District honors

Everyone around the area knows the reputation of Evangeline Parish baseball. Some of the better teams and better players in the state come from our local schools. Because of the quality of play of those teams, several individuals were honored with being named to their representative all-district squads.
Pine Prairie’s season took a roller coaster ride, with ups and downs throughout the 2016 campaign. The Panthers opened their schedule going 8-4. But, a tough district and some let down in play put Pine Prairie at 2-4 midway through district play.
However, the Panthers finished strong, winning four of their last seven, including a first round playoff win over De La Salle. Unfortunately, Pine Prairie bowed out in the second round, losing two games to North Webster in a regional matchup.
For their stellar play, Pine Prairie was rewarded with four selections to the District 5-3A first team. Leading the way for the Panthers was senior second baseman Dylan Doucet. Doucet hit .478 on the season with three homeruns and 20 RBI. Doucet also contributed on the mound for the Panthers and was a major reason for their success.
Joining Doucet was senior outfielder Josh Fontenot, senior utility player Zac Lee and freshman utility player Jordan Ardoin. Fontenot batted .522 on the year with four home runs and scored 30 times. Lee, another pitcher in the rotation for the Panthers hit .349 for the season with four doubles. Ardoin was a force in the outfield for Pine Prairie and was a stalwart in the lineup, having a knack for getting on base.
Second team players for Pine Prairie included junior first baseman Gavin O’Connor (.250), junior outfielder Sylus Carson (.238), senior utility player Logan Blood (.237), senior utility player Devin Leggett (.241) and junior utility player Gaten Chaddrick.
Sacred Heart’s year can be summed up in two words; heartbreaking losses. Despite their 11-13-1 record, the Trojans faced some of the toughest competition in the state, losing nine games by only one run, including a first round playoff game to Sterlington. District 5-2A, in particular was a heavy weight fight every game and included Notre Dame and Opelousas Catholic, both of which had deep playoff runs.
However, Sacred Heart had five players named to the first team. Senior Caleb Soileau earned a position in the outfield. Soileau hit .319 on the year with two home runs and 13 RBI. Senior Jacob L. Lafleur was selected as a utility player because of his .347 average, 10 doubles and 18 RBI.
Along with Soileau and Lafleur, senior Garrick Fontenot was also named as a utility player on the first team. Fontenot batted .273 and had an on base percentage of .407. Senior first baseman Keaton Tate was also selected to the first team. Tate hit .308 on the year, stole 10 bases and had 10 RBI. Another important piece of the puzzle for the Trojans, junior pitcher Connor Fontenot, was tabbed on the first team. Fontenot was 4-4 on the season with an ERA of 2.48, while striking out 64.
Sacred Heart also had four second team selections. Senior second baseman Sam Tuminaro (.314) was joined by senior shortstop Nick Lahaye (.257), senior outfielder Jacob A. Lafleur (.286) and junior pitcher Brandon Fontenot (2-1, 3.67 ERA).
Mamou High finished the season with an overall record of 14-13 and 6-4 in District 4-2A. The Demons earned a spot in the playoffs, losing in the first round to Menard High School 5-0. Mamou played a very challenging schedule this season and battled with some of the better teams in the state, including Class 5A champion Barbe.
With their success, Mamou was able to place three players on the first team, including district MVP Dylan Duplechain. Duplechain earned MVP as a pitcher after going 3-2 in league play with 35 strikeouts and only allowing seven runs. The senior also hit .393 with five home runs.
Another first team selection was catcher Jude Fontenot who hit .300 on the season. Joining Duplechain and Fontenot was utility player Ronnie McBride, who batted .360 on the year.
Second team selections for the Demons included pitcher Austin John Fontenot (.295), second baseman Tucker Rougeau (.260), outfielder Mason Reed (.272) and utility player Tobi Fontenot (.277). Honorable Mention players for Mamou included Chet Guillory, Austin Lane Fontenot, Gavin Pommier and Lil Paul Williams.
Ville Platte High finished one of their more productive seasons in a while. The Bulldogs won four games in 2016, including two district victories. The Bulldogs battled all year long and were in many of the games played throughout the year.
Ville Platte was rewarded with three second team all-district performers. Senior pitchers Nick Vidrine (.314) and Zachary “Cy” Deville (.378) were two of those players selected. The other played tabbed was senior utility player Tyler Brown.