Cougar hunters

There were a lot things going right for Trojans except for one thing.
In Tuesday's non-district contest against visiting Grant, the Sacred Heart boys basketball team started off playing extremely well with solid ball movement and sound defense.
The only problem was the ball just wasn't falling through the basket, as the Trojans scored a mere 10 points in the opening quarter.
"We didn't start off the game great," Sacred Heart coach JP Bouillion said. "Grant throws a lot of defensive coverages at you. We were prepared for that but the ball just wasn't going in."
Thanks to the Trojan's bench, the scoring would come and help lift Sacred Heart to a 65-41 victory.
"Our bench was outstanding," Bouillion said. "We have two seniors (Spencer Darbonne and Tanner Bergeron) that have been coming off the bench this season. They understand their roles and most importantly have accepted them. That can be difficult for some kids. Tanner and Spencer are 'team first' guys and are unselfish."
Bergeron came off the bench to score five of his nine points in the first half. That production helped Sacred Heart score better in the second quarter but still only had a 25-20 lead at halftime.
Sacred Heart would come out with a dominant third-quarter performance. The Trojans outscored the Cougars 24-9 in the third.
"Not much was said at halftime except it would come down to who won the hustle plays would in turn win the game," Bouillion said. "The team came out and crushed Grant in the third quarter with great passing, rebounding and defense. It was great to see the team take ownership of the poor first half and prove that they could play better."
While Darbonne and Bergeron gave a spark in the first two quarters, Sam Fontenot did so in the second half as the Trojan made three three-pointers.
"As a freshman, I told him he was probably the best shooter in Ville Platte," Bouillion said. "He's been proving me right all season. Sam puts in the work it takes to be a great shooter."
With a 20-point lead entering the fourth quarter, Sacred Heart would keep up the pace and pick up the 24-point victory.
Austin Darbonne led Sacred Heart with 17 points and Bryce Deville added 14. Grant was led by Jayden Murrell who scored 16.
"It's fun as a coach when I can step aside and let them go," Bouillion said. "They played within the scheme but were loose and having fun. You combine that with toughness on defense, good things will happen."