Panthers take Oberlin Tournament

The Panthers of Pine Prairie continued to pick up quality wins while competing at the Oberlin High School Tournament. They not only defeated parish rival Mamou and district rival Church Point, but also crushed the host team to earn the tournament title.
The Panthers outlasted Mamou to open the event 59-42. In the next round, the Panthers took the Bears of Church Point down 70-56. The back-to-back wins moved the Panthers into the finals. That meant the PPHS boys would face the Tigers of Oberlin.
The Tigers came out strong and took an early 12-6 lead over Pine Prairie. Pine Prairie’s Douglas Fontenot hit a three-point shot and a free throw to pace the Panthers, while Johnny Andress paced the Tigers. Oberlin held the lead as the opening period came to a close, but the Panthers were quickly gaining momentum.
The second period would prove to be the turning point. The Panthers were fired up and ready to go. Josh Freeman hit back-to-back three point shots and later added a jumper of his own. The shots kept the Panthers burning towards tying the game and eventually taking the lead. Javon Ardoin added a three-point bomb of his own and then hit a quick lay-up.
Oberlin fired back with their shooters. Jonas Goudeau and Andress knocked down a couple of jumpers. As the teams played hard into the finals, the Panthers had gained the lead. The Panthers took a 27-22 lead into the locker room. The Panthers had the momentum and Head Coach Chris Guillory and his staff were very fired up.
The third period served as the straw that broke the camel’s back. The Panthers piled up 26 points and simply overwhelmed the Tigers. The PPHS boys used a pressure defense to force turnovers. By doing that, the local boys found their way into the position to make some easy lay-ups. Josh Freeman ripped off another pair of three-point bombs and then another jumper. Allen Myles dropped three straight lay-ups. All three baskets came off of turnovers. It was a great example of a team making the most of the chances they had to score. Toward the end of the period, Douglas Fontenot dropped seven points, including a three-point shot. When all the dust settled, the scoreboard read 53-33 in the favor of the Pine Prairie Panthers.
In the final period, Pine Prairie was not about to let up. They kept the pressure on the Tigers. Silas Carson scooped up six points for the Panthers. The Panthers went on to score 25 points and held the host team to only 15 yards. Pine Prairie held on to win the tournament title with a score of 78-48.
Fontenot led the charge in the game. He would score 19 points, while Freeman was good for 17 points. Myles ended his night with a total deposit of 14 points.
Oberlin was led by Kedric Cole with 14 points, while Goudeau was good for 12 points.
The Panthers will face Church Point to open up district later this month.