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Guardians Triumph in Battle of Lafayette

by | Sep 30, 2025 | Family

Broussard, La. – September 25, 2025

The John Paul the Great Academy Guardians (JPG) wasted no time asserting dominance in their showdown with cross-town opponent First Baptist Christian School (FBCS) Eagles, exploding to a 46-0 halftime lead and rolling to a convincing 82-0 victory Thursday night at the Broussard Sports Complex.


Lightning Start: Onside Kicks and Quick Strikes

Francis (#22) pressures Charpentier (#12) on option

The Guardians stunned everyone by opening the game with a successful onside kick. On the very first play from scrimmage, junior running back Riley Lormand broke free for a 47-yard touchdown.

On the ensuing kickoff, JPG repeated the feat—another onside recovery—setting up quarterback Daniel Charpentier’s 18-yard scoring run. An unheard of third straight onside recovery immediately followed, capped by Lormand’s 12-yard touchdown dash.

Barely five minutes into the contest, JPG led 22-0, leaving the Eagles searching for answers.


Eagles Try to Respond

FBCS quarterback Judah Pritchard connected with Gavin Francis for a 40-yard strike on third and long to breathe life into the offense. But a bad snap and a costly penalty derailed the drive. Another Pritchard-to-Francis completion moved the ball back into Guardian territory, only for the march to stall after consecutive sacks by the relentless Guardian defensive front.

The Eagles’ other promising drive came when Pritchard found Luke Page down to the Guardian 21. Again, pressure from the JPG line forced negative plays, killing momentum.

 “John Paul the Great showed they are a team that’s been there,” Eagles head coach Grayson Standiford said after the game. “We’re still trying to figure it out.”  The Eagles’ program, in its third year of tackle football, will certainly benefit in time if its junior varsity program brings players through its system to the varsity level as has JPG.  For now, as Standiford points out, the disparity remains.


Lormand Leads the Charge

Guardians’ open hole for Lormand

Every Eagle misstep seemed to spark another Guardian highlight. Lormand responded to the recovered onside kicks or stalled Eagle drives by appearing to be shot out of cannon through the Eagles’ defense with a pair of back-breaking touchdown runs both from around midfield.

By halftime, the Guardians had turned the contest into a rout, holding a 46-0 advantage.

Lormand finished with 267 rushing yards on just 12 carries, averaging 22.3 yards per attempt. He scored six rushing touchdowns, added a 38-yard interception return for another, and totaled seven scores and 305 all-purpose yards in a performance for the ages.


Supporting Cast Shines

Charpentier added 48 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while sophomore Lucas Salvatierra contributed 69 yards and two 2-point conversions and bounced up, albeit without his helmet, from a bone crushing tackle by Eagle Nate Hill (#47). Sophomore Matthew Guidry had a standout night on both sides of the ball, recording a defensive interception return touchdown and chipping in six tackles.

The Guardian defense suffocated FBCS, tallying five sacks, including three by junior Dominic Cramer. The secondary collected three interceptions—by Lormand, Guidry, and Nicholas Odinet, who returned his pick 75 yards.


Guardians’ offense lightning fast out of stance

System Victory

With the decisive win, the Guardians put on a clinic of explosive, technically sound blocking—consistently gaining position and leverage before the Eagles, and for that matter every other team in the league, could react. 

Guardian head coach Barret Richard’s offensive philosophy stems from the coaching tree of local legendary coach Bill Dotson whose veer offense has been used by the Acadiana High School Wreckin’ Rams since 1973.  Thanks to the help of former Acadiana coach George Harris, Richard has adapted the system into an 8-man powerhouse.

The Dotson “Veer Machine” emphasizes smash-mouth running with options and misdirection, wearing down defenses and controlling the line of scrimmage. Richard’s version is lightning-fast, low, and driving from the stance—allowing Guardian linemen to push back slower defensive fronts and reach linebackers before they can react.  “That’s the goal,” Richard said of JPG’s lightning get-off. “I’m happy with three [yards]. I always tell my guys, if we get three yards, it’s a good play. We stress it and work on it almost every day. We use ways to keep their pads down and backs flat —and we emphasize that second step. I tell my guys, I want their second step in the dirt before the defender gets his first if possible. Your chances of winning the block go way up.”

Guardians’ O-line’s Key to Success: Fast and Low

If opponents aren’t attacking at the snap, they’re being driven back. The veer is also perfectly suited for small schools in 8-man football, avoiding the dependency on having a standout passer every season.

Right now, JPG is rolling—and rolling over people.


Respect for Eagles and Playoff Picture

Whether the “Battle of Lafayette” in 8-man football develops into a competitive rivalry remains to be seen, as both programs decide their futures in either 8-man or 11-man competition.

For the Eagles, Pritchard showed moxie and no quit. Despite being harassed all night, his arm was the lone bright spot for the offense.

Guardians’ Richard was emphatic in praising FBCS: “We told our guys all week First Baptist is a good football team. They’ve got good players — #22 (Francis), #23 (Moore), the quarterback (Pritchard), #47 (Hill). Our guys confirmed it on the sideline. #23 got a lot of praise from our players, and #47? No quit. He was playing hard to the end. That’s a much better team than a lot in our league, and I think they’ll be even better next year.”

Lormand #7 walks in for touchdown

The Eagles dropped to 3-4, sitting in fifth place with only the top four teams reaching the playoffs. They likely need to win out and get some help to claim the final postseason slot.


Looking Ahead

As the Guardians march deeper into the season, their explosive start against First Baptist will be remembered as one of the most dominant opening quarters in program history—a signature “Veer Machine” statement that would make the entire Bill Dotson coaching tree proud. The Guardians face the much improved and second place Acadiana Christian School Lions Thursday night in New Iberia in what may be a preview of the league championship. The Eagles host Mt. Olive Christian School for Homecoming on Saturday at the Broussard Sports Complex.

J. Christian Lewis/ AI assisted

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