Face off

One of the best part about all sports is rivalries.
The thing that makes rivalries so good, is that it doesn’t matter the records.
If one team is having a horrible season, and another is having the best season ever, that game is still an awesome game to watch because of the rivalry.
So whenever you get to see a rivalry game in the playoffs, it is a game that should not be missed.
Fortunate for all of us, the rivalry between the Kaplan Lady Pirates and the North Vermilion Lady Patriots will renew their bitter district rival in the quarterfinals of the Fastpitch 56 playoff tournament.
They will play at 2 p.m. tomorrow in Sulphur.
“We are very excited about making the trip to Sulphur,” North Vermilion junior pitcher Hannah Vidallier said. “This time around we get to play Kaplan, and because we are so familiar with them, it kind of makes our job a little easier.
“We can just go back and look at the past games, and go with what has worked and see what didn’t work. Plus, it just means we can get back to the basics. We don’t have to stress out about playing a team we have never seen, and that makes it a little easier.”
Vidallier will be on the mound for the Lady Patriots just like she has been for most of the season.
On the mound for the Lady Pirates will be Abby Trahan. She to is excited about the game, but knows how important this game is, regardless of who they are playing.
“I’m pretty pumped, and we are very excited to be making the trip to Sulphur,” Trahan said. “It makes this game even more exciting that we are playing North Vermilion. This was already a big game, and now it is just that much bigger because we are playing one of our biggest rivals.”
Now both Shay Herpin, head coach of Kaplan and Richard Prejean, head coach of North Vermilion, will tell you that is a total team effort as to why these two teams have made it as far as they have.
While it is a team game, and both of these teams play good selfless softball, these two players standout for one main reason.
For most of the season they have stood in the middle of the circle and faced down almost every batter, in almost every game of the season.
Trahan and Vidallier are what you would call the aces of the Kaplan and North Vermilion softball teams, and they will be squaring off for the third time this season on Friday.
“I put a lot of extra pressure on myself,” Vidallier said. “Now that we have made it to Sulphur, each game is that much more important, and on top of that, we have to start with Kaplan.”
Trahan is just approaching this game like she would any other game.
“I am just trying to go about this game like any other,” Trahan said. “We have seen them play before, and we know what works and what didn’t work. So this week we have just been trying to make ourselves the best team we can possibly be.”
This game is going to be the rubber match, so to speak.
The first time these two teams faced off, the Lady Patriots got the best of Kaplan and won 4-1 at North Vermilion.
The second time they squared off, it was a completely different story.
The Lady Pirates defended their home field, with a 5-0 victory over North Vermilion.
Now, that was during the regular season, but on Friday, it is a win or go home game, and both players know just how important this game is going to be.
“This game was going to be important regardless of who we played,” Vidallier said. “It just is even more important now that we are playing our biggest rival.”
“This game is important because of what we are playing for and not who we are playing,” Trahan said. “If we were playing anyone else this game would still be just as important.”
Both of the girls are excited to have the opportunity to be playing in Sulphur and both agree that it is also good to be playing against their rival team.
“I wouldn’t have rather played anyone else,” Vidallier said. “We love playing Kaplan, and whether it is at home or on the road or in Sulphur, you are going to get the same kind of game. Which means that it should be a good one.”
Trahan sees this game as more of an inevitability.
“We knew we were going to have to face them at some point in time,” Trahan said. “They are a good team, and to be honest we would rather get this game against them out of the way now.”
Both pitchers and both teams are excited to be playing each other this far into the playoffs, but make no mistake that both teams have goals that are loftier that making the quarterfinals.
Both teams are going to be playing for a championship hopes in tact.
To them, the opponent doesn’t matter. They just see it as another hurdle to jump over on their way to their goals.
The game is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. on field number 15 in Sulphur’s Frasch Park tomorrow afternoon.

Andy Bullard
Sports Editor