Battle for L’anse Bleu

It will be a battle for the Blue Cove, as the Sacred Heart Trojans and their fans travel up Highway 1165 to take on the Mamou Demons tonight in a game that could have playoff implications. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
Both teams come into the game with an overall record of 2-2. The winner of this contest will gain important power points toward their march to hopeful post-season bids.
This past Friday, Sacred Heart picked up a statement win in their 14-7 victory over a tough Rosepine squad. In that game, the Trojans proved to themselves and the rest of the football world that they are starting to become more and more physical in their play.
“That win over Rosepine was huge for us,” stated Sacred Heart head coach Josh Harper. “We knew how physical they were and we knew that they may be the biggest team we face this season. Still, I thought we were able to out physical them at the point of attack, which allowed us to control them offensively and defensively.”
With that control, Sacred Heart pounded out 216 yards on 48 rushing attempts. Alex McElwee did most of the heavy lifting, carrying the ball 22 times for 102 yards and a touchdown.
“Since week one, we have been trying to find our identity on both sides of the ball,” said Harper. “I feel that we are starting to gel on the offensive line and defensively we have played extremely well the last two games. We just have to continue getting better.”
Mamou rebounded nicely this past Friday with a come from behind 30-21 win over Port Barre. In that game the Demons trailed 21-8 at the half, but turned up the heat both offensively and defensively to even their record on the year.
“Picking up our second win of the season, especially this early in the season, is great for the players because they see that we can win some games,” stated Mamou head coach Dwight Collins. “It definitely helps with the practices and with the energy levels. We have some goals in mind this season and this win puts us back on track to attain those goals.”
With this game, Mamou starts a stretch of three games in a row against parish football opponents; Sacred Heart, Ville Platte and Pine Prairie. Collins thinks that having games so close in the surrounding area will help his team, especially with the ability of the Demon fan base to be in close proximity.
“The kids are actually excited about playing these parish teams because they have relatives in those areas that can come see them play,” said Collins. “They know the players on the other team and that just generates more energy and interest in the area. But, for us we are just trying to continue to clean up the mistakes and just go day to day.”
Offensively, Mamou has put up some big numbers over the past two weeks. In their game against Port Barre, the Demons racked up 432 yards of offense, with 385 of those yards coming on the ground.
Quarterback Daylon Ardoin accounted for 180 of those rushing yards, while running back Jalon Bradley picked up 175 yards on the ground.
Those types of number are troublesome for Harper and his coaching staff.
“Mamou is a scary football team,” commented Harper. “They are big and physical up front, both offensively and defensively. They have some tremendous athletes in the skill positions that have big play capabilities. We are going to have to sustain drives and try and keep the ball out of their hands and when we have the chance, we are going to have to punch it into the end zone.”
Collins also knows that his team will have to play extremely well in order to come away with the win and move to 3-2 on the season.
“Bottom line, Sacred Heart has a good football team,” said Collins. “They are well coached and do not make very many mistakes. They are very good at running their offensive system. Even though the last couple of games, they haven’t thrown the ball as much, they can throw it when they need to. I think Coach Harper is using the strengths of his players to get the most out of his team.”
One area that may play a factor in tonight’s match-up is the play of special teams. Mamou has shown over the course of the season that they can take it to the house on any given kick return and that has Harper a little worried.
“When you have the athletes that they have, the return game becomes another weapon in your arsenal,” said Harper. “We are going to have to be disciplined in our approach any time we have to kick the ball to them. The play of our special teams will be so important in helping us try and secure a win.”