Willie Francis
November 7, 2013
Gertrude Frances Norris
November 13, 2013
A bad week quickly got worse on Saturday morning for the Vandebilt Catholic football team.
Just days after firing head coach Brad Villavaso for his alleged role in a dispute with a football player, the Terriers seemingly rebounded and defeated Ellender soundly on Friday night at Buddy Marcello Stadium – a win that, at the time, sealed the outright district championship for the school.
But that glory was short-lived as the LHSAA ordered Vandebilt to forfeit the victory just 12 hours later for the school’s use of an ineligible player in the win.
According to a penalty ruling issued by the LHSAA on Saturday morning, the Terriers were reported by another school of the infraction, which violated Rule 5.11.7 of the governing body’s bylaws regarding the use of ineligible players.
A summary of the rules states that a player ejected from a game for fighting must be suspended for the remainder of the game that the infraction occurred and also the next game after the infraction.
But the Terriers didn’t follow that rule and played a player in Friday night’s win against Ellender that had been ejected from the team’s Nov. 1 win against Morgan City following a scuffle.
According to Ellender coach Terry Washington, the player deemed ineligible was Terriers’ split end Chase Hawthorne.
Washington said he and his staff were alerted of the LHSAA’s decision early on Saturday morning. The ruling had huge implications on the local playoff picture.
With the forfeit win, the Patriots were able to make the Class 4A State Playoffs. They will face Landry-Walker in the opening round of action. Before the forfeiture, Ellender was outside of the Top 32. The coach said he thought the Patriots’ season was over.
“Talk about a turnaround in emotions,” Washington said. “We go from thinking our season is over to getting one more chance. Landry-Walker is a great team, and we have a big-time challenge ahead of us. But we have a second chance. And we think we can put in a good game plan, motivate our kids and who knows what might happen?”
By forfeiting the game, Vandebilt also opened the door for South Terrebonne to get into the postseason field. The Gators lost 41-34 on Friday night to Cecilia – a defeat that dropped South Terrebonne to No. 33 in the power rankings. But because of Vandebilt’s loss, the Terriers and Gators shared the district championship. Per LHSAA rules, all district champions earn an automatic bid into postseason play.
The Gators are the No. 32 seed in the Class 4A playoffs and will take on No. 1 Neville.
Attempts to reach Vandebilt’s administration regarding the LHSAA’s ruling were unreturned at press-time. It is not known if the team’s coaching staff was aware of the rule regarding the one-game suspension. The Terriers’ assistant coaches all shared head coaching duties against Ellender in Villavaso’s absence.
Vandebilt Athletic Director James Reiss also is not overly experienced in the interworking of the LHSAA. Reiss just took over the school’s AD position a few months ago after former Terriers’ AD Laury Dupont resigned after being arrested on a DWI charge in Thibodaux.
As part of the ruling, Vandebilt’s must pay a $200 fine – $100 for the infraction and $100 for failing to file the required report within the 48-hour established deadline.
The school’s football program will now also be on administrative probation for one year – a penalty that began on Nov. 9.
The probationary period marks the second program within the school to be under such punishment. The Lady Terriers’ girls’ basketball team was also placed on administrative probation after the team was kicked out of the state playoffs this past spring – again for use of an ineligible player.
No other school in the Tri-parish area has more than one program within the school on probation.
Even with the forfeiture, Vandebilt reached the playoffs. The Terriers reached the field as the No. 10 seed. The forfeiture likely cost Vandebilt a chance at an opening-round home playoff game.
TEAM MOVES FORWARD WITHOUT VILLAVASO AS COACH
Before forfeiting Friday night’s win, the Terriers were in the headlines for firing their head football coach.
Vandebilt administration confirmed to the Tri-Parish Times last Monday afternoon that head football coach Brad Villavaso had been relieved of his coaching duties within the school.
The administration contacted did not detail specifics regarding the situation.
But multiple sources close to the Terriers’ program confirmed later that afternoon that Villavaso’s dismissal was partly because of a string of text messages that he sent to Terriers’ halfback Gage Corte.
The Tri-Parish Times contacted Corte and he confirmed that he had received messages from the coach that Vandebilt’s officials deemed to be threatening in nature.
According to Corte, Villavaso sent approximately a dozen text messages to him from Oct. 9-10. The content of the messages stemmed from an alleged incident that occurred at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Houma on Oct. 8 where Corte said he was studying.
According to a source close to the situation that requested to remain anonymous because of current ties to the program, Villavaso accused Corte of inappropriate actions at the Marriott. The source said that the coach claimed that Corte was disrespectful to a person close to Villavaso while at the hotel. He led off the messaging asking Corte if any other players were with him during the study session.
“You were very disrespectful to one of my wife’s friends last night,” a text in the log reads. “And now you have a price to pay.”
After a back and forth, the coach then says that Corte “embarrassed” both “me, you, the team, the school and the community” while at the hotel the night before.
The message log from the conversation with Villavaso also reads, “Challenging me and my staff Is a life-long mistake.”
During the exchange, Corte quit the Terriers’ team. He and his family then tried to meet each with Villavaso and Vandebilt Principal James Reiss and President David Keife to attempt to be reinstated.
The source said that the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux heard the case and recommended Corte’s reinstatement to the team before the team’s game with Morgan City. But Corte didn’t make the trip with the Terriers for the win.
The source also said that Villavaso’s dismissal came last Monday after a meeting with Reiss and Keife. During that meeting, Villavaso disagreed with the two’s recommendation that Corte be placed back onto the team – an argument that led to the coach’s firing.
Even after Villavaso’s reported dismissal on Monday, rumors started to swirl that he could be reinstated to the program in time for Friday night’s game with Ellender.
But it never materialized and the diocese said that Villavaso will not coach again this season.
His dismissal ends his second stint with the Houma private school. Just last season, Villavaso anchored Vandebilt into the 4A quarterfinals.
VCHS’ assistant coaches will combine to coach the team in the playoffs.
Former Vandebilt Catholic head football coach Brad Villavaso makes a call during a game this season. The coach was fired from his post this week after a disagreement with administration regarding the use of a player.
