No. 5 Bobcats visit Panthers

PINE PRAIRIE – With a least a share of the District 5-3A title already in their pocket, the fifth-ranked Bobcats can win the championship outright with a win over Pine Prairie.
Eunice (8-1, 4-0) faces a struggling Panther (3-6, 0-4) team who hasn’t won a district game since 2009.
“Winning the district title outright would be an honor and a goal we have,” Eunice head coach Paul Trosclair said. “With a win, we will finish in the top two in the power points and that is quite an achievement.”
Even with the top-seed in the Class 3-A power rankings, Trosclair knows his team can’t over look the Panthers if they want momentum heading into the playoffs.
“One of the hardest things about coaching is to get guys to focus on the moment at hand,” Trosclair said. “This game is just as important as any other one.
“We don’t want to go there and not look like the team we really are,” the coach said. “We want to be a team ready for the playoffs.
“We really need to take care of business on Friday.”
Last week, the Panthers fell 18-12 to Ville Platte and are presently No. 36 in the power rankings.
Pine Prairie gained 170 yards of total offense against the Bulldogs, including 140 yards on the ground.
“Our run defense has been good,” Trosclair said. “They run the ball pretty good but we really want to make them throw the ball.
“Our goal every week is to make a team do something they are not confortable with.”
The Panthers allowed 268 yards of total offense as Ville Platte gained 233 yards on the ground.
Last week, Eunice earned a 34-0 win over Port Barre as the Bobcats gained 365 yards of total offense and limited the Red Devils to 131 total yards.
Eunice finished with 250 yards rushing and 115 more yards through the air.
“We are very multiple and balanced,” Trosclair said. “We can attack in a lot of different ways.
“It is good if your offense can do more than one thing obviously as it limits with the other defenses can do because they have to cover everything.”
Through the first nine games, Bobcat running back Nick Powell has gained 851 yards on 137 carries with 16 touchdowns.
Alex Richard has completed 80-of-135 passes for 1,208 yards with three intercpetions and 10 touchdowns.
Travis Godfrey has 23 catches for 427 yards and six touchdowns.
Godfrey has also thrown three touchdowns this season.
Last season, the Bobcats finished 4-6 overall and missed the playoffs, a factor that has helped motivate his team, according to Trosclair.
“It is good knowing you have a home game in the first round instead of wondering if you are even going to make the playoffs.”
With a win over Pine Prairie, the Bobcats would earn their 12th district title in Trosclair’s 20 seasons at EHS.