Football looms as dog days of summer linger

The dog days of summer are still upon us. At least for now.
So that means quite a few more weeks of sweltering heat, trying to find that perfect time to cut your grass so you don’t die of exhaustion and if you’re lucky to find the time, maybe squeezing in one final vacation before the kids go back to school.
But indulge me for a second. The end of summer also means the beginning of football training camps. Training camps mean football is upon us.
Football good. Heat bad.
And with a fresh football season comes fresh expectations for every team.
For those keeping score, this means the Cleveland Browns have renewed confidence that they may win a Super Bowl. And yes, that isn’t a false alarm. That’s within the realm of possibilities for the NFL.
But, more locally, it also means that Evangeline Parish high school football teams will have the opportunity to show off the hard work they put in during spring and summer workouts.
So walk with me. Let’s play a little game I like to call Hypotheticals. Let’s run out a few questions about each local team in the hopes of figuring out exactly what their ceiling may be for the upcoming season.
There isn’t much to go off of with last season’s abbreviated COVID season. However, it gives us something. And something, after all, is better than nothing.
First, let’s go to Sacred Heart and Ville Platte. Will the Tee Cotton Bowl be more competitive than it was the last time it was played in 2019, a 34-14 Bulldog win?
Do the Trojans have what it takes to run the table this season? There is reason to believe they can be very successful after a 2020 where it went 4-2 with its only losses to Catholic-Pointe Coupee.
Can the Bulldogs take the steps needed to be more lively this season? They’ll certainly have the motivation to start the year to beat its cross-town rival.
However, they struggled last season against strong competition and were shut out by Eunice, St. Ed’s and Iota. Outside of Iota, none of those teams are on the schedule this year. So, perhaps the Dogs can take that step towards the playoffs.
Can Mamou, with all its previous tradition, channel that under coach Dwight Collins?
Collins has the winning attitude and has been a part of winning coaching staffs in the past. His hope is that he can parlay last season’s short season into a well-rested and ready Demons squad that can make noise in 5-3A.
The same question has to be asked of Pine Prairie. The Panthers will be hoping that they can win some early games against 1A competition and bank some confidence heading into district.
Regardless, this is the time of the year where these questions can be asked. And none of them are remotely silly. Because nothing is sure until the first ball is kicked off.