Trojans and Knights: Different teams, same goal

The Sacred Heart Trojans are hosting a playoff game for the first time since 2005. They defeated Lake Arthur in the first round and went on to host Ouachita Christian. If they can get by the Lafayette Christian Academy Knights in the opening round of the Division IV playoffs, they will again meet the OCHS football team, but the first-year LCA Knights (6-4) are standing in the way.
“This is an awesome situation for us,” said first-year LCA Head Coach Derrick Landry, who is also a 1999 Ville Platte High School graduate. “We get to go right down the road for our first ever playoff game and play a good program like Sacred Heart.”
The Trojans (5-4) will look to regain consistency of the team that took the sixth seeded Class 1A Point Coupee Central Cougars into overtime and not be the team that was destroyed by St. Ed’s in week 10.
“If the team that we can be shows up then we should handle out business,” commented second-year SHHS Head Coach Doug Guillory. “But if we are the same team that played last week, its going to be a long night for us. It simply depends on what the kids want to do.”
The Trojans were decimated last week by Drew Brown and the SEH offense that nearly scored at will. Much different than the defense that limited the Cougars to four big plays the week before.
This week, the name Dylan Hargrave will be the equivalent of Brown with one exception. Hargrave’s 4.2 speed gives him the ability to outrun everyone on the field. Landry does allow quarterback Reagan Miller to throw the ball here and there, but Hargrave, a junior, and the run is their bread and butter.
Scoring is usually not the issue for the Trojans, but the Blue Jays sniffed out some tendencies. They nearly took speedy Ellis Parrott and the screen plays out of the game, yet the plays were still attempted. That made it easy for SHHS. The Knights, who are not that strong on defense, giving up three scores a game on average, will most likely focus on Parrott and the screen, forcing SHHS to do something different.
The Trojans have many other weapons. While not as explosive as Parrott, look for something to be a little different tomorrow night.
The teams have some things in common. The Knights have learned to adjust. They play in a district with top-ranked Vermilion Catholic and Central Catholic of Morgan City. They have seen good competition. The Trojans have seen good competition as well. Basile, Pt. Coupee Central and St. Ed’s are all expected to do well in the post-season.
Both teams also play with a lot of momentum. When things are going good, they seem to roll. If the game starts tough, they seem to go from slow to stop. One of these teams will have to avoid that tomorrow night.
The Trojans have a distinct advantage if they can get the Knights on and off the field and get them out of the game early. It is a good chance that LCA may get caught up in the playoff atmosphere early on, while SHHS has been there before and they are at home.
For Landry, it is also a first for him. It is the first time that the former VPHS quarterback and Northwestern signal caller as well makes his return to VP as a coach.
“I hope this is like a home game for me,” he remarked. “But at the end of the day, this isn’t about me. It’s about seeing our kids compete to the best of their ability. It’s exciting to be on the same field that was named after my grandfather (R.P. “Cow” Landry) and have these amazing people with me.”
From a coaching comparison, this is certainly an “older lion vs. young lion” type scenario. Guillory has been in the game a while and has even run for the 1A state title. Landry has never been a head coach and has never seen the post-season.
“He (Landry) is going to have them ready, I know that much,” Guillory said.
“Coach Guillory has been in the game a long time and his teams are always competitive,” Landry stated. “I know we will have our hands full.”
LCA puts up 28 points a game, while the Trojans put up 24 points a game. This game has all the makings of a shoot out, but it could be the exact opposite if the offensive line of SHHS has it’s way. They set the tempo against the PCC Cougars, but lost the battle last week. In short, how the SHHS O-line goes is how the Trojans go.
The Knights will look to stay in the game and have a chance to win it in the fourth quarter.
The winner of this game will make the trip to Monroe to face second seeded Ouachita Christian, who had a bye in the first round.