Pineville, La. – OUAZ saw their 2026 regular season come to a close on Saturday afternoon with a 45-14 road loss to the Louisiana Christian Wildcats in a matchup that carried major Sooner Athletic Conference championship implications. The Spirit finish the regular season with a 7-3 overall record and a 7-2 mark in SAC play.
Louisiana Christian struck first with a touchdown drive on its opening possession and never relinquished the lead. After an early defensive takeaway by the Spirit, OUAZ was unable to capitalize, and the Wildcats gradually built momentum throughout the first half.
The biggest highlight of the first half came early in the second quarter. Following a fumble recovery by Corey Floyd Jr., quarterback Brody Osen connected with Tay Wheat on a 20-yard touchdown pass on the very next play, tying the score at 7-7.
Louisiana Christian responded quickly, however, scoring 17 unanswered points to take a 24-7 lead into halftime. The Wildcats added touchdowns on two passing drives and a field goal while limiting the Spirit offense to just one score through the opening 30 minutes.
The third quarter turned into a defensive battle, with neither team finding the end zone. The Spirit defense came up with several key stops, including sacks by Labarron Kennedy Jr. and pressure from Corey Floyd Jr. that kept the game within reach heading into the fourth quarter.
Louisiana Christian took control in the final quarter, extending its lead with a touchdown drive before adding a defensive touchdown on a fumble return. The Wildcats added one more rushing score to pull away late.
Despite the defeat, the Spirit continued to battle until the final whistle. Following an 82-yard kickoff return by Lawson Aviles that set OUAZ up deep in Wildcat territory, Rocco Koch engineered a short scoring drive and connected with Jelani Guerrero for a six-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter to account for the final Spirit points of the game.
Osen finished the day completing 17-of-38 passes for 229 yards and a touchdown, while Koch threw for a touchdown and added 35 rushing yards. Frankie Valentino led the receiving corps with six catches for 57 yards, while Jeremiah Ballard hauled in 52 receiving yards. Kendric Smith and Marques Reese each added 43 receiving yards.
Defensively, Labarron Kennedy Jr. and Masen Brubaker led the Spirit with 11 tackles apiece. Kennedy Jr. added three sacks and two fumble recoveries, while Corey Floyd Jr. finished with nine tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery. Jaden McCray recorded an interception, and Dakote Doyle-Robinson added eight tackles in another strong defensive effort.
The Spirit concluded the regular season with seven victories, a winning conference record, and one of the most successful defensive seasons in program history. OUAZ recorded four defensive shutouts during the year, including a stretch of three shutouts in four games, while finishing 7-2 in conference play and contending for the conference championship deep into the season.
By the Numbers
- 7-3 overall record.
- 7-2 record in Sooner Athletic Conference play.
- Four defensive shutouts during the 2026 season.
- 251 passing yards and two touchdown passes.
- Lawson Aviles recorded an 82-yard kickoff return.
- Labarron Kennedy Jr. totaled 11 tackles, three sacks, and two fumble recoveries.
- Masen Brubaker recorded 11 tackles.
- Corey Floyd Jr. added nine tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery.
- Jaden McCray recorded an interception.
