’Dogs must beat SM to claim 5-AAAA title Playoff berths on line this Friday

St. Martinville is the only team standing between Cecilia and a second consecutive District 5-4A championship.
The two parish rivals meet this Friday in Cecilia for the final regular game of the season and coach Dennis Skains’ Bulldogs can clinch the league title with a victory over the Tigers.
And while a district championship doesn’t carry the playoff implications it once did, it comes with a good amount of bragging rights.
Under the current LHSAA playoff guidelines, a district championship team is guaranteed a spot in the playoffs but seeding is determined almost entirely by the strength of a team’s overall schedule, not just its district record.
The Bulldogs (6-3, 3-0) boosted themselves to the top of the 5-4A pile by rolling to a stunning 31-7 victory over Breaux Bridge (4-5, 3-1) last Friday. The Cecilia defense, which seems to improve with every game, limited the Tigers to just over 200 yards total offense and broke the game open in the third quarter with a punt return touchdown followed by a pick-six interception.
“Out defensive unit has really been playing well and I have to credit the kids’ hard work and the guidance of our coaches,” Skains said Monday. “Actually, Breaux Bridge’s only touchdown was mostly my fault for sending in the wrong call.”
BB coach Terry Martin acknowledged Cecilia’s defensive skills after the game.
“They just had better athletes on their defensive unit than we had on our offensive unit,” he said.
Commenting on the 52-yard punt return TD by Kaleb Carter, Martin said “We had five guys in the right position to shut it down, but they relaxed just a bit and Carter made a great move.”
Martin also pointed out that BB quarterback Julian Leon was pressured on every play. He gave up two interceptions, including the pick six. “There’s no question they’ve got a pair of exceptional defensive ends,” says Martin.
“We took a shot on the chin,” he admits. “But we have this week to recover and look forward to the playoffs.”
One unofficial site had Breaux Bridge with a No. 21 power rating after Friday’s game so Martin felt confident his Tigers would be in the playoffs.
You can bet Skains and his staff will not let their Bulldogs take the struggling St. Martinville Tigers lightly.
“I expect them to be playing hard for a spot in the playoffs,” Skains says. “The district title would be nice, but it’s lost some of its status. Power points are more important and we’ve got to be ready to take care of business on Friday.”

St. Martinville
Coach Vincent Derouen’s Tigers certainly have their work cut out for them when they travel to Cecilia.
The Tigers (5-4, 2-1) have struggled with internal dissension and a series of injuries since mid-season and have been giving up big yardage over the past several games.
“I think that turmoil is behind us now,” Derouen said Monday. “But we’ve been hurting on defense. We had some kids on the field Friday (against Westgate) who had never played before.”
Sophomore free safety Javone Wiltz has been sidelined with a sore ankle but may be ready to play Friday. Senior safety Devonte Kately, who had to leave the game in the third period, should be back in the lineup against Cecilia.
The Tigers put the ball up only five times against Westgate in a heart-stoppoing 14-13 win. Ahead 14-7 at the half, Derouen said he opted to stay on the ground and protect the lead.
“We missed some of our early passes, so we felt it was better to run it,” he says.
Derouen knows that Cecilia has the offensive talent and a very good defense. “They’re doing a good job over there, but I feel more excitement now in our practices,” he added. “We’ve got the playoffs in our reach and I’m hoping our players will be ready.”