Sports

Ville Platte senior Shayla Hickerson, a first-team All-Parish performer in basketball, signed a Letter of Intent to continue her playing career at LSU-Eunice on Thursday. She dominated the post all season on her way to 10 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks per game and is pictured (seated) with Lady Bulldogs’ head coach Rhonda Thomas (standing). (Gazette photo by Rhett Manuel)

Ville Platte senior Shayla Hickerson, a first-team All-Parish performer in basketball, signed a Letter of Intent to continue her playing career at LSU-Eunice on Thursday. She dominated the post all season on her way to 10 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks per game and is pictured (seated) with Lady Bulldogs’ head coach Rhonda Thomas (standing). (Gazette photo by Rhett Manuel)

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A family affair

News Staff
Monday, April 25, 2022
By: RHETT MANUEL Sports Editor VILLE PLATTE — One thing was evident in what surely was one of Shayla Hickerson’s proudest moments of her young life on Thursday. No matter how difficult it got at any point in her life, she never had to do it alone.
Destiny Lavigne (1) slides home for the only Ville Platte run in the Lady Bulldogs’ playoff loss to Kaplan Monday night. Lavigne, the lead off hitter and starting left fielder, went 1-for-2 at the plate to go with her run scored. (Gazette photo by Rhett Manuel)

Destiny Lavigne (1) slides home for the only Ville Platte run in the Lady Bulldogs’ playoff loss to Kaplan Monday night. Lavigne, the lead off hitter and starting left fielder, went 1-for-2 at the plate to go with her run scored. (Gazette photo by Rhett Manuel)

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Lady Bulldogs walk the plank against Kaplan to end season

News Staff
Thursday, April 21, 2022
By: RHETT MANUEL Sports Editor KAPLAN – Sometimes when it rains, it pours. For the No. 30-seeded Ville Platte Lady Bulldogs, they ran into a storm in the form of a power-hitting monsoon in No. 3-seed Kaplan. The Lady Pirates overwhelmed the Lady Bulldogs on Monday.
Kylie Rider (22) slides safely into the second base bag after leading off the game with a single. She later scored Mamou’s first run of the Lady Green Demons’ 8-3 win over Erath in the Class 3A playoffs. The team now plays Buckeye today at 6 p.m. (Gazette photo by Tony Marks)

Kylie Rider (22) slides safely into the second base bag after leading off the game with a single. She later scored Mamou’s first run of the Lady Green Demons’ 8-3 win over Erath in the Class 3A playoffs. The team now plays Buckeye today at 6 p.m. (Gazette photo by Tony Marks)

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Lady Green Demons advance with home win over Erath

News Staff
Thursday, April 21, 2022
By: TONY MARKS Editor MAMOU - A date with destiny awaits the Lady Green Demons of Mamou as they face Buckeye tonight at 6 p.m. for the right to advance to the Class 3A quarterfinals.
Mamou senior Andre Tate throws a pitch in relief of starter Matt Fontenot. Fontenot went 5.1 innings on the mound and was touched up for seven earned runs on 11 hits. Tate threw the final 1.2 innings and only allowed three unearned runs, three hits, and three walks. (Gazette photo by Tony Marks)

Mamou senior Andre Tate throws a pitch in relief of starter Matt Fontenot. Fontenot went 5.1 innings on the mound and was touched up for seven earned runs on 11 hits. Tate threw the final 1.2 innings and only allowed three unearned runs, three hits, and three walks. (Gazette photo by Tony Marks)

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Foreman, Veillon propel VPHS baseball in win

News Staff
Thursday, April 21, 2022
By: RHETT MANUEL Sports Editor Ville Platte 5, Avoyelles 2 The two-headed pitching monster of Leslie Foreman and Bastian Veillon continued to provide crucial stability to the Bulldogs on Monday. Foreman collected the win in five innings of work and Veillon worked the final two innings.
Manuel

Manuel

LHSAA’s new NIL stance is a slippery slope

News Staff
Thursday, April 14, 2022
One of my favorite sports books of all-time is Bruce Feldman’s 2007 release Meat Market. Meat Market gave the reader, at the time, an in-depth look at the “smash-mouth world of college football recruiting.
Ville Platte High baseball player Robert Anderson (17) waits for a pitch from Sacred Heart starting pitcher Jackson Bruney (8) in the diamond version of the Tee Cotton Bowl on Friday, April 8. (Gazette photo by Rhett Manuel)

Ville Platte High baseball player Robert Anderson (17) waits for a pitch from Sacred Heart starting pitcher Jackson Bruney (8) in the diamond version of the Tee Cotton Bowl on Friday, April 8. (Gazette photo by Rhett Manuel)

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World Series of Cotton

News Staff
Thursday, April 14, 2022
By: RHETT MANUEL Sports Editor VILLE PLATTE – Things appeared to be going well for the Bulldogs through the first half of last Friday’s Tee Cotton matchup between Ville Platte and Sacred Heart. Eventually, control from the mound cost Ville Platte dearly.
Catherine Larson (12) sets her eyes on Sacred Heart head softball coach Todd Ardoin, who coaches third base, as she rounds the second base bag in a 15-0 win over Westgate. (Gazette photo by Tony Marks)

Catherine Larson (12) sets her eyes on Sacred Heart head softball coach Todd Ardoin, who coaches third base, as she rounds the second base bag in a 15-0 win over Westgate. (Gazette photo by Tony Marks)

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How the West(gate) was won

News Staff
Monday, April 11, 2022
By: RHETT MANUEL Sports Editor VILLE PLATTE —On a day where Sacred Heart School honored its two senior softball players, Jenna McFarlain and Jenna Estilette, and statistician, Kali Fontenot, it was almost poetic that the torch was passed in the way it was.
Ville Platte’s Sam Walker (10) stands tall in the batters’ box. (Gazette photo by Rhett Manuel)

Ville Platte’s Sam Walker (10) stands tall in the batters’ box. (Gazette photo by Rhett Manuel)

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Early burst leads VPHS to district upset of PPHS

News Staff
Monday, April 11, 2022
By: RHETT MANUEL Sports Editor PINE PRAIRIE — They certainly didn’t make it easy on themselves in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Ville Platte Bulldogs used seven runs scored in the first three innings to hold on to a 10-8 road upset of the Pine Prairie Panthers on Thursday night.
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Sports Headline

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Arnold, Ashworth representing SHS at all-star game

News Staff
Monday, April 11, 2022
By: RHETT MANUEL Sports Editor VILLE PLATTE – It’s been a difficult journey for Sacred Heart’s Zeph Arnold in his high school career. But when the smoke cleared after it all, Arnold will be honored among the best players in Louisiana.
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Sports Headline

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PPHS alum Payne continues gaining NJCAA accolades

News Staff
Monday, April 11, 2022
By: RHETT MANUEL Sports Editor EUNICE – After a stellar sophomore season at LSU-Eunice, Pine Prairie alum Isaiah Payne continues to garner attention within the National Junior College Athletic Association.
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