By: RHETT MANUEL
Sports Editor
Evangeline Parish did well for itself in the all-district season.
Sacred Heart, Basile, Pine Prairie and Mamou accounted for 15 first-team all-district selections this season, with a coach of the year and two district MVPs within the parish as well.
On second-teams, Evangeline Parish schools landed 16 players on all-district teams.
District 4-3A
In a district dominated by two teams, Church Point and Iota, it was hard to envision the team selections being anything but top-heavy.
To a degree, they were. Church Point running back Tylon Citizen was selected Offensive MVP and Iota coach Ray Aucoin and linebacker Dayton Boone were named the Coach of the Year and Defensive MVPs respectively.
However, that didn’t stop Mamou senior receiver Devin Ardoin and Pine Prairie senior receiver Da’jon Lemalle from leaving their marks on the first-team offense.
Ardoin was Mamou’s go-to dynamo throughout the season. He accounted for 18 total touchdowns – 13 receiving and five rushing – and also racked up over 500 receiving yards and over 700 rushing yards as Mamou reached the postseason for the first time in over a decade.
Lemalle made himself undeniable to district voters despite Pine Prairie’s winless season. He averaged 26 yards per reception, had over 700 receiving yards and ended the year with nine touchdowns to lead the Panther offense.
Defensively, Ardoin double-dipped as the only player from Evangeline Parish to get first-team defensive honors.
The parish was more-well represented within the second-team.
Pine Prairie’s Elijah George made the second-team offense at running back along with a Mamou trio of Caden LeJeune, Javon Williams and Alex Dick joining him.
On defense, Mamou’s Javonte Thomas made the second-team on the defensive line. He was joined by Pine Prairie’s Sammy Fontenot – who accumulated over 100 tackles at linebacker – Mamou’s Cameron Thomas and Ville Platte’s Jakahalen Slaughter.
Mamou’s Donovyn Henderson was selected as the district’s second-team punter.
District 5-1A
Another district title earned the Basile Bearcats major respect within its district.
The Bearcats swept the district’s major awards with coach Kevin Bertrand named the league’s coach of the year, running back Ashton Deaville Offensive MVP and linebacker Luke Fontenot Defensive MVP.
Deaville was one of four Bearcats to land on the offense’s first-team. He is joined by receiver Gavin Ardoin, junior offensive lineman Wyatt Bertrand and junior kicker Ross Cortez.
Basile landed four more players on the defense’s first-team. Fontenot was joined by defensive lineman Christian Bergeron and defensive backs Tyler Newman and Parker Fontenot.
On the second-team, Parker Fontenot made it as a tight end as well. He was joined by running back Horace Edwards and sophomore lineman Pierre Berzas.
Two Bearcats made the second-team. Deaville made the team as a linebacker and was joined by defensive lineman Tucker Leblanc.
District 6-1A
As the lone representative of Evangeline Parish in the district, it fell upon Sacred Heart to do Evangeline Parish proud.
Thankfully, it had senior quarterback Hayden Droddy to spearhead their first-team selections. Droddy headlined four Trojans selected to the 6-1A first-team.
Droddy was otherworldly all season for Sacred Heart and finished the year with 38 total touchdowns. Droddy is joined by senior tight end Briggs Ardoin on the offensive first-team.
Defensively, senior linebacker Campbell Earles was undeniable for coaches.
Earles was Sacred Heart’s best defender all season, and in a district filled with good linebackers coaches made a spot for him as the district’s first-team flex defender.
He was joined by defensive lineman Everett Johnson on the first-team.
Sacred Heart was represented in the second-team by sophomore running back Jude Hebert and junior wide receiver Wade Pitre.
June 20, 2026
