Four in a row

When it comes to playoff football, the Basile Bearcats are no strangers to the postseason. Basile has been in the playoffs nine out of the last 10 years, including the last four quarterfinal contests.
This year is no exception, as the Bearcats will host the Arcadia Hornets tomorrow night for the right to move on to the semi-finals. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
Basile’s trek into the third round is similar to last year’s run in the playoffs. The Bearcats, because of their well deserved number two ranking, received a bye the first round of the 2015 postseason.
Last week, Basile took on the Homer Pelicans in a regional contest, after the Pelicans defeated Montgomery the first week of the playoffs.
Basile was very decisive in their win over Homer, scoring all of their points in the first half of play on their way to a dominating 35-7 win.
The Bearcats overall record of 10-1 so far this season has been a product of a tremendous run game and a defense that has still allowed less than eight points per game.
“We take the running game very serious,” said Basile head coach Kevin Bertrand. “We feel that if you can’t run the ball effectively, you can’t win on a consistent basis. Our offensive line has done a tremendous job all season. The success of our running backs is a direct result of our guys up front. All of our runners give the extra effort because they know the players up front are giving their all. But that does not mean we can’t pass the ball when needed.”
How the Bearcats use the passing game was evident last Friday against Homer. Quarterback Tray David showed a tremendous ability to read his progressions in the passing game and the Bearcats took advantage of a Pelican team bent on stopping the Basile run game.
“Even though Tray’s numbers are not eye-popping, he has proven that he can guide our offense through the air when needed,” said Bertrand. “Our receivers have done an excellent job of making sure of a catch first. Tray is confident in those players and their abilities.”
Probably the biggest factor in the outstanding season for Basile thus far is the play of their veteran defense. The Bearcats rely on a large group of seniors to turn the ball over to their clock chewing offense.
“We are going to need our defense to play well this week,” said Bertrand. “Arcadia is big and athletic. They want to run the ball, but are not opposed to spreading you out and getting their athletes in space. Defensively, we have a tough task this week in trying to control their offense.”
Arcadia comes into the game having won their first two playoff games. The Hornets defeated East Iberville 46-0 and Delhi 30-16 last week.
Arcadia resides in District 1-1A and owns an overall record of 9-3. The Hornets average 31.5 points per game on offense and give up an average of 22.9 points per game on defense. Arcadia defeated Homer 24-14 in week five.