Look out, Bridge City. Another Cardinals football player probably has sustained an injury before this feature story is completely finished.
That’s how frequently the Redbirds have fallen during this strange 2026 season. The remaining six schools in District 9-4A-I do not intend to send any sympathy cards toward the high school’s Texas Avenue mailbox, either.
Football fortunes can turn on a dime, as a famous area coach once said. All the smart people listed Bridge City as a strong district favorite all summer. Coming off an 11-2 season in 2025, coach Josh Smalley’s Big Red was bound to repeat… especially with an offensive leader, senior quarterback Hudson Hoffman, and a defensive star, senior linebacker Bryce Breeden.
Yet when the Redbirds finish their regular season Friday night at 7:30 against long-time rival, Little Cypress-Mauriceville (6-2 and 3-1), they seek to reach the modest break-even mark of 5-5.
Smalley easily could sing the blues at 4-5 and 3-2 but his voice would sound quite proud of his Redbirds under the circumstances.
“I’m really proud of our coaches and players for fighting through a lot of this and for still being in playoff contention,” he said.
LC-M and Vidor are tied at 3-1 followed by BC and Huffman at 3-2. Lumberton, Livingston and Liberty round out the field at 1-3. It’s a demolition derby of sorts but LC-M clinches the No. 1 playoff spot if it defeats BC and Lumberton by virtue of its 41-7 victory over Vidor.
A Vidor victory on Friday at Livingston would enable Bridge City to return to the playoffs regardless of its outcome at LC-M. That would be an amazing accomplishment to many BC followers who can see the adversity the Cardinals have faced.
“Our expectations in the summer were great but we graduated eight seniors on defense last May,” Smalley reflected. “We graduated three offensive line starters and our running back (Ashton Sumrall).”
Bridge City’s lengthy injury list started very early. A Beaumont Enterprise Super Gold defender who will enroll at Arkansas in January, Bryce Breeden sustained a wrist fracture in the first week of pre-season practice. Senior receiver Luke Nelson suffered a broken leg in week two of the season.
Defensive linemen Camden Adams and Angel Vazquez were sidelined three to four weeks with ankle and shoulder injuries. Offensive right tackle Camilo Mendoza has been in a walking boot. Receiver Jiraiya Jennings was sidelined for the rest of the season with an injury last week.
“I know everybody deals with injuries but we’ve had so many that it got to where it’s like we would think ‘who’s next’,” Smalley said. “It’s almost comical but something has happened every game.
“I’m sure there are things I could have done better as a head coach, but I’m extremely proud of the way we’ve kept working hard and made progress in the last few weeks. I feel like our season is starting to get on the upswing and our offensive line is starting to improve.”
Offensive line improvement can explain part of BC’s recent offensive improvement. The Cardinals have scored 33, 25 and 55 points in the last three games. Under offensive coordinator Aaron Manous, BC is averaging a league-best 441.4-yard average in district games only.
A two-year passing standout, Hoffman likely will end this season by throwing for more passing yards than anyone in school history. The senior quarterback ranks second among 9-4A-I passers, throwing for 1,590 yards but he needs to avoid any more interceptions (8).
“Hudson isn’t going to run a 4.4 in the 40 but he’s tough and he’s a competitor,” Smalley said. “When we give him time to throw, he’s as accurate as any I’ve had at Bridge City.”
The offense has become more multiple than in previous years because Hoffman has thrown to five different receivers and junior Josh Luna has begun to blossom at running back. Luna is second among district rushers with 1,250 yards and second in all-purpose yards with 1,543.
Breeden, senior linebacker Keagan Trahan and senior safety Joel Williams have been the leaders on defensive coordinator Chris Theriot’s unit. Injuries and personnel adjustments have been constant for Theriot this season.
“We’ve been pretty beat up,” Theriot said. “We’ve had to move some guys around to give us a chance. We’ve had lots of growing pains.
Tom Halliburton for KOGT.com
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