WBRZ - Baton Rouge

SPRINGFIELD - Tonight, the Friday night lights at Springfield's football game against Albany will be more than just another pair of small southern towns meeting on the gridiron.

It'll be a chance for many Livingston Parish residents and football players to escape from the troubles brought by Hurricane Isaac, which flooded a portion of the parish.

"We weren't able to make it back to the house for probably three or four days," said sophomore Mark Patterson.

"We had to get out by boat and back in by boat," said junior offensive tackle Travis Tillman.

Students at Springfield came back to class Tuesday, and football practices resumed as well, something that was a welcome relief for players who'd been dealing with homes still under a few feet of water.

"It felt good to be back on the field with my teammates and having this jersey on everyday," said junior defensive back Darien Schneider.

Tonight's game is the first for Springfield this season: last week's game was canceled due to Isaac. Head Coach Ryan Serpas said he hopes they'll be able to give something back to the people that live in the parish, and have been suffering the same trials they have.

"It's going to be like a sense of normalcy around here," Serpas said, "something I hope the football team and the community can rally around. I hope we can put a good product on the field and have something for them to get out of their houses."