Patriots and Eagles square off

Now that the holiday season is in the rearview mirror, high school basketball teams can get down to business.

With all of the tournaments behind them, teams can now look forward to district play.

Even though North Vermilion started the season off on a five game winning streak, it has only gone 3-3 in its last six games, but for the Patriots it’s a new year they are looking to build off of the momentum they gained at the
very end of 2013.

“Our entire team played well in the E.D. White Tournament,” North Vermilion Head Coach Jack LeBlanc said. “I’m just hoping that we can build off of that momentum and carry it over into the rest of the season.”

The Patriots will look to use the momentum gained as they will travel to Vermilion Catholic to take on the Eagles tonight.

“They are a different basketball team, now that they have all of their pieces back,” LeBlanc said. “They have some really good shooters and as a team shoot the ball really well. We are going to have to be on top of our game
defensively if we want to win the game.”

North Vermilion enters the game against VC on a two game winning streak, after winning its last two game against South Lafourche and Lutcher in the E.D. White Tournament.

For the Patriots to carry the momentum forward, they are going to have to rely on the strong play they have been getting from their two big men, Mike Bessard and Nick Cooper.

The only concern coach LeBlanc has about his team heading into the game tonight is the time off for the holidays.

“Any time you get off your routine it is hard to come back,” LeBlanc said. “The boys handled it well coming off of the Christmas holiday, so I have faith they will be able to do it again. They had less time off for New Years so I
think we should be alright.”

The game at Vermilion Catholic starts at 6:30 p.m. tonight at the Kim “Gidge” Guidry Gymnasium at VC.

Andy Bullard
Sports Editor