Byrd’s Desmond Simmons tries to run out of the grasp of Benton’s CJ Grigsby (33) Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Going in Friday night’s District 1-5A showdown at Rodney Duron Stadium, C.
E. Byrd head coach Stacy Ballew had to pick his poison against a high-powered Evangel offense led by one of the best young quarterbacks in the nation–ECA’s Peyton “Pop” Houston. It was either “bring the house” or play “bend, but don’t break.
” Ballew chose the latter, and it worked to perfection as the Yellow Jackets left Broadacres Road with a 35-23 win over the Eagles– only the second win in the 10-game series. The don’t “don’t break” part of Ballew’s plan was greatly aided by Byrd seniors Ethan Sipes, Darell Cottenham, and junior cornerback Azariae Barfield. The trio of Yellow Jacket defenders were responsible for two key turnovers when the Eagles were deep in Byrd territory.
“You cannot simulate that quarterback in practice,” Ballew said of Houston. “There is only one of those guys in the city. It’s very hard to simulate the speed that they have.
You tell your kids all week long ‘they’re fast. They’re real fast. Take a good angle.
’ But until you get out here and see it, you can’t get a grasp for it. Hats off to them. They have some tremendous athletes.
They are very hard to stop, but I’m proud of my kids tonight.” Evangel got.