Playoffs loom for Bearcats after win over Tigers

Going into the game against the Oberlin Tigers, the Basile Bearcats were not concerned about if they would be in the Class 1A playoffs, rather if they could maintain a top six seed in the power rankings. A win over Oberlin would just about assure the Bearcats the every important seed and the first round bye that comes with it. Basile took care of the business at hand as they defeated Oberlin 29-8 in a game that was never really close.
The Basile offense was its usual unstoppable unit. The Bearcats scored in every quarter, racking up 348 total yards of offense. Basile took the early lead in the game when Kendrick Ceasar ran the ball in from 12 yards out. Mark Ledoux added the extra point and the Bearcats held the 7-0 lead.
Basile added on to their lead in the second quarter. After moving the football down the field into Tiger territory, Ledoux was called upon to kick a 26 yard field goal. Ledoux drilled the ball through the uprights and the Bearcats took the 10-0 lead into halftime.
Going into the third quarter, Basile knew they had to extend its lead to keep Oberlin from pulling closer on the scoreboard. The Bearcats did that and more as they scored twice in the third quarter. Gabe Fontenot ran the ball 11 yards for the first touchdown of the quarter. The kick failed, but Basile had now extended their lead to 16-0.
The second touchdown of the quarter came as Ceasar plunged over the goal line from the five yard line. Ledoux added the extra point and at the end of the third quarter, Basile now led 23-0.
The Bearcats were able to add to their lead in the fourth quarter. This time it was the defense’s turn to put up points. Gavin Cortez scooped up the Tiger fumble and rumbled 78 yards for the touchdown. Once again the kick was no good, but Basile now led 29-0.
Oberlin did finally get on the scoreboard late in the fourth quarter. Devin Anderson sprinted 30 yards for the Tiger touchdown. Oberlin decided to try the two-point conversion and was successful. The Basile defense did not allow another score and the Bearcats closed out the 29-8 victory.
Leading the way on offense for Basile was Ceasar, who carried the ball 18 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Fontenot added 122 yards on 22 carries and one touchdown. Quarterback Mark Ivory completed six passes on 12 attempts for 83 yards.
The Bearcat defense continued to show their stingy side, as Oberlin could not do very much on offense. The Tigers could only manage 245 yards of offense. Most of Oberlin’s offense came late in the game when the Bearcats had already sewn up the win.
Basile finished the season with a 9-1 record and a 5-1 district record. The Bearcats await the playoff pairings, which will be announced Sunday. If Basile can stay in the top six of the power rankings, they will receive a first round bye and get a home game in the second round of the playoffs. No matter what seed Basile winds up getting, the state is on notice that the Bearcats will be a team to be reckoned with in the playoffs.