Panthers head to WCA to meet bitter Crusders

By: LANCE REED
Sports Editor

The Pine Prairie Panthers are looking at crunch time. It’s week six and they are sitting at 1-4 on the year and 0-2 in district. The Panthers did accomplish what they set out to do with their first victory over North Central. Now, if the Panthers can come up with three or four victories, the Panthers could make a run at the Class 2A playoffs. This week, the Crusaders of Westminster are extending a welcome for the Panthers. The Crusaders are 3-2 on the year and 1-1 in league play.

The Crusaders threw the ball a lot more than they wanted to last week against Port Barre. In most cases, it was because the Red Devils had bottled up the running game of WCA. Westminster quarterback James Fontenot was 4 of 10 in the air for 82 yards and a touchdown. He hit Seth Launey all four times in the contest. Fontenot doubled as a wide receiver. He caught two passes from Hunter Cobb.

The rushing game was by committee last week. The majority of the carries went to Tyler Graham. The young tailback ran for 82 yards on 16 carries. Cobb also carried the ball six times and Fontenot moved it himself eight times. Overall, WCA Head Coach Tommy Badon does not like to throw the ball. Look for the Crusaders to run the ball right at the PPHS defense.

Pine Prairie gave up 29 points last week. All of the Opelousas Catholic Vikings’ success came on the ground. A total of 361 yards were surrendered to the OCHS running game. Sean Sebastian hit the Panthers for 202 yards himself. Pine Prairie’s defense will have to stop the run first, if they are going to have any success tonight. Westminster does not throw the ball with a whole lot of proficiency. They scored just six points against Port Barre with the air game.

The Crusaders do not have the traditional size they usually have. While their lines do have the usual 200-plus athletes, they are lacking the usual collegiate recruits. While the size may be lacking, the athleticism is not. The Crusaders, mostly because of their off-season workout program, are quite capable of going four straight quarters without major cramps or injuries.

Kickoff time is slated for 7 p.m.