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It was a huge night for the Bridge City Cardinals as they emerged victorious over the Orangefield Bobcats in the annual Bayou Bowl, 28-7, at Larry Ward Stadium.

The Cardinals were fired up after claiming the win over a longtime rival, but there was a bit extra at stake as well. Friday night’s matchup was Head Coach Josh Smalley’s first game against his former team — he said it was an emotional win over the school he coached for 12 years.

“You don’t invest 12 years your life in a place and a community without still loving those kids and the staff,” Smalley said. “They’re a very talented team, but I’m happy we came out on top tonight.”

It was a bit of a sloppy game for the Cardinals, but even with numerous penalties, there was a clear difference between the two squads. Bridge City’s offense continued to impress, and the defense played at a high level.

On the other hand, Orangefield struggled to establish a rhythm on offense and were never truly able to get the offense rolling as they work through the growing pains of the newly implemented spread scheme.

The Cardinals opened their first drive with excellent field position after taking a punt near the 50. They needed just two and a half minutes to open the scoring when quarterback Hutch Bearden found Austin Bellanger for a three-yard touchdown pass.

After holding the Bobcats to a punt, Bridge City regained possession and led another strong drive downfield. Bearden completed a 40-yard pass to receiver Hunter Ford, then rushed for an 18-yard touchdown.

An imposing Cardinals defense stymied the Orangefield rushing attack throughout the game, with a front seven which frequently stopped the runner at, or behind, the line of scrimmage. Midway through the second quarter, a pass by Orangefield quarterback Carson Gonzales was tipped and intercepted by Bridge City defensive back John Smart in Bobcat territory.

Halfback Ashton Sumrall rushed for a 26-yard gain before Bearden ran in another score, this time from four yards out. As halftime approached, the Cardinals led, 21-0.

Bridge City extended the lead as they began the third quarter. A long drive downfield culminated in a seven-yard touchdown rush by Sumrall. With a 28-0 lead, the Cardinals remained firmly in the driver’s seat throughout the remainder of the evening.

The lone bright spots for Orangefield came on a fumble recovery to start the fourth quarter, along with a 70-yard touchdown rush by Mason Manning.

Smalley’s spread offense routinely produced explosive plays and appears capable of matching up with anyone. Now, the focus becomes cleaning up penalties.

“If we plan on competing for championships, you can’t have any penalties and still win games,” Smalley said. “We‘ve got a lot of cleaning up to do, but we’re worried about that Monday. This weekend, we’re gonna enjoy the win and let the kids enjoy a little bit, and then we’ll start getting on district next week.”

The Cardinals enter the bye week a perfect 3-0 and will retake the field on the road in Lumberton, where they open the district slate Sep. 27.

Though Orangefield has a 1-2 record, that isn’t an indictment on the coaching staff, nor the quality of players. They’ll look to bounce back at home versus St. Louis Catholic next week on Sep. 20.