Blaize lands at Abbeville High

During his time as Gueydan head football coach, Ward Courville defeated Vermilion Catholic’s Ossie Blaize only once.

There is the old saying, if you cannot beat someone, have them join your staff. So, when Courville was named Abbeville head coach earlier this month, one name stood out on his short list to fill the opening at offensive coordinator -- Ossie Blaize.

“I’ve known him for 20 years,” said Courville. “To get somebody with that kind of knowledge and understanding of the game is going to be a big relief for me.”

Courville is not the only one happy about Blaize coming to Abbeville.

“I feel good about it,” said Blaize, whose hiring the Vermilion Parish School Board accepted at Wednesday’s meeting. “I think at this time it is a good situation.”

The move is a home coming of sorts for Blaize. He coached at VCHS for nine years in both football and track. Blaize led the Eagles to two of his three state track titles. He left VCHS and worked at Beau Chene for a year before going to Catholic High of New Iberia, where he spent the last eight years.

In all, Blaize has worked as a coach for 38 years in a career that has spanned several schools and two states. It is that experience that allows Courville the confidence to turn over the reins of the offense to Blaize.

“I am turning the entire offense over to him,” said Courville, who will run the defense. “He is going to make every decision for us.”

That does not mean Blaize, who will also serve as head track coach, will not look for a second opinion from Courville.

“If the situation comes up,” said Blaize, “his opinion will be valued. He is the boss.”

Courville said having someone come in who could run the offense was important.

“One of the big things when I agreed to take the job,” said Courville, “was that I could hire somebody like him.

“He has done a great job calling plays everywhere he has been.”

What has helped Blaize in his success as a play-caller? In a word, adapting.

“On offense,” said Blaize, “you can only do what the personnel can do.”

Blaize said he will work with his new team during the summer and get a better feel for what he will do this fall.

“I have some basic ideas,” said Blaize. “I am like any coach, I want to run the ball 40 times and throw 15, but how we fill run (formation), again, that is a personnel thing.”

Whatever the Wildcats’ offense looks like in the season opener Sept. 5, Courville will have complete faith in Blaize. The pair’s working relationship helps make Blaize and Abbeville a solid match.

“This is a good place to be,” said Blaize. “I am excited about getting started and getting some things done.”