Ville Platte faces tough challenge with Notre Dame

It is hard enough to play in District 6-2A, with the success that teams like Kinder, Welsh and Lake Arthur have had over the past five seasons.
But, going up against arguably the best team in the state regardless of class is another challenge all its own.
That is what the Ville Platte Bulldogs (2-5, 0-2) will have to face tomorrow night when they host the Notre Dame Pioneers (7-0, 1-0).
“We know what we are up against tomorrow night,” stated Ville Platte head coach Jorie Randle. “It is going to be a tall task trying to knock these guys into the loss column. Coach Cook and his staff have been doing this for a very long time. This is one of the best teams they have had in a long time. All I am looking for is for our guys to come out and give the effort they did last week.”
This past Friday night, the Bulldogs lost to the Kinder Yellow Jackets 20-8. But according to Randle, the score was not indicative of the game.
“We had opportunities to put ourselves in position to win that game,” said Randle. “We just did not execute when those opportunities came up. We cannot do that tomorrow night or we will find ourselves in a deep hole.”
Notre Dame is as advertised. The Pioneers average 36.6 points per game on offense and surrender only 12.3 points per game on defense.
Notre Dame has beaten teams above their class, including LaGrange, Kaplan, Teurlings and Breaux Bridge. They have also perennial powerhouse Catholic of New Iberia 49-0 and two weeks ago they pummeled Kinder 49-3 to get their first district win.
“We are going to have to keep control of the football as much as possible,”commented Randle. “We cannot give their offense any momentum in the game. Defensively, we need to minimize the big plays, especially in the run game. It will be a matter of will and effort. Our theme all week long has been that once we hit the field, they are the same as us.”