VP Chamber discussed return of Tee Cotton Bowl at meeting

The Tee Cotton Bowl returns to Bulldog Stadium on September 1 after a four year absence, and it was the subject of this week’s meeting of the Ville Platte Chamber of Commerce and Evangeline Parish Tourism.
“The Tee Cotton Bowl is back, and it’s billed as Tee Cotton Bowl XIV: The Rebirth,” said volunteer Jessie Muse. “I just believe it’s back with a vengeance. The outpouring of support from the community and the businesses not only in town and in the parish but also outside the parish has been outstanding.”
Muse then outlined the week’s schedule of events. The week begins with the JV game on Monday, Media Day is set for Tuesday, and there will be a prayer meeting Wednesday morning at 7:15 a.m. at Sacred Heart. Later that day will be a town hall meeting with Congressman Mike Johnson and the Coach’s Show at the Crawfish Barn. A banquet for the players will be Thursday night. The banquet, according to Tee Cotton Bowl Founder Tim Fontenot, is by invitation only. Muse said, “the guest speakers will be Coach Tony Robichaux and Congressman Mike Johnson.
Friday is the day of the game, and the day is filled with activities. “Normally we go to Passe Partout, but this year they are coming to us,” Muse said. “They are doing a live five or six minute remote on the half hour starting at 5:00 a.m.”
“We would like to have a lot of people to come out that Friday morning,” Fontenot said. “It’s very important to how we present ourselves to the rest of the world. We want it to be like a College GameDay atmosphere. I want everybody to sit together and have signs that say ‘I like football.’”
“Our mayor is going to make a prediction at the last segment,” he continued. “She is going to take the head gear of either the Bulldog or the Trojan and put it on. It’s going to be a lot fun, and it’s good for our kids.”
Starting at 8:00 a.m., there will be breakfast, brunch, at lunch served at the home of Dr. Chuck Aswell until 1:00 p.m. All of the vendors are invited.
A new event for this year will be the parade. “The parade itself will start at 4:00 p.m.,” Muse said. “There is no charge for a float in the parade. The line up will be at 3:00 p.m. at the old nursing home parking lot. The route will come up Main Street and will turn right on Chataignier Street. It will then turn right on Cotton Street and go straight to Ville Platte High School.”
The gates at Ville Platte High will open at 5:00 p.m., and there will be vendors on hand selling food. “We should also have the McNeese cheerleaders there, and we will have folks who will be greeters welcoming people as they come in,” Muse said. “We will have a helicopter land at the 50-yard-line that will present the game ball and the coin that will be used for the coin toss.”
“Then at 7:00 will be kickoff for Tee Cotton Bowl XIV,” he added. “At half time there will be fireworks and a recognition ceremony.”
Fontenot ended the presentation by explaining the importance of the game again being played. “We need this game in our country more than ever,” he said. “We need to show people that you can compete and get along no matter what color you are. God did not give this game to us so that we can just have a good time and do what we want. He gave us this game for a purpose, and He took it away because we weren’t using it right. We’re going to use it the right way now.”