Bulldogs fall to Chargers in non-district play

On Saturday afternoon, the Ville Platte Bulldogs hosted one of the top teams in the state regardless of class. The Baton Rouge based Madison Prep Chargers came into the non-district contest against Ville Platte as the number one team in the class 1A power ratings. The Chargers owned a perfect 17-0 record and were the defending state runners-up in class 1A. Madison Prep proved why they are a leading contender for the state championship as they ran away from the Bulldogs in a 93-49 win.
Ville Platte did not seem fazed by the gaudy resume of the Chargers. The Bulldogs held their own from the opening tip off and gave the home town crowd something to cheer about in the first quarter. With 5:17 left in the period, Ville Platte only trailed by one point, 7-6. Even with Madison Prep going on a six point run midway through the quarter, the Bulldogs stayed within seven points of the Chargers. Madison Prep only held a 17-10 lead as the first stanza ended.
As the second period began, each team traded baskets with Madison Prep leading 21-14 at the 6:33 mark. From that point forward, the Chargers began to take command of the contest. Madison Prep scored 24 points in the last six minutes and held the Bulldogs to 13 points to take the 45-27 halftime lead. The one bright spot for Ville Platte in the period was Ernest Ardoin, who knocked in six points in the stanza.
The third quarter belonged to Madison Prep. The deep bench of the Chargers continued to put defensive pressure on the Bulldogs, while the offensive exploded for 24 points. Ville Platte did manage to net 20 points in the period, most of that coming from the smallest player on the court. Martin Jason dropped nine points in the quarter for the Bulldogs. However, Madison Prep led 69-47 as the quarter closed out.
Having to contend with Madison Prep’s use of bringing in five fresh faces every few minutes proved to be too much for Ville Platt in the final stanza. With the Bulldogs wearing down, the Chargers scored all but two of the points in the fourth quarter. Madison Prep outscored Ville Platte 24-2 to close out the victory.
Leading the way for the Bulldogs was Ardoin, who netted 13 points. Jason added nine points, while Kelian Semien chipped in eight points.