Tough playoff roads for SHS, VPHS

By News Staff on Thursday, February 16, 2023
  • The district champion Sacred Heart Lady Trojans are pictured above. In no particular order are Myka Harper, 3; Averie Pitre, 4; Emily Stagg, 10; Olivia Tate, 13; Laura Prudhomme, 14; Ava Johnson, 15; Alyssa Brignac, 20; Katherine Fontenot, 21; Kali Shiver, 22; Jodie Landry, 23; Bre Ardoin, 24; Jolie Vidrine, 33; Taylor Darbonne, 34; Mary Perron, 35; and Rose Ardoin, 40. (Photo courtesy of Angela DeVille)
    The district champion Sacred Heart Lady Trojans are pictured above. In no particular order are Myka Harper, 3; Averie Pitre, 4; Emily Stagg, 10; Olivia Tate, 13; Laura Prudhomme, 14; Ava Johnson, 15; Alyssa Brignac, 20; Katherine Fontenot, 21; Kali Shiver, 22; Jodie Landry, 23; Bre Ardoin, 24; Jolie Vidrine, 33; Taylor Darbonne, 34; Mary Perron, 35; and Rose Ardoin, 40. (Photo courtesy of Angela DeVille)
    By: RHETT MANUEL Sports Editor VILLE PLATTE – Both the Ville Platte Lady Bulldogs and the Sacred Heart Lady Trojans are sitting pretty as they open up postseason play tonight on the road to Marsh Madness. The Lady Trojans, who finished the regular season at 19-11 and as District 6-1A champions, reap the benefits of their regular season success tonight in hosting its opening playoff game. The No. 9-seeded Lady Trojans find themselves in a good spot, hosting No. 24 Lincoln Prep at 6:30 tonight. The Lady Panthers finished 3-21 in the regular season and now must venture nearly three hours from home for its opening playoff game. While its opener is winnable, the road to the state tournament will not be an easy one for the Lady Trojans. If Sacred Heart wins tonight, it faces No. 8 Delta Charter in the Regional round. That, too, would be a winnable game between pretty evenly matched teams. However, the draw for the Lady Trojans is potentially deadly were they to reach the state quarterfinal round. A potential matchup with No. 1 Southern Lab awaits Sacred Heart were it to make it that far. But that’s a later issue. Ville Platte, seeded 18th in the Division III non-select bracket, must make the two hour trip to face No. 15 Doyle tonight at 6 p.m. The Lady Bulldogs, who finished an up-and-down regular season at 14-13, found themselves in the thick of the District 4-3A championship race by season’s end. Doyle, 19-13 in the regular season, provides a stiff early test for Ville Platte. Ville Platte’s road to Hammond doesn’t get easier if it wins tonight, as it will match up with 2-seed Amite in the Regionals. Amite was a 23-4 regular season team. The good news though, is that if Ville Platte pulls back-to-back upsets it could be primed for a run at Hammond due to being battle-tested. The area’s other teams – Mamou, Pine Prairie and Basile – failed to qualify for the postseason and now turn their efforts to softball.