Basile gets past Port Barre; picks up first win of the year

PORT BARRE -- The Basile Bearcats were oh so close last week in their one point loss to the Grand Lake Hornets. But, in that loss, you could see that Basile was starting to get back on track and play Bearcat football the way it was meant to be.
This past Friday, that same Basile team showed teams around the area they would be a force to be reckoned with down the stretch of the season, as they punched their way past the Port Barre Red Devils 21-12.
The win upped the Bearcat record to 1-2 on the season. Basile will travel to East Beauregard this coming Friday night, as they return to district competition.
Like two prize fighters feeling each other out, the two teams traded possessions to start the game, as neither team could get much going offensively.
The first to break through on the score board was Port Barre. On their second possession of the night, the Red Devils got the ball in great shape at the Bearcat 40-yard line.
Six plays later Owen Ponthieux found Terrol Roberts for a 23 yard touchdown pass. The point after failed, giving Port Barre a 6-0 led with 2:39 to go in the first quarter.
The Red Devils utilized their defense for their second score of the night. On second and 11 from the Basile 19, an errant Bearcat pass was picked off by Port Barre’s Terrol Roberts, who brought it down to the Basile 16-yard line. Two plays later, Dah’mond Thomas blasted in from seven yards out to give the Red Devils a two score lead. The two-point pass was no good, but with 10:22 to go in the half, Port Barre led 12-0.
That scored stayed until the second half. That is when the Bearcats decided to turn up the heat.
On their second possession of the third quarter, Basile began to slowly wear down the Port Barre defense. The Bearcats took the ball and drove it 67 yards in 10 plays, capping off the drive with a 16 yard touchdown pass from Cole Manuel to Jared Thomas. Jose Palacios added the extra point, cutting the Red Devil lead down to 12-7 with 5:07 to go in the period.
Basile steadily pounded the Red Devils on offense and defense and it paid off once again in the fourth quarter. After a Port Barre punt, the Bearcats started another damaging drive.
Beginning at their 23-yard line the Bearcats marched 77 yards in nine plays, ending up at the Red Devil six-yard line. Horace Edwards raced in on the final play of the drive for the score, and with the extra point by Palacios, Basile led 14-12.
The final touchdown of the night for the Bearcats came just one possession later. This time it took only 58 yards and nine plays for Basile to score, as Ethan Langley blasted in from 11 yards out to put the game away.