Bulldogs give valiant effort in loss to Wildcats

Ville Platte High came into this district game Friday night like giants after beating division foes Port Barre and Pine Prairie in consecutive weeks. Livonia came into the game as royals of Class 2A. The Wildcats are state runners-up from a year ago and are ranked first in the current polls. The first half in Livonia was a proverbial pitchers’ duel. The second half, however, was the Malcolm Dedrick show as the Wildcat running back ran up-and-down the field. The game ended with Livonia pitching a shutout and winning 21-0.
The Bulldogs gave the football to quarterback Rodricus Fontenot. Head coach Jorie Randle said of his freshman signal caller, “Our starting freshman had to step up and give us some good quality minutes. He did a good job. I couldn’t ask more out of him. He played well.
“To tell a freshman that he’s starting on Monday against a number one team in the state would put anybody in a deer in the headlights type of mentality. I expect big things from him in the future.”
Ville Platte received the opening kickoff and started its drive on its own 20 yard line. Dayton Jackson carried for a gain of two yards. Then the Wildcat defense held, forcing a Bulldog punt. Livonia began its opening drive on the Bulldog 37 yard line and ended it a yard farther away as Anderson and Freeman combined for a tackle in the backfield on third down.
The Bulldogs started the next series on the 15 yard line but were backed up all the way to the shadows of their own goal line. Another punt set up first and 10 for the Wildcats on the Bulldog 37 yard line. Facing third and 16, Wildcat quarterback Cee Jay Powell connected with Christian Edwards bringing Livonia to the 25 yard line. Oxzabein Serie and Dylan Jones combined on the stop. The Wildcats scored two snaps later on a pass completion to Derrick Wells with 4:48 left on the clock in the quarter and missed the extra point attempt.
Shabby Moore received the kickoff and returned the football to the 33 yard line. Dayton Jackson carried down the right side and converted on third down. Rodricus Fontenot ran a quarterback keeper close to the first down marker. The drive stalled on a fumble recovery by the Wildcats.
Dayton Jackson combined with a couple other Bulldog defense men to force another Wildcat punt. Ville Platte then mounted a drive into Wildcat territory. Fontenot kept the ball for a first down to the 31 yard line as the first quarter came to a close. Fontenot then handed off to Terese Thomas, who carried for a first down to the 42 yard line. Moore and Thomas combined to carry down to the Wildcat 39 yard line. But that is where the drive stalled, forcing a Bulldog punt.
The Wildcats began the next drive on their own nine yard line and were forced to punt. The football was fumbled on the catch and was returned for what appeared to be a Wildcat touchdown. However, a fair catch interference penalty gave the Bulldogs the football on the Livonia 26 yard line. The Bulldogs lost a yard and ultimately turned the ball over on downs and failed to capitalize on another turnover before the halftime whistle blew.
The second half is when Malcolm Dedrick put the other 10 offensive players from Livonia on his back and carried them to the win. He scored on a two-point conversion attempt after Powell connected to Stephen Guidry for a touchdown.
Randle said of the touchdown, “Football is a game of inches. We had a blown coverage. They took a split screen to the house for seven yards that made it 14-0, and I feel that was the game’s winning play.”
Livonia, after a Ville Platte punt, began its next drive on the 35 yard line. On second and 10, Patrick Queen caught a pass for a first down at the 49 yard line. Dedrick gained four yards on the ground, Christian Edwards gained four yards through the air, and Powell took care of the rest for a first down at the Ville Platte 29 yard line. Following a Wildcat timeout, Dedrick ran all the way into the end zone. Livonia now led 21-0 with 9:39 remaining in the game.
Randle called the game a “tale of the tape.” He said, “It’s been the tale of our whole season. We just have a little problem on offense. We just can’t seem to get some consistency on offense. Our defense played lights out. That’s been our modus operandi all season. We have a very veteran group on defense.” Randle concluded, “As a whole, I’m proud of my guys. They’re very resilient. The kids don’t quit. They fought, and we just live to fight another day. We’re just trying to get a few more district wins, and next we face Church Point. We’ll just fight to make the playoffs.”