Bulldogs end season with first round loss

Ville Platte High came into the bi-district round of the playoffs on a six-game win streak. The Bulldogs hoped to carry that momentum on the road as they faced off against Madison High Friday night. Ville Platte stood toe-to-toe with the Jaguars for the first half, but could not overcome a second half deficit in a 67-47 loss.
Getting out to a fast start is ever so important in a road playoff game. With the opening tip, Ville Platte looked to take the home crowd out of the game. The Bulldogs did just that, scoring 11 points in the first quarter.
Center Kelian Semien helped pace Ville Platte with four first period points. Madison High kept pace, putting up 12 points of their own to take the one-point lead as the quarter ended.
Trying to stay within reach of the Jaguars in the second quarter, the Bulldogs were able to get a number of players involved in the offense. Ville Platte had six players score in the period.
The Bulldogs managed to net 12 more points before the period ended. However, Madison High knocked down 16 points to increase their advantage to 28-23 as the first half came to a close.
Ville Platte felt pretty good coming out of the locker room only down by five points. The third quarter turned out to be a very pivotal one for both squads.
Offensively, the period was a good one for the Jaguars, as they exploded for 22 points. The Bulldogs were unable to keep pace, only adding 14 points to the scoreboard. As the third stanza ended, Madison High had extended the lead to 38-26.
As the fourth period began, Ville Platte knew that the pressure was on to get going offensively. If they were unsuccessful, the season could be lost. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, none of their offensive weapons could get on track in the quarter.
Ville Platte was only able to manage 10 points in the final stanza. Madison High closed out the game by scoring 17 points to close out the win.
Ville Platte had two players score in double digits. Ernest Ardoin netted 13 points, while Semien chipped in 10 points. The Bulldogs finish the season with an overall record of 18-12 and were district 5-3A runners-up.
The future is bright for Ville Platte, as they will return group of young, talented players for the 2015-2016 season.