Sending a message

When the Basile Bearcats travel to Ville Platte to take on the Sacred Heart Trojans tomorrow night, each team will be looking to send a message to their upcoming opponents.
The Bearcats (1-1) want to let the rest of their scheduled teams know that, despite the loss of a number of key players, they are still a team to be reckoned with.
The Trojans (0-2) want to send the message that, despite the slow start, they are ready to right the ship before district play begins in earnest.
Last week Basile needed every second on the clock to fend off a much improved Mamou squad. The Bearcats scored on the last play of the game, an untiamed down, to secure a 34-28 win.
Still, Bearcat head coach Kevin Bertrand knows that his team has a lot of work to do before they can be considered a solid team.
“I did not feel that we blocked very well this past week against Mamou,” stated Bertrand. “Our pass protection broke down several times and it cost us yardage that we cannot afford to give up. Also, our special teams had some breakdowns that need to be cleaned up. I don’t know if it is because we have some new faces or if we were tired, but we won’t win many games if we let teams score on kicks.”
One area that gave Bertrand something to be positive about was the Basile defensive unit. Although the Bearcats surrendered 28 points to the Demons, the defense stepped up when needed to give the offense a chance to win the game.
“Looking at the film, I don’t think our defense played that bad,” said Bertrand. “We just need to make sure that our assignments are being carried out every time the ball is snapped.”
On the flip side, Sacred Heart has also felt the effects of losing a ton of senior players off of last year’s team. Depth is still a big concern for the Trojans, as they try to find players to spell the starters, most of whom have to go both ways.
Because of that lack of depth, Sacred Heart has lost leads in both of their losses this season. This past Friday, the Trojans went into the half with a 7-6 lead only to see that evaporate in a 35-14 loss.
“When you start getting tired, you can’t stayed engaged mentally,” commented Sacred Heart head coach Josh Harper. “That’s basically what has been happening to us the last two games. We have had some injuries that has forced us to play more guys both ways and when that happens players get tired. This week we will be as healthy as we have ever been, which is great for us because now we have more depth to sub in people and keep guys fresh.”
However, Harper feels that his team continues to improve even with the two losses on the record.
“I feel that as a team we continue to improve from week to week,” said Harper. “When you look at the scores of the last two games you would not think that we were playing good football. But, we are definitely getting better, even on the defensive side of the ball. That does not mean we don’t have our issues. We just have to cut down on the mental mistakes and stay the course.”
Both teams continue to get good production from their running games and look very similar in the way of offensive stats.
Against Mamou, Basile rushed the ball 41 times for 112 yards and four touchdowns. Isaiah Ceasar led the way for the Bearcats, collecting 76 yards on eight attempts and scored two touchdowns. So far this season, Basile has rushed the ball 85 times for 301 yards.
Against Oberlin, Sacred Heart tallied 132 yards on 35 rushing attempts. Alex McElwee took most of the load on the ground for the Trojans, gathering 62 yards on 19 carries. Up to now, Sacred Heart backs have carried the ball 74 times for 306 yards.
Just like the rushing stats, the passing stats are eerily similar. The Bearcats are 14 of 26 on the year for 232 yards. The Trojans have put the ball in the air 32 times and completed 15 of those passes for 198 yards.
With that knowledge, both coaches have the utmost respect for their opponent this week.
“You can’t be fooled by their record,” stated Bertrand. “They are a team that plays hard week in and week out. We know that they are going to come ready to play. They are hungry for their first win of the season and would like nothing more than to do it at home.”
“Basile always has a tough team that can make you pay if you make too many mistakes against them,” said Harper. “They are very well-coached and know how to finish games. Any time you play them, you know what you are going to get. We have to be able to come out and have a mistake free game if we want to have a chance to win. I think it will be a good tough-nosed football game.”