1 win away: Lady Trojans among several locals 1 step from State Title

Locals push one another through inspiration – one race at a time

February 21, 2018

Colonels maintain their 1st place pace

February 21, 2018

The Cinderella ride just keeps on going for the Central Lafourche girls’ soccer team.

The Lady Trojans continued their historic season last week, beating No. 3 Caddo Magnet 1-0 on Friday night to advance to the Division II State Championship Match.

This is the first time in school history the Lady Trojans make it to the State Finals.

They will try and complete their march toward history on Thursday night against No. 1 St. Thomas More at the ULL Ragin’ Cajun Soccer Field in Lafayette.

Coach Jude Blanchard said the entire experience has been unbelievable, adding that the entire community is filled with pride and support for a team that continuously overcomes the odds and keeps on fighting.

“As a coach, you work your whole career for this moment,” Blanchard said. “So it feels surreal that it has happened in our second year with the program. Most of all, I’m so excited and proud of these young ladies for what they have accomplished this season.”

The past week has been nothing short of incredible.

Last Monday, the Trojans traveled across the state to face No. 2 West Ouachita – dominating that game from start-to-finish in a 3-0 win.

After getting back to Mathews in the early morning hours on Tuesday, the Lady Trojans had to load up the caravan again early Friday for another long trip to Caddo Magnet.

That game was a grind – a low-scoring slugfest between two top-notch programs.

The first half was scoreless with both teams exchanging unsuccessful offensive attacks at one another. In the second half, scoring opportunities started to open up for the Lady Trojans and with about 20 minutes to go, they took advantage of one and secured their place in school history.

Sarah Hodson broke free from the defense and fired a shot at the goal that was blocked by Caddo Magnet’s goalie. On the deflection, McKenzie Champagne booted the ball into the net to give Central Lafourche a 1-0 lead.

With control of the match, the Lady Trojans’ ferocious defense never relented, thwarting all of Caddo Magnet’s last-ditches efforts to score an equalizer.

When the final seconds ticked off the clock and the last whistle blew, Blanchard said he let out a collective exhale – knowing that he and the team had successfully conquered one of the longest, most strenuous weeks of anyone in the state, winning two huge against quality cross-state opposition.

“It was an exhausting week for the coaches, players and parents,” Blanchard said. “But the time together on the road has continued to bring us closer together as a team and we made great memories along the way. It was totally worth it.”

Now, the goal is to finish the deal.

The Lady Trojans have their biggest challenge to date against St. Thomas More – a wrecking ball that’s crushed opposition all season.

In the Semifinals, they beat Destrehan 5-0, using swarming offense to overwhelm the Lady Wildcats.

Blanchard said St. Thomas More will be a tough game for his team, but he added that he knows his team will be ready to compete.

That willingness to always fight and push forward is a testament to the senior leadership of Gabrielle Hodson and Lauren Foret, who the coach said power the team. He also credited Addie Chauvin for her ability to keep the locker room intact.

“We must continue to play as a team and we have to play the game in the manner that has gotten us to this point,” Blanchard said. “If we do that, I think we will be OK.”

ELSEWHERE IN LOUISIANA

The Bayou Area will be invading Lafayette.

The Lady Trojans are playing for the Division II Girls’ State Championship, but they’re just one of four local teams who will be competing for titles.

In Division III Girls’, Vandebilt Catholic is in the State Finals after crushing E.D. White 7-0 in the semifinals.

The Lady Terriers have won two-straight state championships and their quest for a third-straight will take place this week against No. 3 University Lab, who beat St. Louis 3-1 in the semifinals.

Lab is a tough out. They will provide a stiff challenge for the Lady Terriers. For comparison, Vandebilt also played St. Louis this season. The final score was also 3-1, which may show how evenly matched the teams are.

On the boys’ side, state rivals will battle for the state title – a guarantee that we will have at least one local champion.

No. 1 E.D. White will take on No. 6 Vandebilt Catholic in the State Championship match after both teams scored thrilling victories in the semifinals.

The Terriers beat University Lab 2-1 on the road – a thrilling match which kept fans on the edges of their seats from start-to-finish.

On the other end of the bracket, E.D. White beat St. Louis 4-3 in penalty kicks, setting the stage for the cross-town rivalry match. E.D. White trailed 2-0 in the match, but battled back to force overtime and then penalty kicks, outlasting a longtime rival.