Copyright Baton Rouge Advocate
SCOTT – Anytime Acadiana and Carencro high schools meet in football, it’s a big deal for the two fan bases. But when you add having a district championship on the line, the matchup between the two is even bigger. Hence, that's why Friday’s game will be huge when the Bears travel to face the Rams at 7 p.m. with the District 3-5A title on the line. “The message has been it is Carencro/Acadiana. Enough said,” Bears head coach Gavin Peters said. “Since the beginning of time, these two teams have battled each other, and both teams have had their share of wins throughout its history. You’re talking about two great storied programs and there is a lot on the line.” With a win, the Rams (6-3) would win the district title outright, while a win by the Bears (6-3) would forge a three-way tie between Acadiana, Carencro and Southside. “I don’t think it gets any bigger,” Rams coach Doug Dotson said. “Playing your rivals for the chance to be undisputed district champions and they are playing for a share of it if they win. I think there’s a lot at stake and it is not lost on our kids what we’re about to experience on Friday.” And as if the matchup needed any more fuel, it’ll also be a return to what had been home for a handful of Bears assistant coaches, headlined by Kyle Seibold, who left Acadiana High in the offseason. “This isn’t about me, this is about our kids and our football team,” Seibold said. “This is about getting our kids prepared to go play a district championship game against a historic rival in a tough environment.” “I definitely think it has added to it,” Peters said. “There’s always a lot on the line with Carencro/Acadiana. This year there’s some different elements with the coaches that have kind of flipped, but it’s no different than any other year. It’s a heated rivalry and it’s going to be a big night of football. But this game is about the kids that are going to be playing on that field.” Dotson agreed saying ultimately both teams want to win. “There’s familiarity within the coaching staffs,” Dotson said. “They were here and that’s not lost to us. I’m sure they want to beat us, and we want to beat them and that would be the case in any Acadiana/Carencro game. It’s going to be a battle.” While it may be an emotional return for some, the Bears’ coaching staff admits it is easier to “keep the main thing, the main thing” after allowing 70 points and nearly 700 yards rushing in a loss to Southside a week ago. “Had we won that game against Southside, who knows we all may have been too emotional this week,” Peters said. “It’s cool to have emotions, but it is not cool to be emotional. I definitely think the tough loss we took last week has kind of eased our emotions a lot going into this week. Dotson said he’s warned his Rams not to get caught up in what happened against the Sharks. “That score is not indicative of what kind of football team Carencro is,” Dotson said. “We’re not sitting here saying ‘Oh, they got beat by Southside.’ We know what we’re going to get it and it is going to be a battle. We’re going to get Carencro’s best football, and we know that and that’s what we are preparing for.” The Bears’ defense will get an opportunity at redemption against the Rams, who like Southside loves to run the football. Offensively, the Rams are led by running backs Troy Kennerson (78-703, 10 TDs), Dion Simon (86-616, 9 TDs) and Syrian Joseph (78-517, 6 TDs). “I think they’ve done a great job of developing their offensive line,” Peters said. “Their offensive line is extremely athletic, they come off the ball well and they’ve done a really good job of resetting the line of scrimmage.” Acadiana’s defense will have their hands full as well as they face a Bears offense that has proven to be explosive both in the passing and running games. Offensively, the Bears are led by quarterback Carson Gurzi, who has passed for 2,481 yards and 27 touchdowns, and receiver Chantz Babineaux, who has 1,160 yards and 13 touchdowns on 46 receptions.
