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 on the board first with a 30-yard field goal by Kaegan Kent with 8:26 remaining in the first quarter. Byrd answered with an eight-play, 49-yard drive which ended with a three-yard Christian Maxie touchdown run.
Abram Murray added the point after to give the Jackets a 7-3 lead. The Eagles regained the lead later in the first quarter when Joshua Isaac weaved his way through the Byrd defensive front from 11-yards out with 2:33 left in the first quarter. Sipes, who led the Byrd defense with 11 tackles on the night, caused an Evangel fumble on a fourth-and-1 deep in Byrd territory.
Cottenham recovered the fumble. The defensive play allowed the Yellow Jackets to have the lone score in the second quarter -- a 31-yard run by senior Desmond Simmons. Jackson Cooper’s PAT made it 14-10 with 11:15 remaining in the half.
Evangel’s intentions were made perfectly clear when they came out for the second half as head coach Denny Duron opted for the onside kick, which was successful and allowed the Eagles to steal a possession. Houston, who ended the night with 362 yards passing, led the Eagles on a four-play 56-yard drive that ended on a 4-yard touchdown pass to Nathan Green that gave the Eagles a 17-14 lead. It would be short lived as Byrd scored the game's next three touchdowns.
First, it was a 27-yard touchdown run by senior running back Quinton Hilliard late in the third quarter. Simmons added a pair of scores in the fourth quarter -- an 11-yard touchdown on a bootleg pass from Harrison Ayres and a 2-yard touchdown run with 3:26 left. “It definitely feels great,” Simmons said of being back after missing the first game of the season -- a 26-10 Byrd win at St.
Amant -- with an illness. “I told my mom that I hated sitting out. It’s the competitive nature in me, but it feels great scoring again.
” Simmons finished with 171 yards on 27 carries. Simmons credited an offensive line which included; Mason Coenen, Tanner Murrel, Alijah Chembles, Aiden Boutte, Josh Hutson, Braylon Buckingham, Joshua Vienne and Jacob Martin. “They played amazing tonight,” Simmons said of his offensive line.
“The whole team played amazing, but especially the offensive line. I love them.” Evangel’s only serious threat in the fourth quarter was thwarted by Barfield’s interception.
Ballew was asked what this means to the football program at The City of Byrd. “It means we’re ready to play in this district,” Ballew said. “We didn’t know where we would be.
This is a stepping block. A big one! A big step and we overcame it. I am as happy as I can be for our kids.
Our coaching staff did a great job. Offensively, they played lights out tonight. Defensively, the kids were playing together and playing well.
” Byrd, 3-0, will try to equal last year’s win total when they travel to New Orleans next Friday night to play John Ehret. Things will not get any easier for the Eagles, 1-2, who will look to rebound when they go to Airline next Friday..
