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 1^st-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 1^st 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 1^st 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 1^st down at the midfield line as the horn sounded. Dylan Scully and Garrick Fontenot started the 2^nd Quarter like the 1^st one ended for rushing yards that resulted in a series of 1^st 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 4^th 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 1^st 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 2^nd 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 1^st 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 3^rd 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 2^nd-and-3, Garrick Fontenot carried across midfield for a 1^st down. Fontenot then hhconverted a 3^rd-and-2 which brought the football to the 28 yard line. Dylan Scully on 2^nd-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.