Cover: FBCS Defensive Line. Special Thanks to Tyler Lejeune, photographer for JPG v. ACA photos.
First Baptist records a historic shutout in its first 11-man victory, while John Paul the Great piles up 52 points against the Defenders. Both return to league opponents tonight.
Last Thursday night offered a glimpse of what the future of small-school Christian football in Acadiana might look like.
First Baptist Christian School and John Paul the Great Academy, two programs accustomed to playing eight-man football, stepped outside their regular league schedules to take on 11-man opponents. Both came away with convincing victories—and both coaches came away enthusiastic about the experience.
For FBCS, the night was historic. The Eagles defeated the new Vermilion Charter Academy Bulldogs 40-0 at Broussard Sports Complex, earning the first 11-man victory and first shutout in school history. Coach Grayson Standiford called it “probably our best game of the season,” noting that the Eagles committed no turnovers while turning three Vermilion turnovers into scores.
Across town, John Paul the Great Academy traveled to the campus of Lafayette Christian Academy, where the Acadiana Christian Athletic Defenders hosted the Guardians. JPG jumped ahead 24-6 in the first quarter and never relinquished control on the way to a 52-26 victory. The quarter-by-quarter scoring was 24-6, 8-0, 6-12 and 14-8.
EAGLES MAKE HISTORY IN 40-0 WIN
There was already history surrounding the game before the opening kickoff.
Vermilion Charter Academy of Maurice is a new school, and Thursday marked the first football game in the Bulldogs’ history. For First Baptist, meanwhile, it was an opportunity for an established eight-man program to see how its personnel and system would translate to the traditional 11-man game.
The answer was: very well.
FBCS jumped ahead with 16 points in the first quarter. Benji Moore scored on a touchdown run, followed by a touchdown run from Luke Smith. Moore added two more touchdowns in the second quarter, giving him three rushing scores on the night. The Eagles finished the scoring with the game’s biggest play, an approximately 80-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Gavin Francis. Standiford estimated roughly half of the play came through the air and the other half from Francis after the catch.
The more impressive story, however, may have been on defense.
Moving from eight-man to 11-man football meant finding three additional starters on each side of the ball. FBCS turned to its younger players, starting three eighth-graders in the defensive secondary alongside Francis.
The young group answered the challenge. Standiford estimated Vermilion completed only about one of nine passes against the Eagles’ secondary, while Francis added an interception.
Up front, the Eagles controlled the line of scrimmage and largely neutralized a Vermilion spread offense featuring an athletic quarterback and running back. The Bulldogs attempted to use the zone read and spread FBCS across the field, but the Eagles contained the running game and forced Vermilion into passing situations.
Standiford singled out defensive stalwart Nate Hill but also praised sophomore Aiden Esler, who was forced into extensive duty because of injuries. Esler played right guard on offense and nose guard on defense—and did not leave the field.
“He played every snap,” Standiford said, adding that Esler was involved in numerous tackles and “blocked really well.”
HOMECOMING REMATCH TONIGHT
First Baptist doesn’t have to wait long for another taste of 11-man football.
The Eagles and Bulldogs meet again tonight at Broussard Sports Complex, this time for FBCS Homecoming.
The unusual back-to-back scheduling presents Standiford with a different challenge: keeping his players focused after defeating the same opponent 40-0 only seven days earlier.
Standiford believes his seven seniors will make sure that happens. His message to his players has been simple: “The days are long. But the seasons are short.”
Although a school day can sometimes seem to last forever to a teenager, Standiford reminded his players that the football season is already roughly halfway over and the opportunity to play together will disappear quickly.
There is also a bigger purpose behind the Eagles’ two-game experiment.
Standiford would eventually like to see First Baptist playing 11-man football regularly.
“The more we can expose our kids to it, the better,” he said. “We enjoy playing 11 man…got a lot more kids on the field and everything, kids opportunity to play. And…that’ll be our goal for the future.”
Before looking too far ahead, however, there is Homecoming—and another meeting with the Bulldogs tonight.
GUARDIANS EXPLODE FOR 52 IN 11-MAN VICTORY
John Paul the Great Academy got its own taste of 11-man football Thursday night, and Coach Barrett Richard liked what he saw.
Playing on the campus of Lafayette Christian Academy, the Guardians defeated the Acadiana Christian Athletic Defenders 52-26.
JPG wasted little time taking command. The Guardians erupted for 24 first-quarter points and led 32-6 at halftime. The Defenders made some headway after halftime, scoring 12 in the third quarter and eight in the fourth, but JPG answered with 20 second-half points of its own to complete the 26-point victory.
Richard credited a Defenders team that presented a different challenge than JPG normally sees.
“The Defenders are a good team,” Richard said. “They have a real good quarterback, some real good receivers, and [are a] tough team.”
For JPG, Richard said, the winning formula wasn’t complicated.
“We went out and we executed our plays, not to perfection, but to the best of our ability, and…we like the result.”
The move to 11-man football also tested the Guardians’ endurance. With a relatively small roster and most starters playing on both offense and defense, Richard knew his players would spend a long night on the field. The Defenders’ passing attack compounded the challenge by frequently stopping the clock.
Richard came away particularly proud of how his players responded.
Richard’s team dug deep and battled through injuries. Richard amentioned quarterback Daniel Charpentier, Maximus Stewart, Luke Salvaterra, Luke Kramer and Dom Kramer among a long list of players who contributed. But he was reluctant to single out too many individuals because of the effort he saw throughout the roster.
“Everybody dug deep, really decided to give it all they had to get a win,” Richard said. “As a group and even as a school, everyone was extremely proud of our football team.”
Riley Lormand also had a big night with 6 touchdowns. Richard described his performance as “extremely” good and said Lormand particularly enjoyed playing the 11-man game.
And despite the excitement surrounding JPG’s 11-man experience, Richard closed his discussion of Thursday’s game by thanking the opponent that helped make it possible. He praised the Defenders for hosting the Guardians and for making the necessary sacrifices to arrange the game.
“It was a good night,” Richard said, “and I thank the ACA Defenders for…hosting us and they made sacrifices to make the game happen…. We appreciate them.”
COULD 11-MAN FOOTBALL BE IN JPG’S FUTURE?
Like Standiford at First Baptist, Richard left Thursday wanting more.
“We’d love to do that,” he said of 11-man football. Thursday also showed Richard that the 11-man game may fit JPG’s offensive personality. For a team that likes to run the football, adding tight ends and additional width along the offensive front opened possibilities that aren’t available in the eight-man game. Before any long-term decisions, though, the Guardians have an immediate challenge.
SOUTHWEST COMES TO JPG TONIGHT
John Paul the Great returns to league play tonight with a home matchup against Southwest Louisiana.
The teams have already met once, so Richard knows what his defense will face. He expects Southwest’s passing game to be improved from the first meeting and specifically pointed to its quarterback, two receivers and No. 44 on defense as players JPG must account for.
Southwest was serious enough about the rematch to have representatives at JPG’s game against the Defenders filming the Guardians. Richard took that as another indication his team should expect a battle.
“I think it’s going to be a tough football game,” Richard said. “We’re preparing for a real tough game.”
For two Acadiana Christian-school programs, Thursday may ultimately be remembered for more than two victories. It offered First Baptist and John Paul the Great a chance to test themselves in the traditional 11-man game—and both walked away wondering whether a one-night experiment might someday become something more permanent.
Article by J. Christian Lewis/AI assist. JPG photos by Tyler Lejeune