VC’s District Opener Set

The second half of the season starts this week for the Vermilion Catholic Eagles, and winning a district title still means a lot to the program in an age of expanded playoffs with separate select and non-select divisions.
VC plays the first of six straight District 7-A games at home on Friday, taking on the Highland Baptist Bears.
“We’re going into our second half of the season with district games from here on out, and that’s important to us,” Vermilion Catholic head coach Broc Prejean said. “We want to try to defend our title as district champs, and that starts with Highland, and it’s just going to continue to be that same monotonous message of play complimentary football. Three phases have to pick each other up, and all three phases have to know what they’re doing. When we do that, we’ve proven that we can play some quality football.”
Prejean said that as long as there are districts in the state, coaches want to make sure their teams stay at the top of their districts.
“It’s a big thing for our kids,” he said. “We value it immensely. It’s something that we talk about. When the playoffs get here, the playoffs get here. But right now our attention is on winning a district title, and that’s what we’re going to focus on.”
Prejean said the Bears’ 0-4 record isn’t great right now, but coach Rick Hutson will put his team in position to be competitive, and the Eagles will have to show up and execute, he said.
“Coach Hutson does a great job,” Prejean said. “I’ve known Coach Hutson for a while now. I believe he told me this is his 40th year coaching, so you’ve got a whole lot of experience on that sideline.”
The Eagles held a powerful Erath offense to two first-half touchdowns in a 38-14 win.
Prejean said the entire defense did a great job.
“Credit to the coaching staff for putting together a great gameplan, and even more credit to the kids for executing that gameplan,” Prejean said. “The first quarter was tough. The first half was tough, with the rain starting in the second quarter. But our guys didn’t flinch, and they continued to trust what we’re asking them to do, so we were able to pull away late. It was a big win, a great win, against a really formidable team in the Bobcats, and we’re really pleased with it.”
Prejean said defensive coordinator Brett Blakey and the defensive coaches did a good job of adjusting to what Erath was doing.
“I think it was the most complete defensive performance we’ve had this year,” Prejean said.
On offense, quarterback Jonathan Dartez did a good job of taking what was there.
“I thought Tyjh (Williams) got rolling again, and that’s a credit to our offensive line and wide receivers blocking,” Prejean said. “And we made some big catches when we had to, so we’re playing a little more like we want to play. We’re spreading the ball around and being a little more of a spread team.”
The offensive line’s play has been marked by that group focusing on its mission.
“They’re playing really, really strong assignment football,” Prejean said. “That’s the tough thing when you have an inexperienced group is are they going to have the answers to the test when people start changing things around in front of them, and we’ve been very pleased with how well they’ve been able to make their own adjustments in game. At that point we just ask them to execute as hard as they can, and we really have no complaints so far.”
The Eagles will mark the 70th anniversary of the 1953 Mt. Carmel “Iron Dozen” football team, along with the 1954 Mt. Carmel team, and will honor members of the 2003 and 2013 Vermilion Catholic state championship football teams on the 20th and 10th anniversaries of those titles, respectively.
“I’m super excited about our kids getting the opportunity to see the legacies and traditions of former teams that have done some pretty special things,” Prejean said. “Starting with the first team in ’53 and ’54, to the 2003 and 2013 state champions. Those things happen as a product of work and sacrifice and years of kids building themselves to that point, so we’re definitely going to make sure our young men take note of that.”