Breaux Bridge – The St. Martin Parish School Board, after some vigorous debate, voted 7-2 at its Nov. 5 meeting to name the St. Martinville Senior High football stadium after legendary longtime SMSH coach Carroll Delahoussaye.
The request had been made the prior month by St. Martinville City Councilman Jonas Fontenette and former SMSH and LSU running back Garland Jean-Batiste, along with St. Martinville Mayor Jason Willis. Fontenette and Jean-Batiste played football at the school for Delahoussaye.
School Superintendent Frederick Wiltz said at this past week’s meeting that the central office staff had researched the issue, including consulting with neighboring parishes who have named stadiums in honor of people. Acadiana High School plays football at Ted Davidson Field at Bill Dotson Stadium, named for two former coaches at the school.
Wiltz proposed instead of naming stadiums, baseball fields or gymnasiums for coaches or other prominent people that each high school in the parish establish its own Ring of Honor through which it can honor former coaches, players, teams and others, as selected by the school.
“That way they could set up or design or draft a monument not only for the coaches but the players and people who have had a significant impact on the athletic programs in the parish as well,” Wiltz said.
School Board member Wanda Vital proposed a substitute motion to name the field after Delahoussaye, who coached the football team for 31 years and finished with a 24692-1 record and won state championships in 1981 and 1984. Delahoussaye is in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame.
“Well if you decide to name the field after him, then I want to name Breaux Bridge High gym after coach Rodney Ledoux,” board member Mark Hebert said.
“That’s fine,” Vital said. Hebert had opposed the idea at the previous meeting, saying that naming St. Martinville’s stadium after Delahoussaye would open the floodgates to requests to name every field, stadium and gymnasium in the parish after a former coach or player.
“I’m just saying, this is what’s going to happen,” Hebert said. “It’s going to be a domino effect.”
Jean-Batiste disagreed. “It would not be a domino effect because you have to set, as a board, a basic criteria, a guideline, whether a stadium, a field, or a gymnasium is named after someone,” Jean-Batiste said.
“If you have a Ring of Honor, not only can you honor Coach Delahoussaye, he can be your point, but then you also have others, yourself included, who have done great things,” Hebert said. “And you’re not targeting just one person. This way you can acknowledge people. And trust me, he’ll be honored by that.”
“Well it’s OK to target one person when that person had such an impact not only on his players but on his community,” Jean-Batiste said. “If you ever have the opportunity to attend a St. Martinville football game, the impact that Carroll Delahoussaye made upon his players, he left an impact in their hearts, in their minds, in their souls.”
“Coach (Mike) Mowad, Coach (Johnny) Devillier), Coach Wag (James Waguespack),” Hebert interrupted, naming other successful coaches at Breaux Bridge and Cecilia high schools.
“I take nothing away from Coach Waguespack or any other coach, Coach Mowad, those were great coaches,” Jean-Batiste said.
Board member Jimmy “Coach” Durio then proposed a substitute motion to name the stadium after Delahoussaye and to go forward with the Ring of Honor proposal for all three high schools at the same time.
“I think (the ring of honor) is a good thing,” Durio said.
Jean-Batiste also said that the board members should take into consideration that if the stadium is renamed after Delahoussaye, the plaque that is placed on the stadium would list the names of all of the school board members as well.
“Take mine off,” Hebert said.
“Every stadium has a placard, and your name would appear on that placard,” Jean-Batiste said. “How great would that be for your family, your siblings, your friends right now.”
Hebert again interrupted to make a point, to which Jean-Batiste responded, “Hold on, sir, I’m talking right now. I have the floor.”
“If you want to talk about who has the floor, I can raise a voice,” Hebert said, pointing at Jean-Batiste.
“Well, I can too,” Jean- Batiste said.
“You have the right one,” Hebert continued as board President Russell Foti banged his gavel to try to bring order.
Jean-Batiste and Hebert continued talking over each other for a few moments until Foti said that there were three motions on the floor.
The substitute motion to name the stadium after Delahoussaye, and to establish criteria for naming facilities after people, and to go forward with the Ring of Honor for each school, was voted on first as the last of the substitute motions, and passed with seven members voting yes and two voting no.
“Good luck, then, y’all are going to have the headaches,” Hebert said, then turned to Jean-Batiste, adding, “We can finish that discussion after while.”
“I’m going outside, come on,” Jean-Batiste said.
“There’s no need for that,” Foti said, after which the meeting adjourned.
Hebert and Jean-Batiste spoke briefly and more cordially after the meeting, St. Martinville’s mayor arrived after the short meeting, which lasted less than 20 minutes total for both the Finance Committee meeting and the regular board meeting. He brought a copy of a letter from Gov. Jeff Landry supporting the naming of the stadium in Delahoussaye’s honor.
“For 31 years as Head Football Coach and 46 years as Head Football Coach and Athletic Director, Coach Delahoussaye built not only a program, but a culture of excellence at St. Martinville Sr. High School,” the letter reads in part. “His 72% career winning percentage, two state championships and 17 district titles are testaments to his incredible leadership and coaching skills.”
The letter concluded, “Coach has given his life to our community. Today it is only fitting that we give something back by placing his name on the stadium he taught from. This would be not only a gift to him, but to future generations of student athletes who will recognize the prize of excellence.”
