Bulldogs seeded No. 13 in Non-Select Division II
Cecilia – The early season challenges paid off for the Cecilia High School football team with a No. 13 seeding and a home game to open the Division II Non-Select playoffs on Friday.
The Bulldogs opened the season against five straight teams that ended up earning playoff bids — St. Martinville (3-7 and No. 24 in Non-Select Division II), St. Amant (7-3, No. 19 Division I Non-Select), Northside (5-5, No. 17 in Select Division II), Central-Baton Rouge (8-2, No. 5 Division I Non-Select) and Notre Dame (8-2, No. 2 Select Division III). District rivals Opelousas (3-6, N. 19 Division II Non-Select) and Livonia ((4-6, No. 28 Division II Non-Select) also earned playoff bids, giving the Dawgs seven playoff opponents in nine games.
Those early challenges led to a 1-4 start, but also prepared the team for the second half of the season, when Cecilia went on a four-game win streak to claim the District 5-4A championship and earn a home game.
“The big thing is, this team needed the schedule, especially early on, that we had,” Cecilia head coach Cody Champagne said. “No. 1, we’ve pretty much gotten everybody’s best when we’ve played.
“And I think that’s something you earned. You were the state champs the year before, so everybody wants to go against you. This team had to go through that. And you had a bunch of guys who left who were seniors last year that played a lot of football and were on the football field all the time, so this group of kids had to fill those voids not just on the football field but in leadership roles.”
Last year’s championship run saw Cecilia on the road the entire postseason, the first team in LHSAA history to play five playoff games away from home and win a state title.
“I think this team, most of them who played have been in this situation before,” Champagne said. “The only difference is right now we have a first-round home game. Last year we didn’t have that.”
The Bulldogs had a bye in the final week of the regular season and were right about where they expected to be in the power ratings from the Louisiana High School Athletic Association.
“Yeah, with the schedule we played and the wins and losses, for sure,” Champagne said.
Carroll High, also the Bulldogs, finished the season with a 4-5 record in District 1-4A to earn the No. 20 seed.
“On film they look pretty big up front on both sides of the ball,” Champagne said. “They have a tall receiver, they have a pretty good running back and they have some speed. They’re a pretty good team to play in the first round.
“We’re going to have to play well to beat them.”
The coach said he liked what he saw from his team during the off week’s practices.
“Even though we didn’t have an opponent last week, we had a great week of practice,” he said. “Those kids really practiced hard last week. I think they understand what’s at stake, and we’re going to get everybody’s best (as the defending state champions), so we have to give everybody our best too.”
Champagne said the Bulldogs know that to make another run in the playoffs like they have the past two years, Cecilia has had to grow each week, as it did last season.
“Now it’s just trying to get to the ultimate goal,” Champagne said. “It starts in practice. We’ve got to practice at a high level. Monday we’re going to make some mistakes but everything has to be at a high level because that’s how the game has to be played from now on. Each play has to be played to the standard or we could lose. Now, there is no tomorrow. You’re going to play your best or you’re going to get beaten.”
The players know that too, with a lot of seniors and juniors who have experience in the playoffs.
“The juniors, this is all they’ve known,” Champagne said. “They’ve known to play five more weeks, in their career. Braylon (Champagne, a junior running back/receiver/ quarterback/defensive back) mentioned something about that. In two years he’s played every football game. They know what it takes. They’ve got to be willing to do it and we’ve got to push them to that point.”
