Sports

Heading into his team’s scrimmage with Breaux Bridge Thursday, the one thing Erath head coach Jacob Byler was sure of was there were plenty of question marks.
Byler has coached Erath for more than 20 years. During that time he has never had a team return so few starters -- two Bobcats return on the defensive side. With that said, though, Byler was pleased with what he saw from his young ‘Cats Thursday against a top-tier 4A team.
“I was really pleased,” said Byler. “We were able to keep it where they scored one and then we scored one.

LEROY -- It wasn’t quite the real thing, but it was one step closer to the beginning of football season.
North Vermilion attempted to battle a much larger school in Sam Houston in a scrimmage game on Thursday night. The difference in numbers between the two schools showed, but there were some spots where North Vermilion looked like a great football team.

Vermilion Catholic head coach Brad Topham has never shied away from having his team challenged -- whether is in the scrimmage, jamboree or early in the regular season.
Often that challenge means facing a much larger opponent. Such was the case Thursday as the Eagles took their home field for the first time in 2008 when they scrimmaged Rayne.
“They went 9-1 last year,” said Topham. “I think they look like a better football team this year.
“Let me put it this way, that is a first- round home game 3A school.”

There is one name Abbeville head coach Ward Courville used to describe his team’s scrimmage against Mamou Thursday night -- Clint Eastwood.
“It was the Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” said Courville, referencing Eastwood’s famous western. “We did some good things, we did some bad things and then we just did some ugly things.”
Courville said he was pleased with the way his team moved the ball on offense.
“When we made our blocks,” said Courville, “we looked good and moved the ball.

Sanford Suire has advice for anyone who is in his or her middle years.
“If there is something you want to do,” said Suire, a native of Abbeville, “and you feel like you can still do it, just go and do it.”
Suire, who turned 60 in July, does not just dish out advice. No, that would not be fitting of a man who does not know the meaning of the word “inactive.” He lives and breathes his recommendation every Saturday on the football field. Suire dons shoulder pads and a helmet for the Vermilion Spartans.

All great things must come to an end, and Abbeville’s run at the Cal Ripken Jr. World Series came to an end on Sunday night. Abbeville did not go down without a fight, though.
Bryant, Ark. looked to be the team that was going to come out on fire, but Abbeville starting pitcher Jacob Sagrera pulled his team out of a bases loaded jam with only one out.