High School Sports

Ville Platte High head coach Launey Coward has been named the 2022 Ville Platte Gazette’s Coach of the Year for boys’ basketball in Evangeline Parish after leading Bulldogs to an overall record of 19-8 and a district championship with a 9-1 record. (Gazette photo by Rhett Manuel)

Ville Platte High head coach Launey Coward has been named the 2022 Ville Platte Gazette’s Coach of the Year for boys’ basketball in Evangeline Parish after leading Bulldogs to an overall record of 19-8 and a district championship with a 9-1 record. (Gazette photo by Rhett Manuel)

Coward leads young, Bulldogs on way to being COY

News Staff
Monday, April 4, 2022
By: RHETT MANUEL Sports Editor VILLE PLATTE – Ville Platte boys basketball coach Launey Coward warned his fellow District 5-3A coaches prior to this season. He told them simply, his team would be young and undersized. And if you wanted to get the Bulldogs, this would be the year to do it.
Kaydan Coward (3) was named to the All-District Defensive Team in District 5-3A. (Gazette file photo)

Kaydan Coward (3) was named to the All-District Defensive Team in District 5-3A. (Gazette file photo)

Parish basketball players are named to All-District teams

News Staff
Monday, April 4, 2022
By: TONY MARKS Editor For their efforts on the court this season, several area basketball players were named to the All-District teams. Here is a rundown of those players: District 5-3A Pine Prairie: Brashaylan Doucet, first team; Bryia Williams, All Defensive; Alyiah Soileau, honorable mention.
The Sacred Heart Trojan powerlifting team competed at the state championships and returned home as runner-up. Pictured in no particular order are Jackson Manuel, Isiah Rion, Jesse Johnson, Jude Hebert, Hunter Pitre, Michael Fontenot, Colton Manuel, Dylan Doucet, Everette Johnson, Silas Chesne, Madeline Fuselier, Adeline Launey, Lily Deshotel, Abby Quibodeaux, head coach Duane Urbina, assistant coach Robert Soileau, and assistant coach Jacob Reed. Not pictured- statisticians Kristen Ardoin and Carley Cloud

The Sacred Heart Trojan powerlifting team competed at the state championships and returned home as runner-up. Pictured in no particular order are Jackson Manuel, Isiah Rion, Jesse Johnson, Jude Hebert, Hunter Pitre, Michael Fontenot, Colton Manuel, Dylan Doucet, Everette Johnson, Silas Chesne, Madeline Fuselier, Adeline Launey, Lily Deshotel, Abby Quibodeaux, head coach Duane Urbina, assistant coach Robert Soileau, and assistant coach Jacob Reed. Not pictured- statisticians Kristen Ardoin and Carley Cloud

STATE RUNNER-UP

News Staff
Thursday, March 31, 2022
By: RHETT MANUEL Sports Editor What a weekend for the Sacred Heart powerlifting programs. The boys team was the state runner-up in Division V of the LHSAA powerlifting state championships this past weekend, while the girls’ program finished fifth. In the boys meet, the Trojans scored 35 points.
Mamou’s Jerez Edwards (3) safely slides into second base in a game played at Pine Prairie earlier this season. (Gazette photo by Tony Marks)

Mamou’s Jerez Edwards (3) safely slides into second base in a game played at Pine Prairie earlier this season. (Gazette photo by Tony Marks)

Shining bright

News Staff
Thursday, March 31, 2022
By: RHETT MANUEL Sports Editor It was Devin Ardoin’s chance to shine and he wasn’t about to let it go as his Mamou Demons secured a 6-5 win over Pine Prairie.
Sports Headline

Sports Headline

V.P. boys, P.P. girls win meet

News Staff
Thursday, March 31, 2022
By: DARREL LEJEUNE LSN Editor The Ville Platte High Bulldogs and the Pine Prairie High Lady Panthers took first place honors among 11 schools at the 2022 Bearcat Relays held March 25 at Basile High’s Hanson Field.
Sports Headline

Sports Headline

Lady Panthers split games against St. Ed’s and Northwest

News Staff
Thursday, March 31, 2022
By: RHETT MANUEL Sports Editor St. Edmund 8, Pine Prairie 1 A first-inning grand slam home run buried the Lady Panthers against the Blue Jays last Friday. That homer, hit by the St. Ed’s second baseman, was the only RBI-hit in the four-run first inning by St. Ed’s.
Sacred Heart’s Kali Shiver (right) has been named as the 2022 Ville Platte Gazette’s Most Valuable Player for girls’ basketball in Evangeline Parish and was a crucial part to her team’s turnaround. (Gazette photo by Tony Marks)

Sacred Heart’s Kali Shiver (right) has been named as the 2022 Ville Platte Gazette’s Most Valuable Player for girls’ basketball in Evangeline Parish and was a crucial part to her team’s turnaround. (Gazette photo by Tony Marks)

Determination pays off for girls’ MVP Shiver

News Staff
Monday, March 28, 2022
By: RHETT MANUEL Sports Editor Determining value is a tricky proposition. As humans, what we value tends to differ from person-to-person. Even within individual people, values tend to differ on a daily basis. Market values fluctuate. Home values go up and down. Value is hard to pinpoint.
Sacred Heart High head coach Josh Harper (left) has been named the 2022 Ville Platte Gazette’s Coach of the Year for girls’ basketball in Evangeline Parish after leading his team to a postseason run after a three-win season a year ago.

Sacred Heart High head coach Josh Harper (left) has been named the 2022 Ville Platte Gazette’s Coach of the Year for girls’ basketball in Evangeline Parish after leading his team to a postseason run after a three-win season a year ago.

Culture, confidence helped COY Harper win big

News Staff
Monday, March 28, 2022
By: RHETT MANUEL Sports Editor VILLE PLATTE – It’s always darkest before dawn, and it couldn’t have gotten darker for the Sacred Heart girls’ basketball program than it did during the 2020-2021 season. The Lady Trojans struggled mightily through that campaign, finishing with only three wins overall.
Sports Headline

Sports Headline

Trojans break deadlock for win over Breaux Bridge

News Staff
Monday, March 28, 2022
By: RHETT MANUEL Sports Editor Sacred Heart 5, Breaux Bridge 3 A two-run Zeph Arnold triple broke a late-game deadlock between the Trojans and the Tigers on Thursday night.
Bulldog slugger Bastian Veillon (9) stands ready at the plate. He went 1-for-2 in Ville Platte’s 11-9 win against Mamou. He walked three times and scored two runs. (Gazette photo by Rhett Manuel)

Bulldog slugger Bastian Veillon (9) stands ready at the plate. He went 1-for-2 in Ville Platte’s 11-9 win against Mamou. He walked three times and scored two runs. (Gazette photo by Rhett Manuel)

Unpolished win

News Staff
Thursday, March 24, 2022
By: RHETT MANUEL Sports Editor VILLE PLATTE – It’s not always the prettiest. It’s not necessarily what you’d define as polished baseball. But lately, the Ville Platte Bulldogs are finding a way to win games. And at the end of the day, that’s the main goal.
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