BASILE -- After the completion of the 2019 Evangeline Parish football jamboree, one thing rings true for all of the area gridiron teams: it gets real next week with the start of the regular season.
With the fall scrimmage and the jamboree in the books, each of the head coaches and their staffs across the parish have had two chances to see their personnel and evaluate their performances.
Now those coaching staffs must decide who is ready to take on the challenge of the regular season and who has not stepped up their game.
Friday night at the jamboree brought out the best and the not so good for each club. But, the jamboree exists to build on what works and clean up any miscues that may have occurred.
Here is a rundown of each of the games played Friday night.
Pine Prairie
vs. Sacred Heart
In the opening game, the Sacred Heart Trojans utilized a pounding rushing attack to subdue the Pine Prairie Panthers for a 20-0 win.
Sacred Heart, behind the running of Alex McElwee, racked up 180 yards on 16 carries in the 15-minute period played between the two teams. McElwee finished the contest with 71 yards on five rushing attempts to lead the way for the Trojans.
The first score of the game came on the second possession of the contest. Sacred Heart held tight on the opening drive of the game and forced the Panthers to punt the ball away.
The Trojans, taking over on their 15-yard line, drove down to the Pine Prairie eight-yard line in five plays. On the fifth play of the possession, McElwee busted into the end zone from eight yards out to put Sacred Heart on top. The extra point by Sam Hollier was good, and with 10:44 left in the period the Trojans led 7-0.
The Panthers had to punt it right back to Sacred Heart after losing six yards in three plays. The Trojans got the ball back with excellent field position at their 49-yard line to start their second drive.
Kyle Miller did most of the heavy lifting for Sacred Heart during the next drive, carrying the ball four times for 33 yards. On the ninth play from scrimmage, quarterback Ethan Karonika motored in for a two yard touchdown run. Hollier drilled the extra point and Sacred Heart then led 14-0 with 4:56 left to go.
A fumble on the ensuing kickoff gave the ball back to the Trojans at the Pine Prairie 25-yard line. On the very first play following the fumble, Karonika hit Tyler Perron for a 25-yard touchdown strike. The extra point was no good, putting the score at 20-0 in favor of Sacred Heart with 4:35 left to go.
The Panthers did get a decent drive going on their next possession. Going to the air, Pine Prairie marched the ball down to the Trojan 13-yard line. On second and ten, an errant pass fell into the hands of Sacred Heart’s Hayden Guillory to end the Panther threat.
One positive take for Pine Prairie: quarterback Hayden Bourgeois was four of six passing for 62 yards.
Pine Prairie vs. Mamou
Game two started well for the Panthers. On the opening drive of the game, Pine Prairie forced an ill advised Mamou pass attempt that was intercepted by the Panthers at their 39-yard line. Unfortunately, Pine Prairie could not capitalize on the take away as they were forced to punt after gaining only four yards.
The Panthers dropped back for the kick, but a Mamou Demon special teams player slid his way into the backfield and blocked the punt. The ball fell into Elson Laurent’s hands and the big man rumbled his way to the end zone for the first Demons score of the game.
The two point pass from Daylon Ardoin to Kyrian Green was completed giving Mamou an 8-0 lead with 13:18 left in the period.
The Demons got the ball right back following another three and out from the Pine Prairie offense. Starting from the Panther 48-yard line, Mamou needed only two plays from scrimmage to score its second touchdown of the game.
This time it was a 46-yard touchdown pass from Ardoin to Green that put the Demon points on the board. Ardoin connected with Payton Vidrine for the two-point pass and Mamou led 16-0 with 11:55 left on the clock.
Pine Prairie fielded the ensuing kickoff and brought it up to their 22-yard line. On third down and 10, Bourgeios hit Josiah Ortis for a two yard pass play to swing some momentum the Panthers way.
However, just when it looked like Pine Prairie was taking a step farther, the Panthers shot themselves in the foot. On first and five at the 47-yard line, Mamou’s Tanner Atchinson stepped in front of a Bourgeios pass and ran it to the Panther 41-yard line.
The Demons drove the ball down to the Pine Prairie seven-yard line, where the drive stalled. The Panthers took over possession but could not advance passed the 11-yard line. On the attempted punt which followed, the ball was snapped wide of the punter and rolled out of the back of the end zone for a safety, giving Mamou an 18-0 lead.
The final score of the game came following the punt from Pine Prairie after the safety. Taking over at their 47-yard line, the Demons needed only six plays before Green sprinted down to the 2 yard line and fumbled the ball in the end zone. Fortunately for Mamou, Vidrine was there to fall on it for the score. Jaylon Bradley punched in the two-point run putting the Demons up 26-0 with 2:09 showing on the clock.
Green led the way for Mamou, carrying the ball three times for 41 yards and a score.
Mamou vs.
Sacred Heart
By far the quickest contest of the night came in game three when the Sacred Heart Trojans and the Mamou Demons played to 6-6 tie.
Sacred Heart wasted no time picking up points, taking the opening drive and marching 62 yards down the field in eight plays. The Trojans showed their potent rushing attack as they ran the ball on every down.
Sacred Heart capped off the drive when Noah Soileau scampered in from 11 yards out. However, the extra point try was blocked giving the Trojans a 6-0 lead with 11:17 to go in the period.
After holding Mamou to only one first down on the following possession, Sacred Heart forced the Demons to punt. The Trojans took over at their 31-yard line and found themselves in a fourth and long situation at their 29-yard line.
On the attempted punt by Sacred Heart, the ball was snapped over Lucas Vallet’s head, forcing him to fall on the ball at the 1 yard line. Two plays later, Daylon Ardoin took it in over left tackle to tie the game up at 6-6. The two-point pass attempt was no good and the score remained tied with 5:08 to go in the contest.
From that point on, neither team could get any offense going, thus ending the game in that same score.
Ville Platte vs. Basile
It was a tale of two halves in the final game of the night, as the Ville Platte Bulldogs overcame a seven point half time deficit by scoring two touchdowns in the second part of the game to take a 20-13 win over the Basile Bearcats.
The two teams traded possessions to begin the game, with neither club being able to jump start their offenses. The Bearcats did manage to put together a semi-decent drive on the second time they touched the ball.
Moving from their 49-yard line, Basile reached the Ville Platte 36-yard line in six plays. Nevertheless, the Bulldogs buckled down, forcing the Bearcats to punt.
On the second play of Ville Platte’s next drive, a bad exchange between quarterback Terrian Roy and running back Jahmal Byers resulted in a fumble which Basile was able to fall on at the Bulldog 25-yard line.
Four plays later, Isaiah Ceasar plunged in from five yards out to put the Bearcats on the board. Jose Palacios drilled the point after through the uprights giving Basile a 7-0 lead with 7:43 to go in the first half.
Basile got busy on offense once again after holding the Bulldogs to a four and out on their next possession. Starting from their 32-yard line, the Bearcats got two huge plays, a 35-yard pitch and catch from Cole Manuel to Ceasar and a 20-yard touchdown run from Logan David, to add to their lead. The extra point was wide right, putting the score at 13-0 in favor of the Bearcats with 5:39 left until halftime.
Ville Platte would not go away that easy, however. Taking over at their 23-yard line, the Bulldogs drove 77 yards in six plays to etch their first points of the game on the scoreboard when Byers dove in from three yards out. A bad snap killed the extra point attempt, but Ville Platte now only trailed by six points, 13-7, with 3:01 to go in the half.
That is where the score stood as the teams headed into the locker room.
Ville Platte’s first possession of the second half paid dividends. The Bulldogs drove 65 yards in eight plays, aided by a 37-yard pass from Roy to Ernest Roberts, to claim their second touchdown of the game.
It was Roy who got the honors this time, as he dove in from the 2 yard line on third and goal to put Ville Platte up 14-13 following the two-point run by Byers.
The final score of the game came with 1:29 left on the clock when Byers barrelled his way in from three yards out. The two-point pass fell incomplete, making the score 20-13 in favor of the Bulldogs.