Environmental expert named senior planner
January 16, 2012
Richard N. Bollinger
January 19, 2012Tipoff is nearing and both teams are warming up for the start of the game.
On one end are the home-standing South Lafourche Tarpons, doing their layup drill with ease n without so much as a thought.
On the other are the visiting New Iberia Yellow Jackets.
Their warm-ups aren’t going quite as smoothly.
That’s because they were greeted under the basket by about a dozen rogue Tarpon students, who mocked and heckled the visiting players’ every move, setting the tone for what’s just an ordinary night at the office for this group, who give South Lafourche arguably the best home court advantage in the entire Tri-parish area.
“Before the game even starts, they’re rattling them and looking at them and everything,” South Lafourche coach Brian Callais said. “It takes the other team’s mind off the game a little bit and that helps us. … It’s a tough place to play. I’m glad I’m coaching here, because we’ve got a good crowd and I’m glad they are supporting our young men.”
To say this group is just “supporting” the Tarpons is probably a bit of an understatement.
They are actually crazy about the South Lafourche basketball team.
No, really n this group’s name is the “Cajun Crazies,” a title that started in the mid 2000s when members of the Tarpons student body begun turning out in droves to support the team.
Sometimes, they wear costumes, turning a section of the team’s gym into a scene reminiscent of the classic movie “Animal House.”
Other times, like Friday night’s win against New Iberia, they just wear throwback South Lafourche jerseys (provided by Callais and the team’s coaching staff).
But whatever the theme, one constant remains the same n chaos in the bleachers and bad things happening for the Tarpons rattled opponents.
“Our crowd frustrates the other team,” senior Micah Blanchard said. “They definitely affect the other team in a negative way, which allows us to get ahead in the game.
Seniors Matthew Thibodaux and Aaron Guidry agreed, saying the constant heckling takes a toll on opponents.
“They are getting into the other team’s head, there’s no question about it,” Thibodaux said. “And at the same time, it’s getting you pumped up, knowing all of your classmates and student body are behind you giving you energy.”
“It’s like we have a sixth man or maybe even a seventh man out there,” Guidry added. “They give us all kinds of support, scream all kinds of chants and heckle the other team. That helps out a lot. They definitely make our opponents get out of their game and get into their heads. It makes us a better team.”
The results speak for themselves.
So far this season, South Lafourche is unbeaten at home, having a squeaky clean 4-0 record, which includes victories against New Iberia and Ellender.
South Lafourche averages 64 points per game in home games this year, up from the 60 points per game the team averages this season.
The team also usually combines that efficient offense with dominant, stifling defense. The Tarpons average winning home games by 22 points per game.
South Lafourche’s most recent home game was their toughest challenge, a hard-fought, nine-point win against New Iberia.
The Yellow Jackets were a tough matchup for the Tarpons, but the home team combined solid effort with support from the “Cajun Crazies” to push to the win.
“Our student body did a tremendous job [against New Iberia] and they really do every night,” Callais said. “I told the guys in the locker room just now, ‘Y’all need to go out and thank each and every one of them when you see them, because they rode their players the entire game and made a big difference.’”
Guidry agreed with the coach and said the team’s crowd needs a pat on the back. He added the team’s solid play comes from a long-standing tradition in South Lafourche n protect your home floor.
“Defend our house n that’s what we’re doing. We’re just defending our house,” Guidry said. “We just play better. We play with intensity, but controlled intensity. We know if we go overboard, we’ll do things out of our character, so we avoid that, play within ourselves and ride the crowd.”
The next big-time home game the Tarpons will have circled on their calendars is Jan. 27.
That’s when South Lafourche gets an opportunity to host current district favorites Westgate, who boast a lofty 17-1 record, which includes two, 20-point wins against the Tarpons.
But one of those games was on a neutral floor, the other was in New Iberia.
The next time around, South Lafourche gets its chance to host the state powers.
They believe they will be ready.
Rest assured, the “Crazies” will be ready, as well.
With a win, South Lafourche, who was 3-1 in district play at press time, would control its own fate the remainder of the schedule.
“That’s definitely the big one,” Thibodaux said. “We’re definitely game planning to try and beat them. Having them in this gym is a big help. Having them play in front of those people in there, that definitely helps.”
“That home court advantage will definitely give us a little bit of an edge,” Guidry agreed. “Hopefully we can keep playing well and then grab that one, which would allow us to get a better seed in the playoffs.”
Tri-parish prep basketball news and notes
The South Lafourche boys’ basketball team better keep winning if they hope to keep up with the competition in the always challenging Bayou District.
Both Westgate and H.L. Bourgeois have rolled to undefeated starts to the year, each having posted undefeated records to start the year.
The Braves and Tigers haven’t played this season, but that will change Friday night when the two teams collide in Gray.
But H.L. Bourgeois surely had its hands full before Friday’s meeting when they took on the Tarpons Tuesday in Gray.
Those teams, annual basketball rivals, squared off Tuesday night with a score unavailable at press time.
