets the most out of and enjoys the most in the long run. 
HOD's assignments in history, storytime, and even in science, incorporate LA skills within the follow-ups. The follow-ups get more in-depth, more difficult, and use higher level thinking in each subsequent guide. This is why the placement chart can help so much! For example, comparing PHFHG to CTC, here are some areas that come to mind (the numbers coincide)...
PHFHG:
1. History reading is shared - parent reads part with more difficult books, student reads other part with much easier books
2. Students begin year by dictating a 1-3 sentence written narration to you to write and for them to then copy, and then progress to writing a 5 sentence written narration and hi-lighting the main idea of it by the end of the year.
3. Students create a staircase timeline out of index cards and assemble them accordion-style or on a closet door.
4. History projects are more simple with fewer steps of directions.
5. Storytime follow-ups:
*Day 1: personal connections are shared that relate to the story
*Day 2: differences between the characters’ lives and the students’
lives are identified based upon the historical time period of
the story
*Day 3: the main character’s faith is evaluated for its impact on the
character’s life and the story
*Day 4: oral narration is practiced by retelling the story
6. Geography quick-finds that are more basic use the globe and or a world map one time each week.
7. Bible Study/Bible Quiet Time: 2 days a week students begin to learn to have their own Bible Quiet Time with parents' overseeing it. The other 2 days discuss with parent, identify mood/purpose of Scripture selection, and copy verses in Common Place book. Short passages from Psalms are memorized and sung with music throughout the year.
8 & 9. Robert Louis Stevenson's poems are discussed, personal connections with the poem are encouraged, the poem is shared with someone creatively, each 12 week term a poem is memorized. One time a week a creative lesson is taught using the poetry as a model. This is the creative writing portion for PHFHG.
CTC:
1. Student reads all of history and it is more difficult reading in both reading level and maturity content than PHFHG's readings
2. Students begin the year by writing a 5-8 sentence written narration and use the Written Narration Tips to edit it and hi-lighting the main idea.
3. Students begin using a History Notebook for their timelines, which is the start of a "Book of Time" that will span Creation to Present Day by the time dc are finished with MTMM.
4. History projects are more involved and have multiple steps of directions.
5. Storytime follow-ups...
Day 1: give a detailed oral narration
Day 2: rotate through the following 4 narration activities: an outline sketch, a
short skit, a question and answer session, and an advertisement speech
for the book
Day 3: give a summary narration
Day 4: make connections between the story and Proverbs
6. Geography uses a more in-depth study of the Holy Land using "A Child's Geography Vol. II" two days we each week
7. Bible Quiet Time is done daily and has its own "box" in the plans. The DK Family Bible is used, or a Bible of your own choice. The 4 Parts of Prayer are taught using the ACTS model. All of Phil. 2 is memorized, and is sung along with music, as well as copied in the Common Place book.
Bible Study is done 2 days a week with a parent using "Genesis Finding Our Roots", a very deep resource.
8. Poetry: Robert Frost poems are read, moods/meaning discussed, memorize 1 each 9 week term, learn about his life, and step by step multiple directions are followed to learn to water color paint a painting each week to match the poem's meaning. You also learn about his life.
9. Writing: "Write with the Best" is taught twice each week for writing instruction. It uses excerpts from classical literature that is quite difficult in content (i.e. Charles Dickens, Jules Verne, Wordsworth, etc.)
As you can see, the level of difficulty of assignments and assessments increases from PHFHG to CTC quite a bit. HOD does an excellent job of incrementally moving dc through skill sets as they move through guides in all subject areas. This is why placement is so much more than just the LA and math labeled boxes. I am hoping that this may help you be able to see which guide would fit your ds better, but you can also print out the first week of plans of each guide to see. All "I" boxes are for the student to do independently, "S" semi-independently, and "T" teacher-directed.
HTH as you ponder which guide is a better fit for ds skillwise! In regard to your ds's understanding evolution, and his learning more about creation bringing up some questions - that is wonderful! I think you will find the PHFHG guide to be a wonderful aid in painting a beautiful picture of history, from creation through near present day. It is truly amazing to see God's hand throughout history! PHFHG has dc begin having their own Bible Quiet Time each morning, under your guidance, several times each week. This was such a growing time for our sons back when they did PHFHG. It is such a blessing to see how their maturity of faith and understanding the depth of Scripture grows as they get into the habit of having a personal Bible Quiet Time each morning through the years! My oldest son, now a sophomore in high school doing the HOD WH guide, has had his own Bible Quiet Time now for 7 years, from PHFHG on up through WH! Isn't that an amazing habit to have in place?!?
The Psalms are something that beg to be studied, and are a wonderful part of the PHFHG plans. My mother, who is in her mid-70's now, has been a Christian all of her life and still reads Psalms as a favorite way to grow her faith and depend on our Lord each day. Many of these lovely verses adorn her walls and were a great comfort to her going through my Dad's cancer battle the past few years. So, I really do believe in my heart that your ds will take so much from the Bible Study time in PHFHG. Hiding those Scriptures in his heart may come to serve him well even far later in life, when Scripture can be called upon for comfort and guidance.
So, by choosing the guide that fits your ds's reading, writing, grammar, and math abilities best first, you will give him the best fit for his year. If that is PHFHG, I think there is much to be learned (even for us as moms
) from the Bible Study box of the plans. If he fits best in CTC, and is able to take on the above skills well, than certainly that guide is fantastic as well! I hope this helps, but keep asking questions here! This board is full of encouraging ladies who are glad to help.
In Christ,
Julie