High School Sports

Destiny Lavigne (seated center left) is pictured as she signs to play college softball with Xavier University of Louisiana. Also pictured (from left) are standing Ville Platte High School Principal Shelsy Williams and former Ville Platte High School Assistant Principal Dawn Bellard; seated- Ville Platte High School Softball Coach Devinskie Arvie, Latoya Lavigne, and Ville Platte High School Assistant Coach Shonda Jack. (File photo)

Destiny Lavigne (seated center left) is pictured as she signs to play college softball with Xavier University of Louisiana. Also pictured (from left) are standing Ville Platte High School Principal Shelsy Williams and former Ville Platte High School Assistant Principal Dawn Bellard; seated- Ville Platte High School Softball Coach Devinskie Arvie, Latoya Lavigne, and Ville Platte High School Assistant Coach Shonda Jack. (File photo)

Home run leader thanks her mom for softball success

News Staff
Thursday, August 8, 2024
By: TONY MARKS Editor The Ville Platte High School holder of the home run record will now take her trade to the college level at Xavier University of Louisiana. Along the way, she credits her mom for her successes and learned some valuable advice to pass along to future Lady Bulldogs.
Destiny Lavigne (seated center left) is pictured as she signs to play college softball with Xavier University of Louisiana. Also pictured (from left) are standing Ville Platte High School Principal Shelsy Williams and former Ville Platte High School Assistant Principal Dawn Bellard; seated- Ville Platte High School Softball Coach Devinskie Arvie, Latoya Lavigne, and Ville Platte High School Assistant Coach Shonda Jack.

Destiny Lavigne (seated center left) is pictured as she signs to play college softball with Xavier University of Louisiana. Also pictured (from left) are standing Ville Platte High School Principal Shelsy Williams and former Ville Platte High School Assistant Principal Dawn Bellard; seated- Ville Platte High School Softball Coach Devinskie Arvie, Latoya Lavigne, and Ville Platte High School Assistant Coach Shonda Jack.

Pair of Bulldog athletes sign to play at next level

News Staff
Thursday, August 1, 2024
By: TONY MARKS Editor Two former student athletes from Ville Platte High School have signed on the dotted line to continue their playing careers at the next level.
Duplechin

Duplechin

Despite having playing career cut short, Duplechin made memories that will last

News Staff
Monday, July 29, 2024
By: TONY MARKS Editor The global COVID-19 pandemic cut his high school playing career short during his senior season at Sacred Heart. Despite that, Christian Duplechin still made memories as a Trojan athlete and learned lessons about himself that he can take with him in his future endeavors.
Former Pine Prairie Lady Panther Alaina Boutte continues her playing career with LSUA. (Photo courtesy of Alaina Boutte)

Former Pine Prairie Lady Panther Alaina Boutte continues her playing career with LSUA. (Photo courtesy of Alaina Boutte)

Charging forward

News Staff
Thursday, July 18, 2024
By: TONY MARKS Editor Playing high school sports is a way to not only gain experience for the future but is also a way to learn valuable life lessons.
The Ville Platte Bulldog and Mamou Green Demon football teams came together for an interscholastic practice on Wednesday morning. For first-year head coaches Christopher Bland and LaQuintin Lamb, the goal of the practice was to give their teams live competition that will make them better for the upcoming season. The ultimate goal for both, though, is to help rebuild Evangeline Parish football as a whole to the place of prominence they feel it deserves. (Gazette photo by Rhett Manuel)

The Ville Platte Bulldog and Mamou Green Demon football teams came together for an interscholastic practice on Wednesday morning. For first-year head coaches Christopher Bland and LaQuintin Lamb, the goal of the practice was to give their teams live competition that will make them better for the upcoming season. The ultimate goal for both, though, is to help rebuild Evangeline Parish football as a whole to the place of prominence they feel it deserves. (Gazette photo by Rhett Manuel)

VPHS, MHS come together to build selves and parish stronger

News Staff
Monday, June 17, 2024
By: RHETT MANUEL Sports Editor VILLE PLATTE – The obvious truth among all high school football programs is that where you want to be as a team isn’t done overnight. The truth is that it’s built in the dog days of summer.
Arguably the greatest women’s basketball player in state history, Seimone Augustus played point guard/forward while starring at high school, college and professional levels. Part of three gold medal-winning Olympic teams and four WNBA title teams. Was on the cover of Sports Illustrated for Women as a high school freshman. LSU unveiled a statue in her honor in January 2023. (Photo courtesy of Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame)

Arguably the greatest women’s basketball player in state history, Seimone Augustus played point guard/forward while starring at high school, college and professional levels. Part of three gold medal-winning Olympic teams and four WNBA title teams. Was on the cover of Sports Illustrated for Women as a high school freshman. LSU unveiled a statue in her honor in January 2023. (Photo courtesy of Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame)

A ride home, and a father’s challenge, launched Augustus on the path to greatness

News Staff
Thursday, June 13, 2024
By: ROBIN FAMBROUGH Written for the LSWA (Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of feature stories spotlighting this year’s induction class of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
Manuel

Manuel

High school NIL only hurts sports if we let it

News Staff
Monday, June 10, 2024
The world is a funny place. Every previous generation is the greatest generation. My generation was told our brains would rot because of video games and technologies. A generation before that was told that TV would ruin them. In everyone’s eyes, the world was better when they were younger.
Physical therapist Clay Landreneau (left) checks range of motion on two athletes from Ville Platte High, including Kyle Gallow (right).

Physical therapist Clay Landreneau (left) checks range of motion on two athletes from Ville Platte High, including Kyle Gallow (right).

Checking off boxes

News Staff
Monday, June 3, 2024
By: TONY MARKS Editor There were registered nurses taking vitals, optometrists screening vision, physical therapists doing musculoskeletal screens, dentists doing oral/maxillofacial (TMJ) screens, physicians screening for final clearance, and ducks being cooked for physicians, healthcare providers,...
Our Parish MVP Cayden McCollough was the most well-rounded player in Evangeline Parish. He hit over .400 for the year, drove in nearly 30 runs, stole a plethora of bases and gave some innings on the mound as well. (Photo by Abby Reed))

Our Parish MVP Cayden McCollough was the most well-rounded player in Evangeline Parish. He hit over .400 for the year, drove in nearly 30 runs, stole a plethora of bases and gave some innings on the mound as well. (Photo by Abby Reed))

MVP McCollough parlayed talent into something bigger

News Staff
Monday, June 3, 2024
By: RHETT MANUEL Sports Editor Parish Baseball MVP Cayden McCollough is one of those players that, at first glance, kind of just looks the part. During his senior season, it sort of seemed like it came naturally. The hitting, pitching, defense, power. It seemed like it sort of just happened.
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