James Joseph Whitney Sr.
September 15, 2009
Genevieve D. Carlos
September 17, 2009
The troops lined up and, one by one, took a knee to listen to their commander while two of their own held the uniform of their fallen comrade.
After the speech, they took to the battlefield to meet the enemy in their quest to win for their lost friend.
Friday night, the troops were the Berwick Panthers. The commander, head coach Mike Thomas. The battlefield, the gridiron. And their enemy, the Morgan City Tigers.
The occasion: to honor Theron Madise Jr., a former Panther who was expected to start at fullback this season before his untimely drowning death on May 9.
The would-be junior had established himself on the football field and track team last season, and had earned his way into the hearts of everyone in the Berwick community.
Madise was swimming with friends in Bayou Teche at the time of his death.
During a brief break in the rain, the team presented two of Madise’s framed jersies to his father, Theron Sr., and relatives in attendance in an emotional pregame ceremony. The ceremony marked the retirement of the number 26 within the Berwick locker room and ensured that no one will ever forget the young teen’s legacy.
“It’s an honor to be a part of this,” an emotional Theron Sr. said. “To know my son left this much of a positive impact on everyone is unbelievable. We couldn’t be any prouder and we know he is up there looking down on us.”
All week, coach Thomas said he stressed the importance of winning this game, but never told the team exactly why the game was more than just any regular season game.
“Nobody knew why I was telling them, but I told them all week, ‘It’s not good enough just to play well, you have to win’ and I didn’t tell them why,” he admitted. “I knew they were dedicating the jersey and I knew it was going to be a special moment for these guys.”
The extra motivation propelled Zack Johnson 90 yards for a touchdown on the opening kickoff, and helped the Panthers’ Jarad Loston and Jimmy Fry find the end zone. Johnson provided a second score to seal the 27-8 win against Berwick’s longtime Atchafalaya rivals.
That same dedication led to a shutout performance by the defense. The lone Tigers score came on an interception return for a touchdown early in the first quarter.
“I believe as far as the motivation behind it, it did help us tonight,” Thomas said of the retiring of Madise’s number. “Those guys won it for (Theron).”
For the coach, fellow teammates and the Madise family, the win was the perfect ending to what had been a dreary, rainy day.
Loston was one of the players to present a jersey to Madise’s family. The senior said it was an honor to play for his teammate who had meant so much to the Panthers.
“We felt that he was going to be with us from the first snap of the game, so it wouldn’t have felt right if we didn’t win for him,” the senior said. “We had to show everyone that he is still with us.”
With the extra momentum from Friday night, the Panthers are looking to use it to make a playoff run and continue the memory of Madise.
The Panthers make the short trek to Morgan City to play Central Catholic tomorrow.
“We’re going to go out and continue to practice and work hard,” Loston said. “There is no other way to do it. He’s with us, and we’ll continue to play for him.”
Theron Madise Sr. (background) accepts his son’s framed jersey during a ceremony before the Berwick-Morgan City game Friday night. Theron Madise Jr.’s life ended tragically in a drowning incident in Bayou Teche. * Photo by KYLE CARRIER
