Basile travels to take on 2A Vinton

A rusty performance in the first half of the jamboree against Mamou this past Friday turned into a 21-0 win for the Basile Bearcats. According to Basile head coach Kevin Bertrand, that was something to be expected.
“From the start of the game to the finish was like night and day for us,” stated Bertrand. “By the end of the game I thought we were beginning to hit on all cylinders. The coaches were kind of expecting it to be rough to start considering that we did not have a chance to get our scrimmage in. I was very excited in the fact that we were able to fight through that first half and perform well in the second half.”
At times Basile’s offense looked like the offense of the last two years, especially when returning running back Jarred Belle dotted the “I” in their familiar formation. Belle ran the ball very effectively, gaining 63 yards on eight carries and scoring once. However, the offense did stall at times, mostly when the second team backs were in the game.
“We tried to get as many guys in the game as possible,” said Bertrand. “We used this as a way to combine the scrimmage we didn’t get with the jamboree. I was pleased with the play of our younger players, especially on defense. We got to play about twenty guys on that side of the ball. That experience will help with depth.”
The Bearcats did give up some yardage to the young Demons, allowing 109 total yards. But, when it counted, Basile stiffened and held Mamou scoreless throughout the contest.
“We just needed to get into the flow of the game,” commented Bertrand. “But once we did, everything began to fall into place. Our players really fought through being tired toward the end of the game.”
Basile will travel to Vinton this week for their opening game of the regular season. Getting a win against a Class 2A opponent on the road would be huge for the young Bearcats.
“Vinton is a tough, athletic ball club,” said Bertrand. “If we can upset a quality team like Vinton, it would go a long way to boosting our confidence. But we know even if it does not go our way, our players know that one game will notmake or break our season.”