Cecila And St. Martinville Face Off For District 5-4A

With District 5-4A on the line, Cecilia and St. Martinville will settle some bragging rights in St. Martin Parish on a Thursday night.

Due to some inclement weather, the Bulldogs and Tigers moved their rivalry up a day. The inevitably packed stands of fans thank them in advance for keeping them dry. When it comes to the game, this one is better than advertised.

Both teams are enjoying renaissance years. Cecilia is one point away from entering the competition undefeated, but let's start with the opposition.

Is there any question that Vincent Derouen was the right choice as new Head Coach for St. Martinville High School? There's an obvious answer here.

In his first year leading "The Ville," the Tigers are undefeated in District 5-4A and beat Breaux Bridge for the first time in over a decade. With all the talent in St. Martin Parish, Derouen had to simply get the motivation and plan in place. He achieved both in surprisingly rapid fashion, but a win over a loaded Cecilia squad would send a letter of notice to the rest of the area.

St. Martinville is ecstatic with their year, but the folks in Cecilia might be disappointed if they don't make a deep playoff run. The Dogs are that good.

Most people around the state know about Raymond Calais Jr.'s skill with the ball in his hands, but Cecilia is a multifaceted mauler now. Landon Roberts commands a dominant passing game, and Kenya Dartez, his primary target, will be playing ball on Saturdays. There's beef in the trenches on both sides of the ball for Cecilia, so St. Martinville better not come in timid.

Comeaux was the only team to hold Cecilia under 30 points, and the Bulldogs topped 40 on the scoreboard five times this season. Conversely, "The Ville" only has three games in the books over 30 points.

If St. Martinville wants to win, they'll enforce their pace for the game and bring the offensive productivity for Cecilia to a frustrating crawl. The Tigers are monotonous, simple, but effective. The Bulldogs are a box of fireworks soaked in gasoline next to a pile of lit tiki torches. One wrong move can get you lit up. Who's game style will win out?

This game goes beyond District 5-4A. One of these teams will emerge with sole bragging rights in St. Martin Parish. It's been years since St. Martinville's name was in the ring for the boxing match, and they'd love to throw a haymaker or two.

Clearly, Cecilia is favored heading into this Thursday duel. Think twice before laying down your chips though...did anybody expect Vincent Derouen to be here in the first place with "The Ville?"