All in the parish

One of the best things about high school football in a small area like Evangeline Parish is that the teams that reside here all have enough respect for each other to make each other part of their schedule.
Take for example this upcoming Friday night. Four of the parish teams will tangle against each other in what should be some very interesting match-ups. On tap tomorrow night the Basile Bearcats will host the Mamou Demons to the west, and, on the east side of the parish, the Pine Prairie Panthers travel to Ville Platte to knock heads with the Bulldogs. Both games are scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.
“The brand of football has gotten a lot better in the parish over the past few years,” said Ville Platte head coach Jorie Randle. “When we play each other, we have some good competitive games, and the fans want to see them.”
“We are a close knit parish,”commented Basile head coach Kevin Bertrand. “This is a good way to get some great rivalries going. We would be crazy not to play each other.”
Heading into the contest with Mamou, the Basile Bearcats are coming off of a noteworthy performance against the Iota Bulldogs. Despite the 28-10 loss, the Bearcats showed they were ready for the 2018 season.
Not only did Basile take the early lead over the Bulldogs, but they also held their own against one of the better Class 3A teams in the state, racking up 352 yards of total offense.
“We really played well against a good team,” stated Bertrand. “I was so proud of how our players gave everything they had the entire game. They took the punches and kept going after Iota. I really believe that we are so much farther along at this point in the season than we were at the same point last year.”
In the game, Basile found a balance on the offensive side of the ball that lacked at times in 2017. The Bearcats’ rushing game garnered 213 yards, while the passing attack accounted for 139 yards.
“Our plan is to throw the ball this season,” said Bertrand. “We have an experienced quarterback and experienced receivers. Being able to throw the ball compliments our running game, and it keeps opposing defenses off balance.”
Meanwhile, the Mamou Demons may have found some much needed internal fortitude in their 22-0 loss to the Oberlin Tigers. After a not so stellar first half, the Demons played much more aggressive in the second half against the Tigers, revealing some of the moxie that had eluded them the past few years.
“I felt that we were more calm in the second half,” commented Mamou head coach Dwight Collins. “We got back on track both offensively and defensively, and I thought it allowed them to play faster and not as tentative.”
Offensively, Mamou began to assert themselves in the running game during the second half. The Demons ran up 137 yards on the ground, with most of those yards coming after halftime. Defensively, Mamou did give up some big plays to Oberlin. For the most part, the Demons gave the big, physical Tiger offense trouble all night long.
“We had trouble lining up in the right spots on defense in the first half,” stated Collins. “But, we corrected that at halftime. I felt we played aggressive on defense and, for the most part, did not give in to them.”
Last year the two teams battled to the end, with the Bearcats squeezing out a 15-13 win over the Demons. This year the two coaches know that their opponent will not be a push over in the non-district contest.
“Mamou is a very aggressive team,” said Bertrand. “They seem to have a lot more bounce in their step compared to last year. This will be a good test for us. We are going to have to cut down on our mistakes and give the same effort we did against Iota.”
“Basile is a well-coached team in all phases of the game,” said Collins. “They are very sound in their scheme both offensively and defensively. We are going to have to be able to move the ball on offense and sure up our blocks. Defensively, we need to swarm to the ball and take care of our responsibilities.”
Moving across the parish, the Ville Platte High Bulldogs will be coming into their annual contest against Pine Prairie with a ton of emotion after their close 20-7 loss to Sacred Heart in Tee Cotton Bowl XV.
In that game, Ville Platte put their heart and soul out on the field, giving the Trojans all they could handle in a tightly contested game. In that game, the Bulldogs proved to all upcoming opponents that they are a team to be reckoned with in 2018.
“It was definitely an emotional game for us,” stated Randle. “But, after the game, I think the players knew that they had their chances and just missed some golden opportunities. Still, they responded well, and I think we got some measure of respect for our hard play.”
Even though Ville Platte’s total yardage against Sacred Heart was not eye-popping, the Bulldogs demonstrated flashes of putting the whole package together. But, it was the defensive effort more than anything else that displayed itself in the contest with the Trojans, especially having to play sound assignment football against the grinding offense of the veer.
“I thought our defense was the best part of the game Friday night,” commented Randle. “That is a hard offense to defend, but, up until that last drive, I thought our guys did a good job of coming up big when needed. The consensus of the team was that we played good enough to win but did not take advantage of our chances.”
Last week the Pine Prairie Panthers traveled to the central part of the state to take on the Tioga Indians. The outcome was not what the Panthers had hoped for as the Indians passed for four touchdowns in a 33-6 win. Even with the loss, Pine Prairie’s JJ Sims still managed to rush for 185 yards and one score.
“JJ had a tremendous game,” said Pine Prairie head coach Yves Prince. “Our line did a great job of getting him the space he needed. We just shot ourselves in the foot when we got down close. We were right there with them for the first part of the game, but too many mistakes killed us.”
Pine Prairie will now face a different type of offense with Ville Platte. The Bulldogs are a team that mixes the run and the pass, so it will be up to the Panther defense to come up with some big stops if they are to be successful tomorrow night.
“We had some break down in our secondary coverage against Tioga,” stated Prince. “We missed a few tackles and at times were not in the right position. If we are going to be successful this year, we are going to have to correct those things quickly.”
These two teams have met every year since the inception of football at Pine Prairie in 2007. The Bulldogs have had the Panthers’ number, winning every year except last year. That win has put both teams on notice that they must come ready to play.
“To beat Pine Prairie you have to stop JJ Sims,” said Randle. “The kid is a phenomenal player and athlete. You have to bottle him up and get every body you can to the ball. Defensively, they are very aggressive. They like to blitz a ton. We are going to have to sure up our pass protection and make the plays when presented to us. It should be a great game.”
“As always, Ville Platte is very athletic,” commented Prince. “When they are in the I-formation, they are tough. They have a good running back that can beat you on any given play. On defense, they are tough up front. For us to come away with a win, we are going to have to protect the football and make sure we do not break down on our assignments defensively.”