Zachary won their first game of the season in dramatic fashion against the Madison Prep Chargers. After starting the season a rare 0–2, the Zachary Broncos were desperate for a win to turn things around, but nothing went their way in the first half. On Madison Prep’s opening offensive drive, the Chargers missed an opportunity to go up 7–0 early after a wide‑open pass was dropped that would have gone for a touchdown. They quickly made up for it, however, when freshman quarterback #5 Jacoby Shannon Jr. pinned the Broncos deep at their own 1‑yard line with a perfectly placed punt. The Chargers’ defense went to work, forcing a quick three‑and‑out, and the ensuing punt resulted in a safety for Madison Prep.
Things only got worse for Zachary. After the safety, the Chargers capitalized on the short kickoff as #0 Adonnice Skinner returned it all the way to the 5‑yard line. Two plays later, he found the end zone on a rushing attempt, giving Madison Prep a 9–0 lead early and putting the Broncos in a difficult spot. Zachary’s second offensive possession looked much like the first, as they struggled to move the ball or find any rhythm against a talented Chargers defense. Meanwhile, Madison Prep’s offense was firing on all cylinders. On their second drive, Shannon Jr. connected with #7 Landon Johnson for a beautiful touchdown to extend the lead to 15–0.
Despite the early deficit, the Broncos refused to fold. They put together several defensive stops and secured an interception late in the first half to swing momentum and keep themselves within striking distance. Zachary received the ball to start the second half and immediately made the most of it. #23 Brice Fisher delivered a huge return to breathe life into the Broncos. On 3rd‑and‑goal, quarterback #5 Jacori Platt dropped back and delivered a perfect pass to #6 Kylin Jones, finally putting Zachary on the board.
The Broncos’ defense followed with a quick three‑and‑out, giving the ball right back to their heating‑up offense. This time, Madison Prep had an answer. Zachary quickly found themselves in an obvious passing situation on 3rd down, and #10 for the Chargers came up with a huge sack. On the next Madison Prep possession, Shannon Jr. once again found the end zone through the air, connecting with #14 Murphy Williams for a touchdown to extend the Chargers’ lead to 22–7.
Zachary needed a spark, and they got it immediately from running back #28 Tylek Lewis. On a one‑play drive, he burst up the middle and took it all the way to the house, bringing the Broncos within one score. Things only got more interesting from there. On the ensuing kickoff, Madison Prep fumbled while attempting to field the ball, and Zachary recovered. The Chargers’ defense held strong despite the Broncos starting in the red zone, but Zachary settled for a field goal to make it 22–17.
Madison Prep faced a tough 4th‑and‑6 to start the fourth quarter and failed to convert. The Broncos wasted no time capitalizing. Platt pushed the ball down the field through the air, connecting twice with his 6’4″ receiver #9 Ethan Kimmie, and the duo finished the drive with a touchdown to give Zachary their first lead of the night, 25–22.
Madison Prep responded quickly. Shannon Jr. scrambled for about 25 yards to set up the Chargers in the red zone, and they stuck with the ground game to punch in another touchdown, regaining the lead 29–25. Zachary went right back to work, and in no time they were back in the end zone—this time Platt delivered another strike to Kylin Jones on a long touchdown to reclaim the lead, 32–25.
Could the Broncos’ defense deliver the stop they needed to finally put an end to this chaotic game? They did exactly that. On 4th down, the ball was stripped from the Chargers and recovered by Zachary for a defensive touchdown, extending the lead to 39–25 late in the fourth. That proved to be the dagger, securing the Broncos’ first win of the 2026 season.
Zachary improves to 1–2 and will face the Warren Easton Eagles next Friday at home.