Overpowering

Ville Platte High runs past Springfield
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VILLE PLATTE -- The Ville Platte Bulldogs controlled the Springfield Bulldogs in all aspects of the game, overpowering the Livingston Parish squad in a dominating 82-31 LHSAA Class 2A first round win.
Ville Platte improves to 25-3 on the season and will host the Martin Luther King Charter Jaguars in the second round. That game will played on Tuesday. Game time is yet to be determined.
“It feels good to see all the boys’ hard working coming to fruition,” said Ville Platte Bulldogs head coach Tommy Jones. “They always put in extra work in practice so I’m happy that they can see that hard work ultimately pays off. We’re going to keep the same energy and intensity throughout these playoffs, which makes me believe that we can go deep in the post-season.”
Ville Platte asserted themselves right from the start of the game, outscoring Springfield 9-2 within the first 2:30 of the opening period. Ville Platte’s first quarter success was largely due to the offensive and defensive effort of Terrian Roy, who not only scored eight points for his Evangeline Parish squad, but also collected four steals, all of which led to a Ville Platte score.
Springfield looked as if they had no answers for the aggressive Evangeline Parish team, and Ville Platte took major advantage of that, going on a 9-1 run in the remaining minutes of the quarter to put themselves on top 18-3 as the period came to a close.
The second period saw slightly more action from Springfield, but it still wasn’t enough to keep up with Ville Platte’s pace. Ville Platte put up nine straight points to start the quarter, increasing their advantage to 24 points.
Springfield knocked down a two-point basket with 5:20 left in the half to make it a 27-5 game. That basket seemed to irk Ville Platte, as they rambled off another 12 points in a row to take a 39-5 lead.
Springfield was able to score five points before the final buzzer, but the damage had already been done, as Ville Platte boasted a 39-10 lead with the two teams headed into their respective locker rooms.
Springfield came out of the gate swinging in the third quarter, hitting the first basket of the period. Unfortunately, for Springfield, it was to no avail, as Ville Platte continued their dominance putting up seven of the next nine points to own a 46-14 lead with 6:12 left in the quarter.
Continuing the trend of the first two periods, Springfield was unable to put points together, never scoring more than one basket at a time. On the other hand, Ville Platte seemed to score points in streaks throughout the third quarter.
At the 4:40 mark of the period, Ville Platte held a 50-16 lead over Springfield and steadily increased that advantage throughout the period. Most of the damage done in the third quarter from the Evangeline Parish Canines came from Roy and Tyler Jones. Roy put up eight points in the period and Jones added six points for Ville Platte.
With 1:05 left in the period, Springfield picked up their final basket of the quarter, making it a 59-21 game. However, Ville Platte was not done on their offensive end of the floor. As the clock wound down, Ville Platte’s RJ Williams knocked down a two-point basket to extend the Bulldog’s lead.
Ville Platte opened up the final period in impressive fashion, with seven points in a row, all of them coming from Roy. After Roy’s flurry, Ville Platte benched all of their starters, allowing the bench to get some needed playing time.
Oddly enough, Ville Platte’s backups were still able to out score Livingston Parish at a torrid pace. Ville Platte opened the final quarter on a 7-0 run to go up 68-21.
Springfield finally knocked down two baskets in a row, including a three-pointer to make it a 68-26 game. The two teams exchanged baskets on the following trips down the floor.
However, Ville Platte finished out the game with an 8-2 run to cap off a powerful performance and punch their ticket to the next round.
“Every round presents a different challenge,” said Jones. “I know that from here on out the competition will only get tougher. We just have to come out fast and believe in ourselves.”
Terrian Roy lead the way for the Ville Platte Bulldogs, raking in 24 points for the effort. Jahmal Byers also pitched 13 points of his own, as well as Tye’Wuan Byers who scored 11 points.