Basile closes out season on the road; Pine Prairie and Mamou look to end with victories

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Playoffs are on the mind of both Basile and Pine Prairie, while Mamou tries to find a way to finish the season on a winning note when those three teams take to the field in their final regular season games.
For Basile (7-2, 5-1) a win on the road against the Hamilton Christian Warriors tonight in Lake Charles would cap off what has been a tremendous year. The Bearcats are looking to one up last year’s overall record and stay within striking distance of the top five in the LHSAA Class 1A power ranking. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
As of Tuesday, Basile was No. 6 in the state according to the Louisianasportsline.com website. Last year, the Bearcats went into the playoffs as the No. 7 team in the state.
“We know that a top five seed will take us on the path to play No. 1 in the semi-finals, if we should get to that point,” stated Basile head coach Kevin Bertrand. “But, hey, our players have been through the fire, especially our seniors. As long as we focus on ourselves, we will be fine.”
Hamilton Christian comes into the game with an overall record of 1-9. The Warriors average 12 points per game on offense and give up 31.4 points per game on defense.
To the north, the Pine Prairie Panthers find themselves in a very similar position they were in last season; needing a win to get in to the post-season for the first time in school history.
Pine Prairie (3-6, 2-4) will have a tough task getting that done as they host the No. 19 Crowley Gents (6-3, 4-2) tomorrow night. Crowley is riding a three game winning streak heading into this game and have won four of their last five contests. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
As of Tuesday, the Panthers were No. 42 in the power ranking, ten spots out of playoff contention.
“We are going to have to show up to play,” stated Pine Prairie head coach Yves Prince. “They have a ton of speed and a good corps of receivers. They want to isolate their best and take advantage of mismatches. They are a read option team and can run the ball if necessary. One advantage we have is that we get to play at home.”
Down the road, the Mamou Demons (0-9, 0-6) face the unenviable task of traveling to Prairie Rhonde to take on the No. 11 ranked Northwest Raiders (6-3, 3-3) tomorrow night. The Raiders are coming off a 37-14 loss to Eunice, but have won three of their last four games. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
“Our biggest concern all year long has been getting off to a fast start,” stated Mamou head coach Dwight Collins. “We are making too many mistakes offensively at the beginning of the game and it causes us to fall behind early. I feel if we can make the plays on both sides of the ball and play four quarters of football, we can compete with anyone in our district.”