Parish showdown

Even though it is only the second game of the season, Friday night’s Ville Platte/Basile match-up is critical for both clubs. For Ville Platte, a win over the perennial powerhouse Bearcats would give them a 2-0 start for the first time in five years after defeating Mamou 28-0 last week.
For Basile, a victory over the Bulldogs would put them back on track after a stunning 33-7 loss to Vinton in week one. Game time is set for 7 p.m. in Basile.
“To start the season with two wins in a row can really set us up for the rest of the non-district season,” stated Ville Platte head coach Jorie Randle. “Last year we opened with a win over Mamou, but lost 7-0 to Basile and it really put us in a funk for the next week. We came out against Lafayette Christian and it looked like we were in slow motion. Getting the win this year would be big toward some much needed power points.”
“After the loss this past week, we want to be able to get back on the field and prove to ourselves that we can play better than we did,” stated Basile head coach Kevin Bertrand. “One loss does not define a season, but to get back on track and beat a good football team like Ville Platte would be big toward our confidence the rest of the season.”
Against Mamou, Ville Platte took advantage of Demon miscues and motored their way to a 28-0 halftime lead. But, the Bulldogs did not perform well in the second half and that has Randle’s attention as they prepare for Basile this week.
“We talked about it at practice this week,” said Randle. “We cannot become complacent and be scoreboard watchers. I thought we came out pumped up to play in the first half, but did not finish with that same intensity. We had way too many mistakes in the last two quarters. We cannot afford to do that against a team like Basile. They will take advantage of those miscues and next thing you know you are facing a loss.”
The Bulldogs were effective running the football against the Demons. The offensive line of Ville Platte commanded the game throughout. And it showed, as the Bulldogs picked up 220 yards on 45 carries. Randle was pleased for the most part with his line work, with some exceptions.
“I thought we really controlled the line of scrimmage, especially in the first half,” commented Randle. “Our guys got to the next level effectively well, something you don’t see often in high school. But, in the second half we stopped communicating well. We are going to need to work on that, so that we can continue to run the ball successfully.”
Basile on the other hand did not play the way Bertrand is used to. The Lions took control of the game from the start and never allowed the Bearcats to get things going on both sides of the ball. Bertrand acknowledged his team’s performance did not live up to Basile football.
“They got after us from the start, and outplayed us in every facet” said Bertrand. “We took too many steps backward. The bright spots were few and far between. It seemed like every time we had a positive play, we would get a penalty. We are going to have to clean those things up this week if we expect to stay in the game against Ville Platte.”
Now both coaches know what they face in their opponent this coming week. Ville Platte and Basile are very familiar with each other as the two teams have played the last three years in the regular season, with the Bearcats coming out on top in all three contests.
“Basile is one of those teams that do all the right things,” stated Randle. “They are fundamentally sound in every area. They play great defense and wait for you to make the mistakes and then capitalize on those mistakes. It is always tough to play them. We are going to have to play perfect in order to have a chance.”
“Ville Platte is athletic and has tremendous size up front,” commented Bertrand. “They are well coached and very explosive. We need to clean up a lot of things this week at practice. We have to come out from the start and play with some intensity and not let them jump on us early like Vinton did. It is going to be a tough match-up.”