Tom Dodge
For Eunice head coach Paul Trosclair and his football team, it is business as usual as the Bobcats head to the Class 3-A title game 7 p.m. Friday in the Mercedes Benz Superdome against Sterlington.
“We are trying to eliminate all the distractions,” Trosclair said. “We aren’t staying there – we are going to show up and play football.
“Hopefully that’s the best we can do,” he said. “We are trying to treat it as much like any other game as possible.”
This is the fourth trip to the Dome for the Bobcats and Eunice (12-2) is designated as the home team against the Panthers (12-2).
Johnny Bourque led the Bobcats to a 16-13 victory over Jennings for the 1982 Class 3-A state championship – the only football title in program history.
Trosclair brought the Bobcats to state championship games in 1997 and 1998.
The Bobcats finished the 1997 season with a 14-1 record, the best in school history after a 21-6 loss to John Curtis.
Eunice finished the 1998 season 11-4, the first back-to-back 10 win seasons in program history, as the Bobcats fell to John Curtis again – this time 20-6.
“The 1997 team was not prepared to face all the distractions,” Trosclair remembered. “The 1998 team handled it better, but the biggest thing was we were playing John Curtis – 25 other teams have tried to go down that route and it is tough.”
Trosclair said he expects a tough challenge from Sterlington – who won the 2016 Class 2-A state championship and finished as runners-up in in 2002 and 2003.
The Panthers have made 27 playoff appearances and have won 11 district championships including the past three seasons.
“They have a strong running attack and can also throw the ball well,” Trosclair said. “We have our hands full as they have a complete offensive team.”
The Bobcat coach said he is excited for the community as Eunice returns to the Dome for the first time in 20 years.
“It is a lot more difficult to get to the Dome than most people realize and I wasn’t sure it would happen again,” he said.
“When small town schools get there it is difficult to do. We are proud of what we have accomplished over the years and especially this season.
“We are going to New Orleans with the single-minded vision to try and win this thing.”
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