The Marks Post: A great day to be a Trojan

I’m writing this column as a 2000 graduate of Sacred Heart, so please allow me some latitude when it comes to objectivity. With that being said, Friday, May 6, was a great day to be a Trojan.
The day started out with me covering the LHSAA state outdoor track meet for Class 1A and 2A at LSU. It was the first time I covered it in five years, and five years and a day that I left the Evangeline Parish Clerk of Court Office. I enjoy covering the meet because it gives me an opportunity to be on the track with the kids as they compete.
One of the first events was boys javelin in Class 1A, and Sacred Heart’s Caleb Hood was throwing in it. I went over and talked to him as he was warming up, and, surprisingly, that was the first time I ever visited with him. We started talking about Sacred Heart’s baseball game against Ouachita Christian later that afternoon, and he told me about College of Charlston signee Zeph Arnold was out of the series due to an arm injury. I saw that Hood was throwing against a kid from Ouachita Christian, so I told him it was a good day to beat them twice. More on that later.
After talking with Hood, I went over and talked to his coach, Robert Soileau, who talked highly about his senior javelin thrower. We then started talking about the baseball series, and I said I didn’t want us to get swept. Again, more on that later.
Hood won the event ahead of Aiden McCrary from Ouachita Christian and moved to number 10 all time in the state across all divisions.
As the day went on, I bounced around different event because I was covering kids from Oakdale, Oberlin, Kinder, Basile, and Elton in addition to Sacred Heart.
At one point, I wondered over to a throwing event and started talking to some kids from Newman High School. I asked if Arch Manning, grandson of Archie, was there. Honestly, I expected one of the following responses: I’m Arch, or he’s over there. But, I got a different response: he isn’t here. Anyway, I told the kids from Newman that I wanted to rub it in about Arch’s uncle Peyton and told them the story how he committed the error at shortstop to allow Sacred Heart to win the state championship.
The day went on some more, and it was time for the relay events. For those, I went camp out under the tent. It worked out because the tent was near the starting line, finish line, and awards podium.
When it came time for the Sacred Heart baseball game, I started following the game on my GameChanger app while still camping out under the tent.
When it came time for Sacred Heart to compete in the girls 4x100 meter relay, Myka Harper was at the starting line near the tent. I went over to her, gave her a score update from Monroe that we were up 5-1, and told her Briggs Ardoin hit a three-run homer. She smiled, and was probably thinking, “Who is this guy.” I get that response a lot from women.
Anyway, the Trojan baseball team did in fact go on to beat Ouachita Christian that day, and I was right. Sacred Heart did beat them twice. It was a great feat considering the two teams’ recent history against each other.
The next day, though, was not such a day for the Trojans, as Ouachita Christian won both baseball games to win the best-of-three series. I guess I should have been more specific when I told Coach Robert that I didn’t want us to get swept.
To the seniors and the rest of the team, you have nothing to hang your head over. You fought like real Trojans all season long. And, thanks for letting me be a part of it by operating the scoreboard and playing the music. One of the songs even became an anthem for the team.
So, for the last time this season, in the words of Nick Lick and the Hickies, “Boudreaux had a home in Tucson, Arizona, but he lived there alone. Boudreaux called his friends and said, ‘Hey, when you comin?’ They just said, ‘We’re stayin home in Ville Platte. Ville Platte. Ville Platte is where we all belong. In Ville Platte, Ville Platte, Ville Platte is where we all belong.”