By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
After a frustrating 2023, Byrd football coach Stacy Ballew admittedly had some uncertainty as this season kicked off.
Three games in, the Yellow Jackets are not just unbeaten, they’ve been undeniably impressive.
Opening down south at St. Amant, Byrd brought home a 26-10 triumph. Beginning the eight-game District 1-5A schedule in Week 2, the Jackets rolled by Haughton 49-14. Last Friday night, it was a 35-23 victory at Evangel.
The Yellow Jackets’ triple-option Wing T has been humming. Look past their collection of 300-yard rushing outputs. Byrd didn’t have to punt the last two games.
Their latest performance has earned Ballew’s crew the Shreveport-Bossier Journal’s Team of the Week distinction, as they prepare for another long trip south, to Marrero to face John Ehret.
“I didn’t know where we would be when the season started. Our district is very competitive, and I had anxiety about how we fit in,” the coach admitted. “That’s still to be determined, but right now, the kids are confident. There’s no doubt if we can play with anybody in our district.”
That was evident at Evangel, which has plenty of talent alongside highly-regarded sophomore quarterback Pop Houston and should be among the stronger teams in 1-5A. The Jackets admittedly left some points on the field settling for a 14-10 halftime advantage, then had to rally in the game’s final 20 minutes to take control.
The Yellow Jackets used a “bend, don’t break” defensive approach, coming up with red zone turnovers (a first-half, fourth-down fumble recovery at the Evangel 14 by Darell Cottonham, and a goalline interception with 6:43 remaining by Azariae Barfield) that denied the Eagles two scores that would have come in very handy.
Offensively, Byrd piled up 398 rushing yards, 171 from Desmond Simmons and 157 by Christian Maxie.
“The kids played extremely hard, and the kids played extremely well. They ran the offense extremely well. We did get some penalties, but we were able to overcome ‘em. We ran inside, we ran outside, we threw a boot pass for a touchdown. Offensively, that was a really good game,” said Ballew.
Not in the headline, but determining the storyline: the big guys up front.
“The whole offensive line deserves credit,” said Ballew. “They played very well against a pretty physical Evangel front.”
Namely: Byrd O-linemen Mason Coenen, Tanner Murrel, Alijah Chembles, Aiden Boutte, Josh Hutson, Braylon Buckingham, Joshua Vienne and Jacob Martin.
It has been a September to remember for Ballew.
“St. Amant was a good win. They have good athletes. The kids played all four quarters, and both sides of the ball, that was a good showing for us. Against Haughton, we came out and played fast, and got up on them quickly. The kids played great, but it wasn’t a four-quarter game. Week 1 and Week 3, those were complete games by offense, defense and special teams, games we had to win in the fourth quarter.”
With six starters back on both sides of the ball from last season’s 4-7 ride on the struggle bus, Ballew thought Byrd had the right stuff to rebound.
“Last year, those guys on the field didn’t have a lot of experience. These guys were on the field last year, and now they do have the experience,” he said. “These kids went through that rough season, and that’s why it’s so much fun watching these kids play, because they are having some success. Seeing them go through that season last year, they kept coming to practice and working their tails off, and now all that is paying off.”
While their stock is rising after the 3-0 start, including getting some votes in the LSWA’s Class 5A Top 10 this week, the forward vision is restricted. “We are looking at John Ehret, and that’s it,” said Ballew.
But three strong performances have some around the City of Byrd recalling glory years. Ballew likes how his club is trending, but points out there’s a lot of proving ground to cover. He recommends waiting several weeks to see how these Yellow Jackets compare to some of Byrd’s better teams.
No doubt, however, Byrd is off to an excellent start.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com