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.

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 3^rd 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 1^st-and-10 for the Wildcats on the Bulldog 37-yard line. Facing 3^rd-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 1^st 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 3^rd 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 1^st 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 1^st down to the 31-yard line as the 1^st quarter came to a close. Fontenot then handed off to Terese Thomas who carried for a 1^st 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 2^nd 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 2^nd-and-10, Patrick Queen caught a pass for a 1^st 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 1^st 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 6^th 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.”

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 3^rd down launched a pass to Daniel Matthews causing the ball to rest on the Welsh 33-yard line. Again on 3^rd down, Deshotels launched a pass to Jacob Israel bringing up 1^st 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 2^nd half kickoff and possessed the football for nearly 9 minutes of the 3^rd quarter. Welsh called off the dogs for most of the 2^nd half and scored a final time in the waning moments of the game bringing the game to the final score of 55-0.

           

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 1^st 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 1^st-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 4^th 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 1^st Quarter.

Mamou had its best drive of the night in the 2^nd Quarter. Robbie Deshotels began the drive with a pass completion to Christopher Pitre for a 1^st 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 2^nd half was almost a mirror image of the 1^st. 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 1^st 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.

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 1^st 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 2^nd 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 3^rd 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 2^nd 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 4^th 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 1^st-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 1^st-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.”        

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 1^st 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 1^st 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 1^st 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 1^st-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 1^st-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 1^st-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 2^nd-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 1^st-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 4^th 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 1^st half. But I knew we could move the ball on them, and we did.”

            The 2^nd 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 3^rd-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.”

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 1^st Quarter.

            Bevan Dupre intercepted Cade Sonnier’s pass on 3^rd-and-7 setting up 1^st-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 1^st 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 1^st Quarter with a few stutter steps, but began the 2^nd 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 4^th 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 2^nd 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 3^rd 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 1^st down on the Gueydan 40-yard line. Caleb Soileau and Mikey Laughlin combined to set up 1^st-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 3^rd 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 3^rd Quarter. A Tanner Breaux pick up of a 1^st down and subsequent Trojan penalties set up 1^st-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.”