Local teams ready for new districts

Every two years, the LHSAA makes changes in the districts and this time it affected both the St. Edmund and Eunice High athletic programs.
For the past two years, St. Edmund was with False River Academy, Catholic High of Pointe Coupee, Westminster Christian Academy, North Central and Basile.
After early association discussions last winter, the Blue Jays were still part of District 5-1A with the addition of the new Slaughter Community School as well as the reunion with Sacred Heart of Ville Platte and Opelousas Catholic as the Trojans and Vikings moved back down to Class 1-A.
But that changed in the final draft where St. Edmund was moved from District 5-1A to District 4-1A.
The Blue Jays will compete with Basile, Elton, Grand Lake, Hamilton Christian, Merryville, Oberlin and South Cameron.
“We are back where we had some traditional rivalries from years back,” St. Edmund athletic director Andy Hargroder said.
“The alumni like it because we are playing old teams like Elton, Merryville, Oberlin and South Cameron,” he said.
“Plus we still keep playing Basile so we will have a lot of rivalary games.
“It will be a very competitive district,” Hargroder said. “It will be fun to play those teams.”
The Blue Jays were back-to-back football district champs in 2003 (11-3, 6-0) and 2004 (8-4,6-0) when St. Edmund was part of that western district.
For the past two years, the Eunice Bobcats were in District 5-3A with Ville Platte, Northwest, Church Point, Port Barre and Pine Prairie.
The new District 5-3A will include Crowley and Mamou.
Mamou is moving up from District 4-2A, while Crowley is moving down from District 3-4A.
Eunice finished second in district behind Northwest last season.
The Bobcats won the 2015 district title as EHS finished 10-2 overall, 5-0 in district.
“There are no long road trips,” EHS head coach Paul Trosclair said of the district. “It is a very balanced district and we are glad the long rivarly with Crowley continues.”