You wouldn’t expect Loyola’s Messmer Stadium to be a lonely, forlorn looking place especially on a Friday night during the heart of the 2026 football season, but that’s exactly what we had on Friday, Oct. 16.
That night was supposed to be the best of all nights – homecoming night for the Flyer family when many of the heroes of Loyola and Jesuit’s past return to the scene of the crime to re-vision their exploits in exaggerated stories. The alumni group was supposed to be serving up tasty morsels near the entrance to the venue, their odors forcing visitors to make a beeline to the concession stand.
The stadium lights are usually burning bright more than an hour before kickoff serving as a beacon to everyone traveling down Clyde Fant Parkway that something remarkable is about to happen on the turfed field. Quarterback Bryce Restovich was supposed to be passing for more than 400 yards and six TDs with Charlie McKenzie and Ty Walsworth on the receiving end of several scoring throws.
A half-dozen or so beautiful coeds, dressed in their homecoming finest, should have been spotlighted on the sidelines and recognized during halftime activities. We should have been listening to the golden chords of John James Marshall calling the action over the intercom.
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Instead of all that happening, however, Messmer was a ghost town Friday night thanks to a fight involving Carroll football players in a road game a couple of weeks ago and a couple hundred miles away that resulted in the LHSAA cancelling the remainder of the Bulldogs’ season. The Flyers were among affected teams that were collateral damage evidenced by a decision made in Baton Rouge by the LHSAA which wanted to send a message.
The coaching staff hustled to find a fill-in opponent for Friday, but came up short. No available teams wanted a taste of Messmer magic. So, Loyola was forced to accept a forfeit victory and what few power points it’ll receive from Carroll High. So, Messmer, built in 2002 and hosting about 60 events per year, is down to 59 after Friday.
Instead of flinging the pigskin, Restovich was at Gibbon’s Grill with buddies Brock Geter, Graham Kyle and Thomas Gosslee belated celebrating the birthday of another friend. Coach John Sella took his family to Bodacious BBQ then helped his wife bathe their young children. Later, he planned to assist a local television station with its football show.
All isn’t lost since Flyers could use the time to rest and heal nagging injuries heading into a stretch run they hope will end in the Superdome. The homecoming court will be presented at an upcoming game, so the expensive outfits won't go unused and the after-game celebrations can still take place.
As for Messmer Stadium, as young as it is and as resilient as it’s been, sitting silent on just one Friday night might not be so bad. Stadiums need time to recover, too.
Jimmy Watson covers Louisiana sports for the USA TODAY N2etwork. Email him at jwatson@shreveporttimes.com and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Stark and dark, Messmer Stadium stood silent on Friday the 16th