Quarterfinal jinx

BASILE -- Call it a jinx. Call it voodoo. Call it bad luck.
Whatever you call it, the fact remains the same. For the fourth straight year, the Basile Bearcats cannot escape the quarterfinal round of the Class 1A football playoffs, as they fell to the Arcadia Hornets 22-20 here Friday night.
The last three years it has been the Kentwood Kangaroos that have spoiled Basile’s semi-final hopes.
This year it was a miracle pass on the last play of the game that prevented the Bearcats from reach the second to last round of the playoffs; a spot Basile has not found themselves in for over 15 years.
Most every college football fan around the area has heard of the “Bluegrass Miracle”. This game ended in the “Hornet Heave.”
With six seconds left on the clock, Arcadia held possession of the ball at their 35-yard line. Quarterback Danquarian Fields dropped back for one last play. Fields was chased relentlessly by the Bearcat defense, but was able to escape long enough to heave a 65-yard touchdown pass to Cordel Cortez, who somehow had found his way beyond the Bearcat secondary.
That tied the game up at 20-20, with Arcadia needing the extra point for the win. The Hornets went for two and scored, but was called for holding on the conversion.
The ball was backed up to the 13-yard line. On the ensuing conversion, Fields hit Anthony Boston in the back of the end zone for the two points and the win.
What made this so unbelievable was the fact that the Bearcats had just punctuated a nine play 45-yard drive when Gabe Fontenot plunged in from four yards out for the go ahead score with only 15 seconds left to play in the game.
Fontenot tacked on the two point conversion run to put the Bearcats up 20-14 in the waning moments of the contest.
Even with the heartbreaking loss, Basile head coach Kevin Bertrand had nothing but praise for his players.
“Our guys gave their heart, soul and bodies to win this game,” said a dejected Bertrand. “This kids just played their tails off. It is just sad to lose a game this way.”
Bertrand was especially disappointed for his senior players.
“Our seniors are a tremendous group of guys,” stated Bertrand. “I don’t have enough time to say how I feel about this group. They have set the standard that all other classes will try to emulate.”
Arcadia got on the board first, taking the opening kickoff and driving 54-yards in 10 plays. Fields dove in from two yards out and ran the two-point conversion in to put the Hornets up 8-0 with 7:28 left in the first quarter.
Basile answered in the second quarter when Tray David took a 38-yard punt the distance for the score. The extra point was no good making the score 8-6 with 10:28 left in the first half. That is how is remained until the final quarter.
Basile came close on several occasions in the game to put up more points, getting inside the Arcadia 20-yard line three separate times and not coming away with any points.
Arcadia’s second to last score came in the fourth quarter on a Fields to Cortez six-yard pass. The two point conversion was no good, extending the Hornet lead to 14-6 with 11:14 left in the game.
Basile wasted no time in cutting into the Arcadia lead. On the very next possession, facing a second and 24, Fontenot raced 76-yards on a draw play for the Bearcat score. The two-point conversion was no good, making the score 14-12 in favor of Arcadia.
With the loss the Bearcats finish the 2015 campaign with an overall record of 10-2.