Check out the game on KOGT.com Friday with kickoff at 7:30pm
Back in May Bridge City baseball coach Chad Landry had just finished the season. He was celebrating the end of the school year and the summer ahead with his wife in their pool when he got a call from BC Superintendent Dr. Mike Kelly asking him to come meet with him.
Kelly had just released the previous football coach but Landry had no idea what Kelly was about to ask him to do. “He told me what he was thinking, then asked me if I would take over the football program. I said, Yes, let’s do it and then left realizing I didn’t talk to my wife Mandy about it. Fortunately she was on board.”
Asking a baseball coach to also coach a football team was unprecedented around here. Well almost. Just last year, Buna Head Baseball Coach Kevin Terrier was asked to take over the football team mid-season after their coach was fired. “I made two phone calls that day,” Landry said. “One was to Coach Terrier, the other was to (Orangefield Football Coach) Josh Smalley.”
Smalley and Landry became friends when both were coaching at Bridge City some 15 years ago. “We probably talked three hours about everything from summer workouts to game day. Josh has been a good friend.” Smalley replied with, “Considering the circumstances, Dr. Kelly couldn’t have picked a better person to take over than Chad Landry.” The two continued to have conversations all summer.
But now the they face off against each other to open the 2023 season Friday night in Bridge City. Not as much talk this week.
“Bridge City will come to play,” Smalley said. “Chad and (Defensive Coordinator) Shea Landry are great at getting the best out of their kids.” Besides the head coaching change, Landry will be serving his first year as DC and Chris Towery comes in to run the offense, lead by quarterback Hutch Bearden, who had his season end early last year with injury. Landry said he was now 100%.
The Bobcats will be starting a freshman at quarterback, Carson Gonzalez gets the nod from Smalley. “It wasn’t our original plan but he’s worked hard and earned the spot and it gives us a chance to be more versatile with Brett Fregia on both sides of the ball.”
The Bobcats are also having to replace the school’s all-time leading rusher Cam Dischler. Smalley said it will be “running back by committee” as he mentioned six players that will run the ball, starting with sophomore Mason Manning.
The Bobcats have won the last five Bayou Bowl’s but Smalley not overlooking the new look Cards. “It’s a big rivalry game to open the season. The stands will be packed and emotions high. Both sides will play hard and we’ll see what happens. Then we can all be friends again on Saturday.”
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BCISD ANNOUNCES: We are expecting a big crowd Friday night for the Bayou Bowl! To accommodate this we are going to open the lot behind the softball field for additional parking (shown in yellow below). We will turn on the baseball/softball field lights to light up the parking lot and the path to and from the stadium. The map below shows your path to the stadium if you park behind the softball field. You will walk between the baseball and softball fields and out the entrance of the baseball/softball complex.
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