Friday, November 7, 2014

Panthers lose nail biter to Port Barre


            The Pine Prairie Panthers with a record of 3-6 overall and 0-4 in District 5 3-A hosted the Port Barre Red Devils with a similar record of 2-7 overall and 0-4 in district play. The Panthers in the regular season finale hoped to entertain the fans as much as the top-3 most watched series finales of all time as in when the Korean War ended on M*A*S*H, when Sam got back together with Diane on Cheers, and when the cast of Seinfeld was put in jail for breaking the Good Samaritan Law. The team succeeded in bringing the excitement but came up short in a nail biter by a final score of 20-13.
            Port Barre received the opening kickoff and drove 65-yards downfield for a touchdown. Keyshawn Fontenot carried the football on the opening snap for a first down to the 44-yard line of Pine Prairie. After the Panther defense appeared to hold, the Red Devils converted on third down. Deangelo Von Allen on second-and-four broke through the line setting up first-and-goal, and Fontenot carried the football the rest of the way. After a point after attempt that went wide right, Port Barre led by a score of 6-0 with 7:57 remaining in the quarter.
The Panthers fumbled on their first play from scrimmage, and Von Allen recovered the fumble and ran into the end zone increasing the lead to 13-points.
A couple of possessions later, Pine Prairie mustered a drive into Port Barre territory. The drive began with a personal foul penalty on the Panthers that backed up the football to the 14-yard line. Keenan Roy carried for a gain of 6-yards, and the Panthers then moved the chains for a first down. On third Devin Leggett completed a pass to Allen Myles at the 39-yard line to move the chains. A roughing the passer penalty against Port Barre moved the ball down to the 15-yard line as the first quarter ended.  The Panthers drove down to the 7-yard line before Keenan Roy was tripped up on fourth down turning the ball over on downs.
Port Barre was forced to punt on the next possession, but the punt was muffed and recovered by Port Barre on the Pine Prairie 40-yard line. The Red Devils capitalized on the turnover and scored a touchdown with 6:37 remaining in the half. The lead was now 20-0.
Following a Port Barre interception and subsequent punt, Pine Prairie started a drive inside enemy territory on the 43-yard line. Myles appeared to catch a pass for a touchdown, but the score was called back on an ineligible man downfield penalty. On third-and-9, Leggett connected with Javon Ardoin for a first down on the 28-yard line. A facemask penalty against Port Barre then moved the ball half the distance to the goal, and Myles caught a pass down the left side for a touchdown. Pine Prairie cut into the lead as the score was now 20-6 to close out the first half.
Pine Prairie began the second half on its own 20-yard line. Leggett completed a pass to Myles across the 50-yard line for a first down and a pass to Ardoin down the left side setting up first-and-goal. Leggett then ran a quarterback keeper for 10-yards into the end zone bringing the score to 20-13 with 8:15 remaining in the third quarter.
Devin Leggett and Javon Ardoin intercepted a Port Barre pass on subsequent possessions, but each time Pine Prairie failed to capitalize.
The Panther defense then held forcing Port Barre to turn the ball over on downs, and the Panther offense started on its own 30-yard line. Douglas Fontenot carried for first down to the 44-yard line. Leggett again completed a pass to Myles deep downfield down the left side to the 14-yard line. On third-and-10, Fontenot carried down to the 9-yard line setting up first-and-goal. However the drive stalled and the Panthers turned the ball over on downs as well.
Again the Panther defense held forcing a punt, and the Panther offense started on the 38-yard line. Leggett then completed a pass to Fontenot down at the 16-yard line of Port Barre. However, the drive again stalled as Leggett’s pass was intercepted at the goal line as time expired.

Pine Prairie coach Yves Prince said after the game, “We lost a hard game. They fought hard. We didn’t’ play hard the first half, and we came out fast in the second half. But, I’m proud of my seniors. They went down fighting. It was a good year.” 

Friday, October 31, 2014

Lake Arthur wears out Mamou in district play

            The Tigers of Lake Arthur came trick-or-treating in Mamou Thursday night for a Halloween eve contest in District 4 2-A. Knowing well that Tigers love pepper and hate cinnamon, the Green Demons had plenty of cinnamon candy for their visitors. However, Lake Arthur proved to be too much for the tricks and used its own mischief to get all the treats as they won by a score of 52-28.
            Mamou got the scoring started on its opening possession after returning the kickoff to the 39-yard line. Kendall Jack and Daniel Matthews carried the football for consecutive first downs gaining 15 and 10 yards respectively. On third down quarterback Dylan Duplechain escaped trouble and completed a pass to Nathaniel Holland setting up first down on the 22-yard line. An unsportsmanlike penalty against the Tigers moved the ball half the distance to the goal. Duplechain completed a swing pass to Holland setting up first-and-goal, and Jack took care of the rest as he rushed in for a 1-yard score. Following an off sides penalty, the Green Demons gambled and went for a 2-point conversion attempt that resulted in a fumble recovered by Lake Arthur. Mamou led 6-0 with 8:32 remaining in the first quarter.
            The lead would not last long for the Green Demons as the Tigers tied up the game on the next series. Damian Robinson on the first play from scrimmage handed the ball off to Trey Hargrave for a gain of 8-yards. Michael Ware then rushed for a first down at the Mamou 49-yard line. Hargrave again found running room for a gain of 15-yards down the right side. Ware on first down rushed for 7-yards, and Robinson ran a quarterback keeper picking a first down at the 20-yard line. The rushing attack of Lake Arthur continued veering all the way into the end zone. The Tigers’ 2-point conversion attempt was thwarted by Mamou senior Hunter Fusilier bringing the score to 6-6.
            The second quarter began with Lake Arthur having possession and with the ball resting on Green Demon 16-yard line. Ware rushed down to the 2-yard line and on first-and-goal carried the football into the end zone for a score. Hargrave then walked into the end zone for a successful 2-point conversion giving Lake Arthur a 14-6 advantage.
            Mamou answered the touchdown on its next possession. After Jack rushed for a gain of 14-yards, Holland got a block from Kendric Williams and picked up 32-yards. Mamou had it first-and-10 on the Lake Arthur 20-yard line. The Daniel Matthews touchdown was called back because of a holding penalty, but the Green Demons were not deterred. Mamou on second-and-19 carried the football down the right side into the end zone cutting into the Lake Arthur lead with 8:58 remaining before halftime. The score was now 14-12. Lake Arthur scored again before halftime giving the Tigers a 22-12 advantage.  
            The second half started with Lake Arthur returning the kick to its own 40-yard line. Ware found some running room down the left side to the 49-yard line, and Robinson ran another keeper for a first down at the Mamou 46-yard line. Much like in the first half, the rushing attack of Lake Arthur continued veering its way to find pay dirt and increased the score to 28-12. The 2-point conversion attempt this time was thwarted by Joab Perron.
            Mamou again answered the touchdown on its next possession. Starting at his own 35-yard line, Duplechain ran for a gain of 30 plus yards down to the Lake Arthur 30-yard line. Duplechian followed it up with another carry down to the 15-yard line. Daniel Matthews got in on the action setting up second-and-1 on the 6-yard line before Jack picked up enough for a first down and goal. Jack then ran down the right side for a score with 6:37 remaining in the third quarter. Holland got in the end zone on the 2-point conversion attempt bringing the score to 28-20.
            After Damian Robinson of Lake Arthur scored on a quarterback keeper, Mamou again answered the call with a score of its own. The Green Demons took over on the 31-yard line. Lake Arthur was flagged for pass interference on a pass intended for Nathanial Holland. The infraction brought the football down to the 46-yard line. Duplechain completed a stunt pass to Jacob Israel at the Lake Arthur 43-yard line. On second-and-10, Duplechain kept the ball himself down the right side all the way to the 14-yard line. A couple of plays later, Duplechain faced fourth-and-2. He then zig-zagged his way around eluding the Lake Arthur defense and ran into the end zone with mere seconds remaining in the third quarter. Daniel Matthews successfully ran in the 2-point conversion attempt, and Mamou again was within 8 points of Lake Arthur. The score was now 36-28.
            Lake Arthur began to wear out Mamou in the fourth quarter mainly on the feet of Michael Ware, who scored from 5-yards out and from 7-yards out each time.
            Coach Brian Brumfield after the game thought his “kids played hard tonight.” He went on to say, “We were in the ball game for the majority of the game. We just needed to find some way to stop them on defense, and we didn’t. We played well enough on offense to score some points to win. But we didn’t make the big plays, and we gave them some big third down conversions that we shouldn’t have.”

            Mamou looks to rebound next week as the Green Demons host the defending state champion Kinder Yellow Jackets in the final regular season game.

Friday, October 24, 2014

Ville Platte battles district rival Livonia


            Ville Platte High came into this district game Friday night like giants after beating division foes Port Barre and Pine Prairie in consecutive weeks. Livonia came into the game as royals of Class 2-A. The Wildcats are state runners-up from a year ago and are ranked first in the current polls. The first half in Livonia was a proverbial pitchers’ duel much like Game 3 of the World Series with Tim Hudson pitching against Jeremy Guthrie in San Francisco.  The second half; however, was the Malcolm Dedrick show as the Wildcat running back ran up-and-down the field. The game ended with Livonia pitching a shutout and winning 21-0.
            The Bulldogs gave the football to quarterback Rodricus Fontenot. Head coach Jorie Randle said of his freshman signal caller, “Our starting freshman had to step up and give us some good quality minutes. He did a good job. I couldn’t ask more out of him; he played well. To tell a freshman that he’s starting on Monday against a number 1 team in the state I think that will put anybody in a deer in the headlights type of mentality… I expect big things from him in the future.”
            Ville Platte received the opening kickoff and started its drive on its own 20-yard line. Dayton Jackson carried for a gain of 2 yards. Then the Wildcat defense held forcing a Bulldog punt. Livonia began its opening drive on the Bulldog 37-yard line and ended it a yard farther away as Anderson and Freeman combined for a tackle in the backfield on 3rd down.
            The Bulldogs started the next series on the 15-yard line but was backed up all the way to the shadows of their own goal line. Another punt set up 1st-and-10 for the Wildcats on the Bulldog 37-yard line. Facing 3rd-and-16, Wildcat quarterback Cee Jay Powell connected with Christian Edwards bringing Livonia to the 25-yard line. Oxzabein Serie and Dylan Jones combined on the stop. The Wildcats scored 2 snaps later on a pass completion to Derrick Wells with 4:48 left on the clock in the 1st quarter and missed the extra point attempt.
            Shabby Moore for the Bulldogs received the kickoff and returned the football to the 33-yard line. Dayton Jackson carried down the right side and converted on 3rd down. Rodricus Fontenot ran a quarterback keeper close to the first down marker. The drive stalled on fumble recovery by the Wildcats. Meanwhile in San Francisco, Lorenzo Cain gave the Kansas City Royals a 1-0 lead on an RBI groundout in the top of the 1st inning.
            Dayton Jackson combined with a couple other Bulldog defensemen to force another Wildcat punt. Ville Platte then mounted a drive into Wildcat territory. Fontenot kept the ball for a 1st down to the 31-yard line as the 1st quarter came to a close. Fontenot then handed off to Terese Thomas who carried for a 1st down to the 42-yard line. Moore and Thomas combined to carry down to the Wildcat 39-yard line. But that it where the drive stalled causing a Bulldog punt.
            The Wildcats began the next drive on their own 9-yard line and were forced to punt. The football was fumbled on the catch and was returned for what appeared to be a Wildcat touchdown. However, a fair catch interference penalty gave the Bulldogs the football on the Livonia 26-yard line. The Bulldogs lost a yard and ultimately turned the ball over on downs and failed to capitalize on another turnover before the halftime whistle blew.
            The 2nd half is when Malcolm Dedrick put the other 10 offensive players from Livonia on his back and carried them to the win. He scored on a 2-point conversion attempt after Powell connected to Stephen Guidry for a touchdown.
            Randle said of the touchdown, “Football is a game of inches. We had a blown coverage. They took a split screen to the house for 7-yards that made it 14-0, and I feel that was the game winning play.”
Livonia after a Ville Platte punt began its next drive on the 35-yard line. On 2nd-and-10, Patrick Queen caught a pass for a 1st down at the 49-yard line. Dedrick gained 4 yards on the ground, Christion Edwards gained 4 yards through the air, and Powell took care of the rest for a 1st down at the Ville Platte 29-yard line. Following a Wildcat timeout, Dedrick ran all the way into the end zone. Livonia now led 21-0 with 9:39 remaining in the game. Moments later in San Francisco, the Royals scored on an Alex Gordon double to centerfield and led the Giants 2-0 in the top of the 6th inning. They would add another run as Eric Hosmer singled in Gordon as the game in Livonia drew to a close.

            Randle called the game a “tale of the tape.” He said, “It’s been the tale of our whole season. We just have a little problem on offense. We just can’t seem to get some consistency on offense… Our defense played lights out. That’s been our (modus operandi) all season. We have a very veteran group on defense.” He concluded, “As a whole I’m proud of my guys. They’re very resilient. The kids don’t quit. They fought, and we just live to fight another day. We’re just trying to get a few more district wins, and next we face Church Point. We’ll just fight to make the playoffs.”

Friday, October 17, 2014

Welsh let the dogs out against Mamou

            A greyhound dog can reach speeds of 43 MPH and is the second fastest land animal behind the cheetah that reaches speeds of up to 75 MPH. A greyhound bus weighs in the ballpark of 11 tons. The force of one of these buses is approximately 605,000 newtons. The greyhounds of Welsh used the speed and force of their namesakes and opened up a big can of Alpo raking up 55 points against Mamou Friday night.
            Mamou coach Brian Brumfield stated after the game… “Tonight was about speed and strength. Welsh is a very physical ball club. They’re strong, and they’re fast. I told our players that this is a type of game we have to get better at. We have to hit the weight room hard. We’re gonna gave to be able to a great offseason to maybe be able to play with a caliber team like this.”
            Welsh scored early and often beginning with its opening possession on the evening. After Mamou went 3-and-out, Hayden Freeland completed a pass to Garrick Gray for a 50-yard touchdown.
            Mamou appeared to respond on the next series. Kendal Jack returned the kickoff to the Mamou 22-yard line. Robbie Deshotels on 3rd down launched a pass to Daniel Matthews causing the ball to rest on the Welsh 33-yard line. Again on 3rd down, Deshotels launched a pass to Jacob Israel bringing up 1st and goal on the Welsh 5- yard line. Deshotels’ next pass was intercepted by John Simon, who returned the interception all the way for a touchdown. Welsh went up 14 points on the Green Demons.
            The Green Demons went 3-and-out on the subsequent possession. Welsh scored on its next set of downs on a pass complete from Freeland to Brandius Batiste in the corner of the end zone. This scene of Mamou going 3-and-out and Welsh scoring a touchdown was repeated 4 times before halftime. Welsh scored on back-to-back touchdown completions to Batiste, a 5-yard run on the feet of Kyvonte Eaglin, a pitch back to Keshon Bell, and another run on the feet of Eaglin.
            Welsh received the 2nd half kickoff and possessed the football for nearly 9 minutes of the 3rd quarter. Welsh called off the dogs for most of the 2nd half and scored a final time in the waning moments of the game bringing the game to the final score of 55-0.
           


Friday, October 10, 2014

DeQuincy rolls past Mamou to open up district play

            In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. On this Columbus Day weekend 2014, DeQuincy came into Mamou as the Green Demons crowned a new homecoming queen.
The DeQuincy Tigers with an overall record of 2-3 and the Mamou Green Demons with an overall record of 1-4 squared off against each other in the opening game of district play in Class 2-A. The modus operandi of DeQuincy was keeping the ball on the ground for gains of 40 yards or more resulting in touchdowns. The Tigers attempted 2-point conversions after each of their 6 scores and successfully completed 2 such attempts.
Mamou had a couple of nice possessions in the 1st half deep inside Tiger territory. The first was drive was credited to Kendal Jack who juked past a few DeQuincy defensemen for a gain of 11 yards. The other drive was credited to Nathaniel Holland who caught a pass from Robbie Deshotel and carried the ball across the midfield stripe. But each time Mamou was forced to turn the ball over on downs.
 In the end DeQuincy rolled past Mamou with a final score of 40-0 to open up district play with a record of 1-0; while Mamou fell to 0-1.
Mikey Hebert of DeQuincy recovered the opening kickoff and returned the football to the 35 yard line. Quarterback Chase Dyer handed the ball off to Samuel Whatley for a long gain. A facemask penalty on Mamou brought the ball inside the 10 yard line. Javion Leday carried the ball on consecutive snaps before finding the end zone. DeQuincy scored on its opening possession to go up 6-0, and the 2-point conversion pass attempt to Gabriel Rangel was good.
A long return of the kickoff on the part of Nathaniel Holland went for naught as Mamou went 3-and-out on its opening possession turning the ball over on downs on the 30-yard line. After the Tigers rushed their way down to midfield, Chase Dyer kept the ball himself and ran 50-yards for a touchdown. The pass attempt on the 2-point conversion was broken up by Daniel Matthews in the end zone. The score was DeQuincy 14 - 0.
Mamou forced DeQuincy to go 3-and-out on the Tigers next possession, and momentum began to switch to the offensive side of the ball. Daniel Matthews carried for a nice gain of 7-yards. A subsequent pass interference flag against DeQuincy brought the ball down to the Mamou 45-yard line. Deshotels handed the ball off to Kendall Jack who picked up steam for the nice gain of 11 yards. Matthews and Jack combined again to carry the ball down to the DeQuincy 34-yard line setting up 1st-and-10. Deshotels threw an incomplete pass to Christopher Pitre, ran a quarterback keeper for a gain of 3-yards, and again threw an incomplete pass that sailed over Pitre’s head. Mamou would go for it on 4th down, but Deshotels was wrangled down by Gabriel Rangel.
The Green Demons turned the ball over on downs, and Javion Leday of DeQuincy wasted little time carrying the ball 69-yards down the right side for another touchdown. The score was negated on a holding penalty. On the next snap, Chase Dyer kept the ball himself and carried all the way into the end zone for a touchdown of his own. DeQuincy lined up for another 2-point conversion try, but it was unsuccessful as Mamou stopped Leday just shy of the end zone. The score now was DeQuincy 20 –0 closing out the 1st Quarter.
Mamou had its best drive of the night in the 2nd Quarter. Robbie Deshotels began the drive with a pass completion to Christopher Pitre for a 1st down. Deshotels then ran an option play just shy of the Mamou 40-yard line. Two snaps later Deshotels completed a pass to Nathaniel Holland just across midfield and just shy of the DeQuincy 30-yard line. The Green Demons drove down to about the 10-yard line on carries by Jack, Deshotels, and Joab Perron. But again like before Mamou turned the ball over on downs. The Tigers were content winding down the clock going into the halftime break.
            The 2nd half was almost a mirror image of the 1st. Mamou appeared to be driving on its opening possession of the half but was forced to punt. DeQuincy took over and appeared to driving as well before Nathaniel Holland intercepted the pass from Chase Dyer deep inside Mamou territory. Mamou drove again into DeQuincy territory on a pass completion to Jacob Israel; however, they failed to capitalize on the momentum swing and were unable to find the end zone. DeQuincy scored 3 more touchdowns on the night and again like the 1st half went for 2-point conversions after each score.

            Thirty years ago this week, Rod Stewart had a hit song with “Some Guys Have All the Luck.” He sings a chorus that goes, “Some guys have all the luck. Some guys have all the pain. Some guys get all the breaks.” This chorus applied to the game Friday night as DeQuincy had all the luck and got all the breaks; while Mamou had all the pain. The Green Demons travel to Welsh next week hoping to even out their record in district play of Class 2-A.

Friday, October 3, 2014

Panthers prevail in overtime

            This time of year as the calendar turns to October evokes different things for different people. Some think of the Major League Baseball postseason, others think of heading into the woods for the opening weekend of squirrel season, and still others think of harvesting cotton. But for the Pine Prairie Panthers and the Sacred Heart Trojans, the beginning of October means Thursday night football.
            The game at Soileau-Landry Field from the start was a game of cat and mouse. Both sides were plagued with miscues, penalties, and missed opportunities all night. In the end; though, it was Pine Prairie that capitalized as Javon Ardoin caught the pass from Douglas Fontenot in the end zone for the go-ahead and game winning score as the Panthers prevailed in overtime 12-6.
            Panther head coach Yves Prince called the game “one of the biggest wins in Pine Prairie history” and “a great win for our kids to go 3 and 2 for the first time.” Prince went on to say, “I’m proud of these young men. They became men tonight. They played hard. We fell behind, we didn’t quit, and we came back to beat a good team. It was a job well done by the players and coaching staff.”
            The game began with the Trojans going 3-and-out on the opening stanza, and the subsequent punt went straight up. The Panther drive began inside Trojan territory on the 42-yard line.  Douglas Fontenot ran a quarterback keeper for a gain of 9-yards. Javon Ardoin then moved the chains for a 1st down to the Trojan 22-yard line. The Trojan defense then stepped up led by Wacen Fontenot and Phillip Vidrine. The Panthers turned the ball over on downs.
            The next couple of possessions saw many of the same missed opportunities. The Trojans would go 3-and-out, and the punt rolled just shy of midfield. The Panthers again began their drive inside Trojan territory and again turned over on downs.
            The Trojans turned on the jets as the tandem of Dylan Scully and Garrick Fontenot took care of business closing out the first 15 minutes of play. Scully opened the 2nd Quarter with a huge gain around the right side down to the Panther 15-yard line. Fontenot picked up 8-yards, and Scully ran the rest of the way for a touchdown.
            The Panthers got the ball back on their own 33-yard line down by 6 points. Allen Myles converted on 3rd down before the Trojan defense stepped up again. Wacen Fontenot brought down Douglas Fontenot behind the line of scrimmage, and Jacob Lafleur stopped the opposition’s reverse. The Panthers missed more opportunities and were forced to punt.
            The miscues and penalties crept up on the Trojans as the first half came to a close. The Scully and Fontenot tandem drove the Trojans down to the shadows of the goal line. A holding penalty backed them up 10-yards. Scully ran down the left side for a first down. Two snaps later the Trojans were penalized 5-yards for a false start. Javon Ardoin intercepted the pass, but the Trojans got the ball back as Sam Tuminaro recovered a fumble. Scully ran again as a penalty flag flew for another Trojan holding penalty. Keenan Roy then sacked the quarterback backing up the Trojans to the midfield stripe. Sacred Heart was forced to punt.
            Wacen Fontenot, Brandon Hudspeth, and Caleb Soileau combined to stop Pine Prairie on its opening possession of the 2nd half. The Trojans took over on their own 45-yard line. Joshua LaHaye on a quarterback keeper joined in on the Scully and Fontenot rushing party as the 3 rushed for about 20-yards.  Scully scurried into the end zone like a squirrel with a nut in its mouth. The scoring play; however, was negated on a personal foul blow to the head penalty backing up the Trojans 15 yards. Dustin McDaniel sacked Joshua LaHaye to set up 4th down. The Trojans botched the fake punt attempt, and the ball eventually landed in the hands of Javon Ardoin at midfield.
            The Panthers tied the game two possessions later on a 47-yard carry by Douglas Fontenot. The final 10 minutes of the game had more of the same miscues and missed opportunities, and regulation ended with a tied score of 6-6.
            Overtime began with Sacred Heart having the football 1st-and-goal on the 10-yard line. Scully and Fontenot carried inches shy of the west end zone before the Trojans turned over on downs. Pine Prairie likewise had the football 1st-and-goal on the 10-yard line, and Javon Ardoin capped it all off.

            And the award for most succinct quote by a head coach so far goes to Gary Adkins of Sacred Heart. He said just four words after the game… “Too many penalties. Period.”        

Friday, September 26, 2014

Trojans exorcise the Demons


In the foyer of Sacred Heart High School there is a sign that reads “Through these halls walk the finest people in the world… Our students.” Many of whom returned to the Halls of Troy Friday for homecoming as a new queen Elizabeth Soileau was crowned. The Mamou Green Demons converged on Soileau-Landry Field the same night with hopes to crash the Trojan party. It looked like they would succeed for a half, but the “Do or Die” spirit of the Trojans prevailed in the end with a final score of 28-14.
            Garrick Fontenot and Dylan Scully set the tone early for the Trojans. Fontenot carried up the middle for a gain of 4-yards on the first play from scrimmage. Scully and Fontenot combined for three consecutive 1st down rushes that brought the Trojans down to the Mamou 30-yard line. After a gain of 4-yards by Scully, Fontenot busted up the middle for another 1st down. The momentum switched sidelines after a Trojan timeout as Mamou took over on downs. Daniel Matthews of Mamou did his part to quell the Trojan attack.  The momentum; however, did not stay on the Mamou sideline long as the Trojans recovered a fumble on the Green Demon 21-yard line. Scully, Fontenot, and Seth Shipp combined to get the Trojans inside the red zone. Scully marched into the end zone with 4:23 remaining in the 1st quarter. The Trojans led 6-0 after a missed extra point attempt.
            The Green Demons went 3-and-out on the next series. The Trojans would then knock on the door of the 50-yard line before Joab Perron (who suffered a high ankle sprain in the opening game against Pickering) recovered a Trojan fumble giving the Green Demons 1st-and-10 on the Trojan 40-yard line.
            Green Demon quarterback Dylan Duplechain thus began his ground attack. He rushed 8-yards setting up a 1st-down conversion on the part of Kendal Jack. Nicholas LaHaye dropped Duplechain back for a loss of 6-yards.  Duplechain then connected with Daniel Matthews bringing the ball to the Trojan 14-yard line. After a short gain, Ellis LaHaye brought Duplechain down short of the 1st-down marker. Matthews then carried down to the 3-yard line followed by a quarterback keeper into the end zone. The point after attempt was successful giving the Green Demons a 7-6 lead.
            The Trojan quarterbacks combined for a ground attack of their own on the next possession. Josh LaHaye rushed for a gain of 8-yards setting up 2nd-and-2 at the Green Demon 35-yard line. After a conversion on the part of Garrick Fontenot, Phillip Vidrine ran another quarterback keeper for a 1st-down down to the Green Demon 23-yard line. The Trojan drive would stall as Jacob Israel stood tall for the Green Demons on back-to-back snaps. The Green Demons would take over on downs.
            Mamou drove down into Trojan territory. As the Trojan drum line played the theme to The Pink Panther, Jacob Lafleur weaseled his way behind the Green Demon line knocking down Duplechain to set up a punt.
            A facemask penalty against the Green Demons added 15-yards to the end of Dylan Scully carry bringing the football to the Trojan 48-yard line. Caleb Soileau bruised his way down to the Green Demon 41-yard line. After a short gain, Phillip Vidrine kept the football down the right side to the 25-yard line. Two plays later Vidrine kept the football again running this time into the end zone with 2:05 remaining in the half. The Trojans would fail to convert the 2-point play; thus, bringing the score to 12-7.
            Following an illegal shift penalty, Dylan Duplechain connected to Jacob Israel bringing the football into Trojan territory. Ellis LaHaye and Wacen Fontenot combined to set up a 4th down before Nathaniel Holland converted giving the Green Demons the football at the Trojan 26-yard line.  Kendal Jack would then find pay dirt with 4 ticks of the clock remaining before halftime giving the Green Demons a lead of 14-12.
            Trojan head coach Gary Adkins commented after the game, “We had trouble getting the ball in the end zone it seemed like in the 1st half. But I knew we could move the ball on them, and we did.”
            The 2nd half began with the Green Demons punting the ball into the end zone for a touchback. Dylan Scully turned on the jets for an 80-yard touchdown run down the right side. At the 11:10 mark of the 3rd-quarter, the Trojans led 20-14.
            The Green Demons would fail to take advantage of recovered fumbles and other Trojan miscues resulting in them punting on three consecutive possessions. The Trojans found momentum again on the tandem of Fontenot and Scully. The two carried the ball down to Green Demon 12-yard line before Scully received a Josh LaHaye pass in the end zone. The two-point conversion attempt to Seth Shipp was successful for a Trojan lead of 28-14 with 5:02 remaining in the contest.
Sam Tuminaro would then leave his mark on the night. The subsequent kick off was stuffed at the Green Demon 40-yard line when Tuminaro brought down the return man. Ellis LaHaye finished off the Green Demon attack with a 10-yard loss on a sack. The clock expired with the same 28-14 score on the scoreboard.
Adkins went on to say, “The way we won is really impressive. It wasn’t easy. We had to fight the whole way. We were down by 2 points at half time and just came back. Every win’s a great win, but when you win them like this it’s pretty special.

The mood was more somber on the Mamou sideline after the game. Green Demon head coach Brian Brumfield “thought (his) kids played hard.” He went on to say, “We were in the game until the end, but at some point we need to be able to flip that switch and take control of the game … Our kids played hard. I’m proud of them. They did a good job, but we’re going to have to be able to learn how to win.”

Friday, September 19, 2014

Trojans earn their duck stamps

            Most people this time of year go to Gueydan with duck stamps in hand for a guided hunt at Doug’s Hunting Lodge. The Trojans of Sacred Heart; however, went into town with something bigger in mind. They went into town looking for their first W of the 2014 campaign… which is exactly what they got.
            Coach Gary Adkins credited the win to how the Trojans responded from the loss at Opelousas Catholic. He said, “The kids were there (at school) Saturday morning at 10:00 ready to go.” He continued to say, “We had a real good week of weight lifting, we had a real good week of conditioning, and we had a real good week of practice.”
            Sacred Heart showed the work paid off with 31 rushing attempts netting 201-yards and 133-yards receiving on 5 passing attempts. Garrick Fontenot rushed for 96-yards, and Josh LaHaye completed 133-yards to Caleb Soileau. The Trojans held the opposition to 235 yards of offense which were gained only on rushing attempts.
The Trojans got the scoring started on its opening possession. Connor Fontenot carried the opening kickoff across the midfield stripe to the 47-yard line. Josh LaHaye completed a 37-yard pass to Caleb Soileau, and Dylan Scully followed it up with a carry into the end zone. Sacred Heart was up 6-points with 11:28 to go in the 1st Quarter.
            Bevan Dupre intercepted Cade Sonnier’s pass on 3rd-and-7 setting up 1st-and-goal for the Trojans on the 6-yard line. Garrick Fontenot on the next play carried the ball into the end zone. The Trojans then went for a 2-point conversion which was successful on the part of a completion to Seth Shipp increasing the lead to 14-points with 9:42 remaining in the 1st Quarter.
            The Bears looked like they would respond on their next possession. However, Wacen Fontenot accompanied with other defensemen brought up a turnover on downs deep inside Trojan territory. The Trojans ended the 1st Quarter with a few stutter steps, but began the 2nd Quarter with a bang. Garrick Fontenot carried the football all the way to the Gueydan 28-yard line for a gain of 54-yards. A Caleb Soileau run was followed up with a Dylan Scully run to the right side for another Trojan touchdown bringing the lead to 21-points with 10:21 remaining before intermission.
            The Bears again looked like they were going to respond on the ensuing possession. The drive was aided and abetted by Trojan penalties and Bear conversions on 4th down. Gueydan drove down the field into the red zone, but the Trojan defense proved it was up to the test again forcing a turnover on downs. Three plays later Josh LaHaye again connected to Caleb Soileau for a touchdown reception. This time it was good for 95-yards. The half concluded with Sacred Heart up 28-0.
            The Bears were forced to punt on the opening drive of the 2nd half, but then recovered a Trojan fumble in Trojan territory. Cade Sonnier ran a quarterback keeper to the Sacred Heart 34-yard line. A few snaps later, Malik Criner rushed into the end zone. The 2-point conversion was unsuccessful making the score 28-6 with 6:23 left in the 3rd quarter.
            Garrick Fontenot began and ended the next drive. He carried the kickoff to the Trojan 35-yard line. The Trojans then convert for a 1st down on the Gueydan 40-yard line. Caleb Soileau and Mikey Laughlin combined to set up 1st-and-goal. Fontenot then carried the ball for a 9-yard touchdown run increasing the score to 35-6 with 3:07 remaining in the 3rd Quarter.
            Tanner Dupre and Seth Shipp each had big tackles to start the ensuing possession on which the Bears looked like they would be forced to punt. The drive was kept alive on a big unsportsmanlike penalty against Sacred Heart to end the 3rd Quarter. A Tanner Breaux pick up of a 1st down and subsequent Trojan penalties set up 1st-and-goal for the Bears. The Trojan defense again stood tall causing them to take over on downs at the 2-yard line. The Bears would eventually find the end zone for a second time bringing the score to 35-12.

            Gary Adkins after the game commented, “We started out fast tonight... we scored really, really quick.” He went on to say, “A win and a victory is always a good thing. It makes things a lot better. I’m just really happy for (the players) that we got the victory.”

Friday, September 12, 2014

Vikings pillage Trojans

            The Sacred Heart Trojans set sail Friday night for Donald Gardner Stadium to clash with the Opelousas Catholic Vikings on a night when the 1974 State Champions were honored at half time. The Vikings smashed through the Trojans lines with a barrage of long bows and battering rams from the very beginning of the contest. The Trojans could not withstand the Viking onslaught and fell by a final score of 39-6.
            Sacred Heart head coach Gary Adkins called the Vikings a “very good football team.” He said “they showed you win football games on the line of scrimmage on offense and defense. They lined up and bloodied our nose. We didn’t really respond; we didn’t have an answer.”
The opening drive of the game was a good sample of how the night would go for the Trojans. Eli Waters recovered a fumble which set up 1st-and-10 for the Vikings on the Trojan 30 yard line. Two plays later David Labbe handed the ball off to Aaron Miller for a 9-yard touchdown. The ensuing point after gave Opelousas Catholic a 7-point advantage with 10:06 remaining in the 1st Quarter.
            On their next possession, the Vikings punched it into the end zone again as Aaron Miller dragged a bevy of Trojans with him. The touchdown was set up largely in part by a recovered fumble on the part of Caleb Vidrine, who returned the football 17-yards.
            Again on their next possession, the Vikings scored a touchdown on behalf of Aaron Miller. This Viking score was set up by a 35-yard pass complete to Connor Cart.
The 1st Quarter ended with a bright spot for the Trojans. Caleb Soileau returned the kickoff to the 29 yard line. Two plays later Garrick Fontenot broke through the Viking defenses for a 1st down at the midfield line as the horn sounded. Dylan Scully and Garrick Fontenot started the 2nd Quarter like the 1st one ended for rushing yards that resulted in a series of 1st downs. The Trojan drive died; however, on an incomplete pass to Seth Shipp resulting in a turnover on downs.
Caleb Vidrine of the Vikings wasted no time in taking the football into the end zone for another touchdown. However, the score was negated on a Viking holding penalty bringing the football back to the Viking 38 yard line. Aaron Miller rushed across midfield to the 45 yard line, and David Labbe took the football the rest of the way for a touchdown on a quarterback sneak.
Dylan Scully converted a 4th down for the Trojans on their ensuing possession followed by a 13-yard pass completion to Seth Shipp. A holding penalty and a reverse that went for a loss combined to back the Trojans up to their own 28-yard line. The Vikings intercepted the football on the next play, but a holding penalty and a fumble recovered by the Trojans set up a Trojan 1st down at their 20 yard line. Matt Castille recovered a Trojan fumble, and Caleb Vidrine found the end zone again for the Vikings with 53-seconds remaining before half time.
The Vikings began the 2nd half with another score. The drive began at the Viking 34 yard line. After an incomplete pass, David Labbe kept the football and rushed across midfield to the Trojan 40 yard line. Labbe again rushed up the middle but was met by Bevan Dupre, who brought the Viking quarterback down two yards short of the 1st down marker. After another incomplete pass, Caleb Vidrine carried for a big gain shaking a couple of tackles to the 14 yard line. The next pass was intended for Connor Cart in the end zone but the Vikings ultimately scored on a Caleb Vidrine carry. With 7:05 remaining in the 3rd Quarter, the Vikings took a 39-0 lead over the Trojans.
The Trojan lone scoring drive of the night began with Nathan Fontenot recovering a fumble at the 43 yard line. On 2nd-and-3, Garrick Fontenot carried across midfield for a 1st down. Fontenot then hhconverted a 3rd-and-2 which brought the football to the 28 yard line. Dylan Scully on 2nd-and-8 carried the ball for a gain of 10 yards. The Vikings were then penalized half the distance to the goal. Scully took advantage and carried the ball into the endzone. The Trojans squandered the 2-point conversion attempt. The Vikings now led 39-6 with 3:11 remaining in the game.
These Vikings fought like the Norsemen of old and proved they were worthy to be counted in the corridors of Valhalla. As for the Trojans, Coach Gary Adkins shed some hope on his football team. He said, “The kids are learning. We’re going through a phase right now. We’re just going back to the drawing board tomorrow and just keep going. We’re gonna still love them, we’ll still take great care of them,  and we’re gonna get them ready for next week.”

Sacred Heart travels next week to Gueydan. The Trojan head coach “looks at it as one more opportunity for us to have a good week of practice and to go down there and try to get better. 

Friday, September 5, 2014

Pickering picks up a win in Mamou

Pickering came into Mamou Friday night to begin the 2014 regular season. The teams traded touchdowns in the beginning before trading turnovers. The teams then traded jabs like two heavyweight fighters in the ring. However the Red Devils ultimately withstood the test and showed the Green Demons whose forks were more fearful. The game ended with a final score of Pickering 48 to Mamou 13.
Mamou head coach Brian Brumfield commented after the game that his team “played well in the 1st half,” but it “just got to play better.” He said there were “a lot of missed tackles” on defense and said “the offense did come up with a few big plays.”
Pickering’s head coach John Cryer commented after the game that his young football team “just started out slow.” He said that he has a “very athletic offense that came together” and has a “hurry-up defense.” He concluded by saying his team “did a good job of executing.”
Mamou ran the opening kickoff back to the 30-yard line. Kendal Jack carried for 1-yard to bring up 2nd down and 9. On the next play, Pickering got the scoring started when it picked up a fumble for a touchdown with 10:59 remaining in the first quarter. The extra point was good, and Pickering led 7-0.
Mamou returned the kickoff to the 21-yard line. Dylan Duplechain threw a pass complete to Nathaniel Holland for 6-yards and later on the drive ran for a quarterback keeper that was good enough for a Mamou first down at the 35 yard line. Kendal Jack and Daniel Matthews combined to rush for a first down at midfield. The drive subsequently stalled, and Hunter Israel punted the football into the end zone for a touchback.
As the rain began to fall slightly on the ensuing Pickering possession, Mamou picked up a fumble at the Pickering 24 yard line. Mamou capped off the drive with a 25-yard touchdown completion to Jacob Israel in the corner of the end zone; however, the point after was blocked. Mamou trailed 7-6 with 5:27 remaining in the first quarter.
Pickering’s next drive stalled before an offsides penalty on Mamou gave Pickering a first down at the Mamou 30 yard line. Pickering then gashed the line for a first down to the 14 yard line. Mamou’s defense withstood the test and forced Pickering to turn the ball over on downs.
Joab Perron of Mamou went down on the subsequent drive with an apparent leg injury and was carted off the field. Head coach Brian Brumfield commented, “the momentum died” with the injury.
The second quarter began with a Mamou punt. The drive resulted in a Pickering touchdown from 7-yards out. The extra point was no good. Pickering led Mamou 13 to 6.
Mamou ran the kickoff back to the 45-yard line. Dylan Duplechain had a 40-yard run negated by a holding penalty. Duplechain quickly fired a pass complete to Kendal Jack at midfield for a gain of 20 yards resulting in 3rd down and 5. Nathaniel Holland caught the next pass at the 40 yard line which was good enough for a first down. Mamou saw it’s drive begin to sputter as the rain lightly fell again; however, a roughing the passer penalty and an unsportsmanlike penalty on Pickering gave the drive new life. Duplechain then carried the ball for a 6-yard touchdown that was brought back because of a holding penalty. A pass interference penalty on behalf of Pickering gave Mamou an automatic first down. Mamou then tied up the ball game with a touchdown carry and a made point after attempt with 7:02 remaining in the second quarter.
The tied game was short lived as 20 seconds later Pickering carried a screen pass for a 72-yard touchdown that resulted in a 2-point conversion. Pickering led Mamou 21-13.
Nathaniel Holland of Mamou returned the kickoff to midfield; however after an official time out, Pickering intercepted the next pass from Mamou. Robbie Deshotel and Daniel Matthews also of Mamou both made big defensive plays resulting in a recovered fumble at the Mamou 12 yard line. Pickering then returned the favor by intercepting a pass in the end zone.

            The next Pickering possession began with a 30-yard gain followed by a Mamou personal foul penalty which brought the ball to the 46-yard line. After completing a pass for 15-yards, the Pickering quarterback ran for a 1st down to the Mamou 10-yard line. A holding penalty backed up Pickering 10-yards before scoring on a pass completion in the end zone. The point after attempt was good giving Pickering a 28-13 lead with 2:12 remaining before half time.
The next Mamou possession resulted in a Pickering interception and touchdown increasing the deficit to 22 points at the half.
The tailback for Pickering carried the ball to the 48-yard line to commence the 2nd half for a gain of 24 yards. Pickering then began to wear Mamou down as the same tailback carried the football for a touchdown. The point after was no good, and with 8:55 remaining in the 3rd quarter Pickering led 41-13. The rout was on.
Mamou on the ensuing possession looked like it was going nowhere before another roughing the passer penalty on behalf of Pickering gave Mamou a 1st down and brought the ball to the 42 yard line. The drive ultimately stalled again as Mamou was forced to punt. Robbie Deshotel of Mamou brought down the punt return.
Pickering carried to gain 28 yards setting up 1st down and 10 at the 35-yard line and then began to gash Mamou with subsequent carries of resulting in another 1st down. Jacob Israel closed the 3rd quarter with a tackle in the backfield, and Hunter Fusilier began the 4th quarter with a tackle for a short loss to set up 4th down. After a timeout, Pickering found the end zone again and successfully made the point after. The score now was 48-13 with 10:13 left in the game.

Mamou got the ball to down to the Pickering 3 yard line on its next possession but ended the game inches short of the goal line.