The Bulldogs of Ville Platte High made the trip east to Baton Rouge to meet the Lions of Capitol. The Lions were the 15th seed of the Class 2A playoff bracket, while Ville Platte High School had earned the 18th seed. The two teams squared off and collided at Memorial Stadium located right near the state capital. The Bulldogs made the long trip hoping to pull off the upset, but the Lions had other ideas.

The Lions got the ball first and surprised everyone by coming out throwing the ball. Capitol quarterback Trevan Jones dropped back and hit one receiver on his first possession. The shock wore off quickly. The Bulldogs’ secondary quickly made an adjustment. On the third snap of the game, Darius Poullard picked off a Jones pass and hauled it back to the Capitol 40-yard line.

The Bulldogs were not able to do much with the football because of the heavy defensive line of the Lions. The Capitol defensive unit forced Ville Platte to punt and the Lions had the ball for the second time in the game. This time, the Lions went back to what they do best. They began running the ball and this worked well for them. Within minutes, the Lions were across the goal line and held a 6-0 lead. A two-point conversion later and it was an 8-0 contest.

The Bulldogs got the ball back and they began to make a march forward. Cody Jones dropped back and looked for a receiver down field. His pass was tipped in and out of the hands of the Ville Platte receiver and it landed right in the hands of a Capitol defensive back. The defender hauled the football all the way back to the end zone. The second touchdown of the game made it a 14-0 contest. They went for the two-point conversion, but the Bulldogs’ defense made the stop.

The Bulldogs were not able to get anything done on offense on their third possession of the game and they quickly had to punt. The Lions took the ball and went back to running. This time, the home team ran right behind the LSU signee Corey White. This tactic allowed the Lions to move quickly. Within minutes, the Lions were right back in the end zone. After another two-point conversion was successful, the Lions went up 22-0 with less than four minutes left to go in the first quarter.

The Bulldogs’ fourth possession of the contest turned out much like the third, the Bulldogs were forced to punt because of the overwhelming pressure of the Capitol defense. The attempt to punt was blocked. The deflected ball was picked up and carried to the VPHS 16-yard line by a Capitol defender. Four plays later, the Lions were back in the end zone. Again they went for the two-point conversion and it was successful. This made the score 30-0 with less than a minute left in the first quarter.

The Bulldogs got the ball back and quickly went to the air in order to try and get back in the game. With lots of time to play, the idea was still a possibility. Unfortunately, the Lions were also thinking of their own agenda. They were hoping to put the game even further out of reach. A Cody Jones pass was intercepted around the 22-yard line and hauled back into the VPHS end zone. The Lions went for the two-point conversion again, but this time they came up empty. Things would finally settle down for the Bulldogs as the first quarter came to an end with the score Capitol 36 and VPHS 0.

In the second quarter, things did not get any better for the local boys. The Lions took their first possession of the period and made the most of it. They drove the ball down the field and punched the football into the end zone with a five-yard run. Instead of attempting the two-point conversion, the Lions kicked the extra point through the uprights, making it a 43-0 contest.

After another three plays and out situation for the Bulldogs, the Lions got the ball back. In a combination of throwing and running the football, the CHA offense quickly moved down the field. A six-yard touchdown run turned out another Capitol touchdown. The extra point kick was good, making it a 50-0 contest.

With their backs against the wall and all hope seeming to be lost, the Bulldogs continued to fight. Cody Jones hit Regis Tezeno for a first down and Chad Jones ran for another one. The Bulldogs crossed over into Capitol territory by driving the ball for the first time in the game. Unfortunately, it would be short lived. The Lions forced VPHS to turn the ball over on downs.

The Lions drove the ball down field from deep in their own territory. The methodical drive sapped the life out of the Bulldogs, but not completely. As the Lions looked to add to their lead, the VPHS defensive unit battled back. A strip of the football stopped the Lions from scoring another touchdown. Halftime would come around with the Lions up 50-0.

In the second half, Chad Jones put up some very inspirational runs for Ville Platte. However, things would continue to go south. The Lions scored one time in the third quarter and another touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs saw their season end at the hands of the Lions with a score of 63-0.

The Bulldogs’ season ended with an 8-3 record and a lot of good reasons to keep their heads up. Coach Roy Serie and his staff have done such a good job with the players. The VPHS football group overcame so much adversity this season both on and off the field. The 2010 Bulldogs will forever be regarded as one of the best teams in VPHS history. Serie commended his players, his coaches and the fans for all their support during the season.

“I think this will be a season to reflect on and be proud of,” Serie said. “It was a pleasure to coach these kids. They never gave up.”

Congratulations on a great season.