Bulldogs begin 3A run with a road game

It has been a while since Ville Platte High had to travel on the road during the first round of the playoffs. It had also been a long time since the Bulldogs were in Class 3A for the basketball playoffs. With a new classification, the Bulldogs found themselves in a new position when the Class 3A brackets were released Monday afternoon. The Bulldogs were usually in the top 10 in Class 2A, but things would be different now.
The Bulldogs earned the 29th seed in the Class 3A playoffs. They were one of three teams from District 5-3A to qualify for the post-season. Northwest and Port Barre also made the post-season.
The Bulldogs will take to the road tomorrow night. They have to head north to meet the fourth ranked Richwood rams. The Rams completed their year with a 24-6 overall record and a 7-1 record in District 2-3A competitions.
The Rams, from the Monroe area, have had an interesting season. They lost to a sub-par Union Parish in league play, but managed to beat some very powerful teams in the upper Louisiana area. The Rams ended their season with a loss to Class 4A powerhouse Neville.
The Bulldogs have had a tough season in comparison to the season they are used to. They struggled often, at one time they did not look like they would make the playoffs. However, the young team and Head Coach Tommy Jones put it all together and made a strong run for the post-season in the final two weeks of the season. Ville Platte (14-15) fought hard and came up a bit short in league play with a 6-4 finish.
Despite their season looks on paper, they played a very tough schedule. Of their 15 losses, only one came to a team that did not have a winning record. That loss was to Class 5A Barbe.
Ville Platte will have to play hard to pull the upset tomorrow night against the Rams. A win could put them at home against 13th seeded West Feliciana in the next round. The Saints host the 20th seed Albany in the first round of the playoffs.