All-Parish football team selections announced
For some, the gridiron season in Evangeline Parish came and went too quickly. Sitting in the bleachers on Friday night, watching young men battle on the gridiron is a tradition that goes back many decades. The young men that strap on the pads every week and give everything they have for the colors on their jerseys follow a rite of passage that no one else can understand, unless they have endured the grind of a football season.
And like those that have come before, some of the young men do something extra special during the season to be recognized for their effort and talent. It is not always the best player that gets recognized for their in-season accomplishments. There are times when a player’s talent is overshadowed by the overall performance of the team. However, there are still players who give every ounce of energy, play hurt and do not worry about individual honors. Instead, these young men dedicate themselves to the overall goals of the team and the success of the squad.
That being said, the 2014 Evangeline Parish All-Parish football team is filled with those such players. All of the young men represented on this team share a common thread. They have all given of themselves to the good of the team and its goals, without asking for the individual glory. A number of these young men were honored earlier in the season with all-district honors. However, all of the selected athletes did something to contribute to the their team’s success and showed the grit and determination to be called leaders.
This year, the all-parish team is fortunate to have CO-MVP’s on both offense and defense. On the offensive side of the ball, Basile High School’s one-two offensive punch of Kendrick Ceasar and Gabe Fontenot were named as the Most Valuable Players on offense. Ceasar rushed for 1,703 yards and 27 touchdowns on the year. Fontenot accumulated 1,465 yards and 22 touchdowns.
On defense, Sacred Heart’s Caleb Soileau and Ville Platte’s Vondarius Freeman were both named MVP. Soileau collected 43 tackles, three interceptions and one fumble recovery from his safety position. Soileau was named district MVP on defense. Freeman was a defensive force garnering 87 tackles, two sacks and one fumble recovery at defensive end. The Coach of the Year honors go to Basile Bearcat Head Coach Kevin Bertrand. Bertrand led the Bearcats to a 10-2 record and a quarterfinal appearance in his first year at Basile.
1st Team Offense
Position Name School
Quarterback Dylan Duplechin Mamou
Running back Kendrick Ceasar Basile
Running back Gabe Fontenot Basile
Running back Dylan Scully Sacred Heart
Wide Receiver Allen Myles Pine Prairie
Wide Receiver Nathaniel Holland Mamou
Tight End Seth Shipp Sacred Heart
Offensive Line Darren Fontenot Basile
Offensive Line Jude Johnson Basile
Offensive Line Bevan Dupre Sacred Heart
Offensive Line Wacen Fontenot Sacred Heart
Offensive Line Marcus Guillory Ville Platte
Kicker Mark Ledoux Basile
Athlete Terese Thomas Ville Platte
1st Team Defense
Position Name School
Defensive Line Vondarius Freeman Ville Platte
Defensive Line Kylan Anderson Ville Platte
Defensive Line Joshua Fontenot Pine Prairie
Defensive Line Brandon Hudspeth Sacred Heart
Linebacker Blaise Hebert Basile
Linebacker Roger Spell Basile
Linebacker Jacob L. Lafleur Sacred Heart
Linebacker Dayton Jackson Ville Platte
Defensive Back Caleb Soileau Sacred Heart
Defensive Back Tray David Basile
Defensive Back Christopher Pitre Mamou
Defensive Back Shabby Moore Ville Platte
Defensive Spec. Dylan Doucet Pine Prairie
Punter Jacob Israel Mamou
Offensive MVP Kendrick Ceasar Basile
Gabe Fontenot Basile
Defensive MVP Caleb Soileau Sacred Heart
Vondarius Freeman Ville Platte
Head Coach Kevin Bertrand Basile
Honorable Mention: Jarrod Belle, Basile
Daniel Matthews, Mamou
Braylon Lejeune, Mamou
Kennan Roy, Pine Prairie
Douglas Fontenot, Pine Prairie
Phillip Vidrine, Sacred Heart
Josh LaHaye, Sacred Heart
Mikey Laughlin, Sacred Heart
Trelon Thomas, Ville Platte
Terez Alfred, Ville Platte