Bobcats travel to Port Barre

PORT BARRE – The outright District 5-3A title may be out of their reach, but the Bobcats still have a lot to play for this week as Eunice visits Port Barre.
Eunice (4-4, 2-1) is presently No. 16 in the Class 3-A power rankings and could still earn a first-round playoff home game.
“We have to take care of business over the next two weeks and see what happens when the brackets come out.
“Our focus is trying to get better as a team,” Trosclair said. “With the playoffs right around the corner, this is not the time to take a step backward.”
The Red Devils (2-6, 0-3) fell 13-8 at Pine Prairie last week – the Panthers’ first district win in program history.
Port Barre’s two wins this season were over Class 1-A teams St. Edmund (6-0) and Basile (13-6).
The Red Devil losses came against Opelousas Catholic (34-0), Sacred Heart of Ville Platte (20-14), Beau Chene (33-6) along with district defeats to Church Point (34-6), Ville Platte (28-0) and Pine Prairie.
“They were once one of the top programs in the state,” Trosclair said. “We aren’t taking them lightly by any means.
“They have two talented running backs (Sidney Pickney and Terrance Lemelle) and a talented team,” the coach said. “They haven’t put it together for four quarters.”
Eunice earned a 21-14 homecoming thriller over Church Point and Trosclair was quick to credit the defensive stands that prevented the Bears from scoring late in the game.
The offense scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion with 9:25 left in the game when Jaden Brasseaux ran in from a yard out and then connected with Georrein Dupre.
After a fourth-down stand, Deshawn Vigers later snared an interception with 1:15 remaining to seal the win.
“Our guys play for four quarters,” Trosclair said.
“Games are not decided in the first quarter because that one looked like it would be a blowout – but after they took the lead, we had to play all the whole game.”
Avery Lee (19-112) scored a two-yard run and Trevin Ceaser (6-26) score on a six-yarder for the Bobcats’ other touchdowns in the game.
“There were some big plays in that game and a really hard-fought game,” Trosclair said.
Church Point led 14-13 at intermission, but the Bobcat defense did anot allow any second-half points.
“It was the battle we thought it would be,” the coach said.
If Church Point can beat Northwest and the Bobcats win at Port Barre, then it forces a three-way tie for the district title heading into the regular season finale.
“There are some big games this week in the district,” Trosclair said. “But we need to do what we can do and see what happens.”