The Ville Platte Bulldogs are hoping it is deja vu all over again in 2018.
At this same point last year, the Bulldogs were coming off of a big win over Pickering and headed into week five against Oakdale hoping for a second win in a row. Ville Platte took care of that, blanking the Warriors 24-0.
Fast forward one year, and the same situation has arisen. Last week, Ville Platte outlasted Pickering 29-20, and now the Bulldogs are seeking to repeat what occurred just last season.
As of now, Ville Platte holds an overall record of 2-2 and will travel to Oakdale tomorrow night to continue this long standing rivalry. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
“This is a big game for us in terms of power ratings,” stated Ville Platte head coach Jorie Randle. “A third win before we get to district play next week would be huge in terms of playoff positioning. I know that is seems premature to think about playoffs right now, but if we hope to get ourselves in the postseason, we need this win.”
Against Pickering, Ville Platte jumped out to a big start, holding a 14-0 lead at halftime. Defensively, the Bulldogs played lights out in the first half, holding the Devils to 26 total yards of offense. Randle is hoping that his defense will continue to play on that level against the Warriors.
“Last week, I thought the defense played exceptionally well throughout most of the game,” said Randle. “Toward the end, we gave up some big plays, but we did what we needed to do in order for our offense to make plays. Oakdale has some good athletes on offense and can beat you at any give time. I am hoping we play as solid as we did this past week.”
The Warriors come into the game with an overall record of 0-4. On defense, Oakdale gives up 36.8 points per game.
“It seems that they are having a tough time stopping the running game on defense,” commented Randle. “Lately, we have been doing a good job on the ground. Our offensive line has really come around and we are improving up front every week. We are going to have to get that part of the game rolling again this week if we want to have a chance to win.”
This past Friday night Ville Platte rushed for close to 300 yards with junior Jahmal Byers collecting 221 yards on 26 carries. The next step for the Bulldogs is to get the passing game going a little more, especially with the recent change at quarterback.
“Terrian (Roy) is just starting to learn how to become a quarterback,” commented Randle. “But, he is an athlete with a good head on his shoulders. You can tell that he is becoming more and more comfortable in that role week in and week out.”
This past week Roy threw for only 50 yards but has shown flashes of what he can do, as he now leads the parish with 324 total yards through the air.
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TRACEY JAGNEAUX Sports Editor