Fontenot hurls her way to top of AP team

By: LANCE REED

Sports Editor

For the second year in a row, three out of the four Evangeline Parish softball teams made their way to at least the second round of the playoffs. Mamou, Sacred Heart and Pine Prairie each had successful seasons. They all competed in the same district, 6-2A, which is one of the toughest in Class 2A. Each team had a great run. The Lady Panthers of Pine Prairie won the district championship. Sacred Heart was the runner-up and Mamou took the third slot. Ville Platte High competed in district. The Lady Bulldogs did not make the post-season despite playing hard throughout the entire season.

The Lady Panthers had a great run at the state title. They made it back to Frash Park in Sulphur for the first time since they won the state title in 2005. They defeated South Beauregard in dramatic fashion in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, they fell to eventual state champion Pope John Paul. Overall, they were 28-7 and 12-0 in district.

The Sacred Heart Lady Trojans had a great year considering the problems they had with injuries. They earned a 16-8 overall record and a 9-3 district record. They beat Welsh in the bi-district round of the playoffs. In the regional round, they were defeated by Rosepine.

After reaching the Class 2A quarter-finals in 2007, the Mamou Lady Demons were on a mission to make it back. They came up one game short. After going 20-11 and 8-4 in district, the Lady Demons had a lot of be proud of. They defeated a very good Lakeside team in the opening round of the playoffs. In the second round, they stumbled against DeQuincy.

The 2008 All-Evangeline Parish Softball team begins with Pine Prairie senior pitcher Chelsey Fontenot. The three-year starter put another great year together for her team and helped to guide them to the district title and the state tournament. Fontenot ended the year with nearly 200 strikeouts with 118 of those coming in district. She threw several no-hitters. She also put up a .363 batting average.

Joining Fontenot at the pitching position is Mamou senior Sadie Fontenot and Sacred Heart sophomore Logan Hebert. Fontenot transferred to Mamou and immediately had an impact. The multi-sport athlete fanned over 125 batters in the season, including 84 in district. She posted a .372 batting average. She received an honorable mention on the All-State team. Hebert did very well in her first year as a starter at SHHS. She had nearly 100 strikeouts on the year, with a total of 22 in district. She was known for constantly keeping the ball down in the zone and making batters hit ground balls.

Pine Prairie senior catcher Kayla Johnson posted big numbers again in 2008. She hit .425 with three home runs. She had a cannon for an arm behind the plate. She recently signed to play softball with Bossier Parish Community College. She was an honorable mention on the Class 2A All-State team after making the team three straight seasons. She made it as an infielder during her freshman year.

Four infielders were selected on the AP team. Pine Prairie’s senior shortstop Alex Deville had another tremendous season. She hit .465 on the year with a handful of home runs and was among the team’s leader in nearly every offensive category. The shortstop, who had been a starter since she was in the sixth grade, was selected as a utility player on the Class 2A All-State team. Sacred Heart sophomore Samantha Davenport was a story by herself. She battled through injuries all season, but managed to help get her team to the second round of the playoffs. She hit .371 with a pair of home runs. She was one of the offensive leaders of the Lady Trojans. Mamou junior third baseman Amanda Fontenot had a great year. She hit .351 and was nearly flawless all year in the hot box for MHS. Sacred Heart second baseman Sarah Dupre played another tough season. She finished the year hitting .351

and had very few errors at second base.

The three outfielders on the All-Parish team are Ashley Marcantel of Pine Prairie, Katie Landreneau of Mamou and Courtney Ramirez of Sacred Heart. Marcantel did not commit a single error all year for the Lady Panthers. She hit .350 with several stolen bases. Landreneau, a sophomore, was big for Mamou in 2008. She batted .341 with 10 stolen bases. Ramirez, a sophomore, did a great job for Sacred Heart. She batted .333 and swiped several bags.

Three utility players were named to the AP team. Pine Prairie’s third baseman Katie Reed had a breakout year in her first year as full-time starter. She also doubled as a pitcher. Mamou’s senior catcher Courtney Tate completed her fourth season as the MHS catcher. Fellow Mamou senior Kristie Soileau was strong at shortstop all year. She batted .441 and received an honorable mention on the All-State team. Pine Prairie’s first baseman Emily Marcantel completed her junior year with a batting average of .290 and is expected be really strong for her senior year in 2009.

Several players were worthy of an honorable mention on the 2009 AP team. Julie Enicke (SHHS), Amy Fontenot (Mamou), Madison Murray (Pine Prairie) and Amber Fontenot (Ville Platte) each earned an honorable mention on the AP team.

A legend in her own time, Pine Prairie Head Coach Carolyn Deville has seen some good years and some bad ones. Since she started her program at PPHS, she has found ways to get her girls to win. The Lady Panthers have been to the state tournament several times in Class B and Class 2A. After getting her team to the semi-finals this season, she was selected as the 2009 All-Evangeline Parish Coach of the Year.

Congratulations go out to all Evangeline Parish High School softball players. Good luck to you during the summer.