It was a chilly, Senior night at the Zachary High Football Stadium. Both teams had rowdy crowds cheering them on. Players, coaches, and athletic trainers from both teams wore ribbons with the number 77 on them in memory of Remy Hidaldo.
Denham Springs played with a lot of heart from the beginning to the end. Junior outside linebacker, Ethan Foster, made the first big play for the Jackets. Foster blocked a punt and scored a touchdown right after, resulting in the Jackets’ first touchdown of the night. They went into halftime trailing 22-7. Their second touchdown was scored with 5:53 left in the third quarter. Senior quarterback John McDaniel scored to cut the lead down, bringing the game to 22-14. The Jackets are 0-5, and travel to play Live Oak next week.
Zachary has a quick offense. Their running backs are swift. The quarterback Eli Holstein, who is only a Sophomore, also has a good arm and is very crafty. He created a lot of opportunities for his teammates throughout the night. Connor Wisham, a Junior running back, had the first touchdown of the night. Kenson Tate, a Senior wide receiver, scored three touchdowns overall for the Broncos. Two of those touchdowns were before the half. Tate and Wisham had the Broncos up 22-7 at halftime. After the half, they continued to raise their lead over the Jackets. Roderick Duhe, Charles Robertson, and Kenson Tate all scored touchdowns for the Broncos in the second half. The Broncos also have a very physical and aggressive defense. They react very quickly. It is very hard for opponents to get far against them.
I spoke with Elijah Hill, Senior defensive end, after the game. He had some crucial plays for the Broncos as well.
Was there anything that surprised you about the game today against the Jackets?
“Nothing really surprised me about the game! Our coaches told us that the Jackets would give us everything they had, and they did. We were told to match them and play our style, and we did. Which resulted in the final score.”
What would you tell outsiders about Zachary Football?
“I would tell outsiders that we are a physical team, and we are gonna be physical the entire length of the game. Also, we are mentally stronger than our opponents.”
What was your favorite play of the night?
My favorite play of the night was when our defense had a goal line stop inside the 5 yard line. It shows the hard work that we put in during the summer!
The Broncos are now 4-0, and play again next week against the Scotlandville Hornets.
