Broussard, LA — August 29, 2025
The wheels came off literally for the First Baptist Christian School Eagles as up to six starters suffered various foot, ankle and leg injuries in a 64-12 loss to the Midstate Homeschool Organization Storm in high school football action Thursday night at the Broussard Sports Complex.
The Eagles opened the game with a promising drive behind Judah Pritchard’s pass to Jackson Ortego into the Storm red zone. Ortego’s ankle injury on the play, however, was an omen of things to come. Despite Benji Moore capping the drive with a three-yard touchdown dive, 6-0 would be the only time the Eagles led as injuries to starters piled up, including one to Moore.
The Storm’s team speed inflicted a different kind of pain upon the Eagles. Midstate’s #8 quarterback first broke free untouched on a 54-yard TD sprint and then tacked on the two-point conversion to claim an 8–6 advantage.
After forcing a punt from the Eagles, Midstate struck again with a dazzling 45-yard reverse run that set up another score. A conversion through the air stretched the lead to 14–6 at the end of the first quarter.
The Eagles clung on with Pritchard passes of 25-yards and then a 29-yard connection to Luke Page. Page would then score on a misdirection nine-yard run leaving the Eagles trailing just 14–12 with over 3 minutes left in the first half.
From there, the Storm took control. Touchdown runs of 55-yards, and 25-yards pushed the margin to 30–12 by halftime.
First Baptist received the second-half kickoff and again advanced into scoring position, reaching near the Storm 20-yard line. But the drive stalled, and Midstate’s quarterback answered with an 80-yard dash that blew the game open at 36–12 with 4:25 left in the third quarter.
The Storm scoring flood continued as Midstate scored on a deep post, followed by a pick-six that ballooned the margin to 49–12. Two more late touchdowns by Midstate sealed the final tally at 64–12.
Despite the lopsided score, Head Coach Grayson Standiford praised his team’s resilience and emphasized character over the scoreboard.
“I don’t care what the scoreboard says, we’re gonna play to the end,” Standiford told his players. “That’s how life is. We’re gonna fight to the end of every game, of every one second left. There ain’t no quit in me.”
Standiford also praised the younger players who stepped up in expanded roles due to injuries, “A lot of people in the world live only by that scoreboard, but if that’s all you live by, you’ll be upset most of your life. What you showed tonight, that’s what men do.”
With the loss, First Baptist falls to 1–3 on the season. They’ll try to regroup quickly and look to bounce back next Thursday night in Natchitoches against Freedom Life Academy (1-2) who lost to the same Storm team 58-6 earlier this season.
J. Christian Lewis/AI assisted