Basile hits the road to Lake Arthur, faces tough week one test

The Basile Bearcats have never shied away from tough competition, especially in their opening game of the season.
This year, the Bearcats continue that tradition as they will hit the road to face off against the Lake Arthur Tigers, a team that has reached the Class 2A playoffs in each of the last nine seasons. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
Basile enters the game after coming off of a poor second half performance against Ville Platte in the jamboree this past Friday night. The Bearcats lead Ville Platte 13-0 at the 5:39 mark of the first half in that contest, only to fall 20-13.
“I thought we got off to a great start against Ville Platte,” stated head coach Kevin Bertrand. “We just got worn down at the end and made some very uncharacteristic mistakes. I don’t know if it is a get up to speed issue or a depth issue, but we have to be able to sustain ourselves over the course of a game.”
“We do play a lot of players both ways, but we have had to face that in the past,” he continued. “I was pleased at the way the kids took control in the huddle, especially with the coaches not being right there by their side. I was not please with the way we played in the second half. As we get in better shape, hopefully we will not continue making those mistakes.”
One thing that Basile did well in the first half was run the football. The Bearcats racked up 114 yards on 20 carries in that initial period.
However, Basile did not produce on the ground in the second half the same way they did to start the game, only collecting 62 yards rushing. The Bearcats were only one for seven for 35 yards in the passing game.
“When we run the ball effectively, it opens up our passing game,” said Bertrand. “We have a young quarterback this season, so we are trying to ease him into the mix. As we continue to get more and more reps at practice, that aspect of our game will definitely improve. We are going to need to be able to throw the ball a little to stop teams from stacking the box on us.”
Bertrand knows what type of opponent his team faces tomorrow night when the Bearcats tangle with the Tigers.
“Lake Arthur is a huge, physical team,” said Bertrand. “They are a run heavy team, much like we are. They have some bruising backs that come at you over and over again. Everything revolves around their triple option scheme.”
“Our main objective this week is to make sure our defense plays assignment football,” Bertrand said emphatically. “We cannot get out of position. Then when we get the football, we need to eat some clock and keep possession.”