Staying afloat

It is crunch time for Ville Platte.
The Bulldogs have fallen to 3-3 on the season after losing three of their last four games and are currently No. 45 in the power point rankings. This means that if Ville Platte wants to be a part of the post-season for the second year in a row and the fifth time in six years, they must get back on the winning track.
The Bulldogs will attempt to do that tomorrow night, as they host the Port Barre Red Devils in a key District 5-3A matchup. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
“Every game from now on is going to be like a playoff game for us,” stated Ville Platte head coach Jorie Randle. “I told the players that we are going to have to upset some teams that are favored over us. I hate to say it but it is almost a must win for us.”
After starting on fire in the first two games, Ville Platte has smoldered the past four contests, especially on the offensive side of the ball. After averaging 28 points per game in their first two wins, the Bulldogs have only managed to score a total of 20 points in the last two contests.
“Confidence is a big factor in how you play,” said Randle. “Losing tight ballgames can take that mojo away from you. I know we can run the ball, but we are going to have to find a way to stretch the field passing the ball. I don’t care if the pass is complete or not, if we can just keep teams honest it will keep our opponents from selling out on the run.
If the offense has had their problems in recent week, the Ville Platte defensive unit has definitely held their own.
With the exception of last week’s 45-14 loss to Eunice, the Bulldog defense has been exceptional. In the previous five games, Ville Platte has only given up a total of 28 points and have held three of those teams scoreless.
“Defensively, we have some good players,” commented Randle. “The defense kind of runs itself, which makes it a lot easier on the coaches and it allows us to play fast. The players really know the system and that allows us to mix things up and try to get opposing offenses guessing at what we are going to do from one play to the next.”
Getting back on the winning track should come with a little more ease this week. Port Barre sports a 2-4 record coming into tomorrow night’s game and has struggled throughout the season, averaging only 7.5 points per game on offense. The Red Devils, however, give up an average 21.2 points a game on defense.
“They have some really good athletes,” said Randle. “Defensively, they are really big up front and do a good job against the run. Offensively, they run a number of different formations. They have two running backs that can break it at any time. We are going to have to do a good job of controlling their run game if we want to have a chance at a win.”