Gridiron warriors

It was a season to remember for a number of parish football teams, as three of the five programs were able to earn playoff bids, with Sacred Heart and Ville Platte reaching the first round and Basile making another trip to the quarter-finals.
With the success of the 2017 gridiron season comes the post-season accolades for those individuals whose prowess on the field of play have earned them spots on their respective all-district teams.
For the Basile Bearcats, the season did not start quite the way the coaching staff would have liked. The Bearcts came out of the block a little sluggish, going 1-3 in their first four contests.
However, Basile continued to claw and scratch their way towards improvement, eventually reeling off eight wins in a row before bowing to Oak Grove in the Class 1A quarter-finals.
Several Bearcat players were honored by being named to the District 4-1A squad. On the offensive side of the ball, junior Andre Reed was selected as one of three running backs earning places on the first team. Reed rushed for 1,011 yards on 126 carries and scored 12 TD’s in the regular season.
Joining Reed on the first team were wide receiver Jaylen Thomas, offensive lineman Gage Johnson and place kicker Jacob Guillory. Thomas hauled in 27 passes for 514 yards and four touchdowns.
Guillory, a senior, was 24/28 on extra point attempts and two for two on field goal tries. Johnson, a junior, was a major part of the Bearcat running game that gathered over 2,000 yards rushing.
First team defensive selections included Most Valuable Player Reed and defensive lineman Darren Chaumont.
Reed, a linebacker, collected 105 tackles and two interceptions, while Chaumont produced 70 tackles and four sacks.
Earning second team honors for Basile were offensive lineman Cameron Berzas, defensive lineman Jacob McGee and linebacker Logan David.
The Mamou High Demons experienced something they had not experienced in almost four years, a win. The
Demons picked up their only win of the year against Port Barre and came within two points of Basile in securing a second win. Nevertheless, Mamou showed a ton of moxie throughout the year, even when a ton of injuries pressed several underclassmen into service.
The Demons were able to place one player on the second team all-district squad; as senior wide out Nakyrien Jack was named for his play. Jack totaled 30 receptions for 546 yards and four touchdowns.
A number of Mamou players were also named as honorable mention players. Thomas Atkins, Jaylen Griffith, Parker Granger and Devin Messer were all honored with that distinction.
Despite their overall record of 3-7, the Pine Prairie Panthers were able to achieve two big milestones in their program; a win over Ville Platte and two district wins. In the end, the Panthers were probably one win away from their first ever playoff experience, however, they were able to get four players named to the all-district team.
Two of those four players were placed on the first team. Running back JJ Sims and defensive lineman Corryn Anderson were those two. Sims, a junior, carried the ball 228 times for 1,439 yards and scored 16 touchdowns, while Anderson, a senior, 34 tackles, one sack and one caused fumble.
Making second team all-district for Pine Prairie were senior offensive line Dylan Chappelle and senior defensive back Darrien Hayes.
The Sacred Heart Trojans had one of their best season in a number of years, finishing with an overall record of 9- 3 and securing a first round playoff game. Unfortunately, the Trojans could not overcome the momentum of Ouachita Christian in that game and exited the post-season with a loss to the Eagles. Sacred Heart does bring back a number of key pieces in 2018 to help make another great run.
Because of their success as a team, quite a few earned all-district status. Named to the offensive first team, were running back JT Harper and offensive lineman Sam Gil. Harper, a junior, ran for 1,365 yards on 140 carries and found the end zone 20 times.
Harper also caught 23 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns. Gil, a 6’3, 330 lb. sophomore bore holes in opposing defenses allowing the Trojans to rush for more than 2,500 yards.
Garnering first team all-district defensive honors were Harper and linebacker Garrett Fontenot. Harper, a defensive back had 44 tackles and three sacks. Fontenot, a junior, collected 73 tackles, three sacks and one interception.
Junior Wesley Launey was tabbed as a second team selection on offense (quarterback) and defense (defensive back). Joining Launey on the second team were junior wide out Alec Gotro, senior offensive lineman Gaige Thille, senior linebacker Jacob Castille and junior defensive end Nick Perry.
Honorable Mention selections for the Trojans were Jeffery Sylvester, Andrew Parrott and Cade Manuel.
The Ville Platte High Bulldogs had an up and down season, finishing with an overall record of 3-8. But, because the Bulldogs played in one of the best districts in the state, their power points were enough to earn them a first round playoff appearance against Many. Regrettably, Ville Platte was not able to push past the Tigers.
The Bulldogs were able to place one player on the defensive first team, as senior Jaishaun Doucet was tabbed as the flex player. Named to the second team were senior offensive lineman Davondez Doucet, who also was a defensive line selection, sophomore athlete Jamal Byers, sophomore linebacker Kyle Williams and senior return man Kaybrien Ardoin.
Placed on the honorable mention team for Ville Platte were Jaylen Edwards, Vontravious Joseph, Elijah Charles, Travion Ardoin, Dave Arvie and Brandon Veazie.