The second annual Gridiron Football Tri-Parish 7v7 Tournament was held at St. Edmund High School on Wednesday, June 19th. Once again, the tournament turned out to be a great event featuring 18 teams including Opelousas, Marksville, Acadiana Christian, Berchman’s Academy, St. Edmund, Ville Platte, Mamou, Westminster Christian Academy, Opelousas Catholic, Iota, Acadiana Renaissance Charter Academy (ARCA), Northwest, Jeanerette, Sacred Heart, Westminster Christian Academy (Opelousas), Port Barre, and JS Clark.
A lot of good competition was out there as Louisiana high school football teams were in the middle of their 7v7 schedule.
In the end, it was the Iota Bulldogs that ended up with the trophy led by head coach Ray Aucoin. In last year’s 7v7 tournament, the Bulldogs came up short on the last play of the game to the eventual state champion Opelousas Tigers, but this year, Coach Aucoin’s squad came in with a chip on their shoulders.
“Last year, we lost on the last play of the game to Opelousas High. We knew right then that our kids are different so we kept doing what we are doing because we know it works. We are proud of our program and we are going to work hard and keep that winning going.”
Iota High School Head Coach Ray Aucoin
In the 7v7 championship game, the Iota Bulldogs took on the Northwest Raiders led by head coach Chris Edwards. The Raiders were coming off an incredible Cinderella run making it all the way to the LHSAA Division II (Non-Select) Semifinals.
“We actually tied Northwest last year for the district championship during the regular season so this was fun. Both Chris and I are neighbors. We’ve actually known each other for a long time and he actually coached defensive backs for me when I was at Northwest. He’s got a great program and a great group of kids.”
Iota High School Head Coach Ray Aucoin
With a veteran offense that scored two touchdowns and an opportunistic defense that forced two interceptions, the Bulldogs were able to get an 18-7 victory over the Raiders to clinch the championship.
“Last year, we came here and we didn’t have turnovers like this. We were able to make things happen and force a lot of turnovers. Also, our offense started to pick it up after game two today. Coach Thomas, our offensive coordinator did a great job today. Coach Kyle Smith did a great job of making adjustments on defense in the secondary. It really helped put the game away. This is a terrific thing for us. We do 7v7 to keep the kids interested during the summer. We work hard and grind from 7 A.M.-9 A.M. every day Monday through Thursday and sometimes, they need a little bit of variety.”
Iota High School Head Coach Ray Aucoin
“We have some experience coming back, an All-State quarterback, several All-District receivers coming back, our offensive line is going to be extremely strong. We are going to have a good time offensively, Defensively, we are going to find things and make them work. We are going to continue to get better and work hard.”
Iota High School Head Coach Ray Aucoin
The Iota Bulldogs were not the only team to have a good outing, but the Mamou Demons also had a great day including shocking the defending Division II (Non-Select) State Champion Opelousas Tigers in the playoffs. Sacred Heart also made the semifinals as well joining Mamou, Northwest, and Iota.
You can catch all the action with our very own Alex Allison doing the play by play.
Check out the pictures from Kenneth Richmond during the tournament!
