MONROE — Things started off slowly for Ouachita Christian in its District 2-1A opener at St. Frederick, but the Eagles had long since kicked things into gear by the end of the fourth quarter.
As the 8-0 Eagles defeated St. Fred’s 51-7 on Thursday, Oct. 22, at Chip Luffey Field, ROCS junior Tristan Raymond continued to shine in his first year as starting quarterback. He totaled six touchdowns (four passing) for OCS as it rolled to another running-clock victory.
“It’s just what Tristan does,” OCS junior D’Siah Bradshaw said. “All the hard work he puts into the summer, all the work he puts into the weight room on the field, those extra hours at practice, that's just hard work. It's not really surprising to me. I know what he’s capable of as a player and as a human being. He’s earned it, for sure.”
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Added senior Jude Turner, “Tristan, that dude is an athlete. He’s blessed by God, and he’s got all kinds of talent. He makes us really, really good.”
The Class 1A No. 1 Eagles gave up some chunk plays against the Warriors, including a long kickoff return in the third quarter by St. Fred’s senior JP Guerriero that set up the team’s only touchdown. One of Raymond’s passes was nearly picked off by a Warriors defender but caught by Eagles senior Hunter Oglesbee. There was tension between the two schools located 5 miles away from each other along Highway 165.
"It's just a battle every year, and we knew it would be a night," OCS coach Steven Fitzhugh said. "(The Warriors have) come a long way since (Bayou Jamb), and they execute their scheme well running the option. (St. Fred's coach Tony) Osborne's done a good job with them, and (senior quarterback Michael) Malloy does a great job leading that entire offense.
"They made plays on us (Thursday). Our defense, they bent, but they didn't break. Proud of the way our offense and defense executed and made plays and glad that our kids battled."
Both Bradshaw and Turner had touchdown receptions for OCS against St. Fred's (2-5); Raymond hooked up with senior Luke Edwards twice in the endzone.
Raymond now has 17 total touchdowns over his last three games. In addition to his four total touchdowns last week against Lincoln Prep, Raymond threw five touchdown passes on Oct. 9 against Bunkie. He said it's a "huge blessing" leading one of north Louisiana's top offenses.
"(OCS offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach) Drew Vidrine does a great job with the schemes and the plays," Raymond said. "We've got great weapons around me, a great offensive line, so it's just the perfect recipe for success."
Not only did Bradshaw have a touchdown reception against St. Fred's, but he also added two sacks in one drive in the fourth quarter. The Warriors were stopped on fourth down as Bradshaw notched his second sack of the evening.
"I didn't think I was going to be able to get one because they ran the ball a lot this game," Bradshaw said. "St. Fred's has a great offense, a very scheme-heavy offense. I was just waiting for my time, and when it showed up, I took the opportunity, and I made it happen."
OCS will continue to work toward its ultimate goal of winning its first LHSAA championship since 2022. The Eagles continue district play against General Trass at Steven Fitzhugh Field before heading to Delhi for the regular-season finale.
"Winning is winning. You want to be thankful, but you don't want to take it for granted," Raymond said. "We're happy that we got here, but we don't want to stop. We've got to keep going."
The Eagles community packed Chip Luffey Field's visitor stands and made their presence felt long before kickoff. They would love to see their team end up at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans for the fourth time in six seasons.
"That's one thing we've always been good at is bringing a crew and having support no matter where we go," Turner said. "It means a lot to the team to have a crowd hollering for you whenever you do something good."
This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: OCS football defeats St. Fred's behind Tristan Raymond's strong outing