In perhaps the most important game in its 31-year history, the Colonels football team can clinch a share of the Southland Conference championship with a win against rival and number one ranked McNeese State Saturday at 6 p.m. in Guidry Stadium.
With a victory over McNeese (9-1, 4-0 SLC), the Colonels (5-5, 3-1 SLC) would also need a win by Northwestern State over Stephen F. Austin Saturday in order to claim the Southland Conference’s automatic bid to the Division I-AA playoffs.
Senior linebacker Torrian Thomas said this week’s battle is a huge game for the Colonels.
“This is a very big game,” Thomas said. “It is a big rivalry game, and it will be an intense battle this week.”
Daryl Daye, head football coach, said a victory over McNeese would be well deserved for the team and University.
“It would be great for these kids,” Daye said. “They have overcome a tremendous amount of adversity, and it would be great for the University and the athletic program.”
Since the Colonels trail the all-time series 9-18 and have lost four consecutive games against McNeese, there is bad blood between the Colonels and Cowboys. In fact, the last four meetings were decided in the fourth quarter.
“We don’t like them, and they don’t like us very much,” Thomas said. “We need to play together, and play the football game for four quarters, and we should come out on top.”
Daye agreed with Thomas and said the Colonels would have to play hard from the opening kickoff to the final second in the fourth quarter to defeat McNeese.
“It’s going to be a four quarter battle,” Daye said. “Somebody asked me a couple of days ago how long would it take to beat McNeese, and I said sixty minutes. It takes sixty minutes to beat them, and we are going to have to play a complete football game just to beat them.”
Since McNeese is the only team undefeated in Southland Conference play, they would outright win the Southland Conference with a win over the Colonels. Ranked number one nationally, McNeese is looking to claim a right to extended home-field advantage in the Division I-AA playoffs.
If the Colonels and Stephen F. Austin (6-4, 3-1 SLC) win this weekend, a tri-championship would be declared between the Colonels, Stephen F. Austin and McNeese because all three would finish with 4-1 conference records.
According to the Southland Conference Code 6.03.01.03, the member (team) that has been absent from the 1-AA playoffs for the longest period of time shall be designated as the Conference’s representative to the playoffs. Since Stephen F. Austin last clinched a playoff berth in 1995, they would win the Southland Conference’s automatic championship berth. McNeese would clinch the at-large berth, and the Colonels would be left on the outskirts and its season would be over.
After hurting his ribs in the Colonels’ defeat at Stephen F. Austin Saturday, Daye said senior quarterback Josh Son is day-to-day as of press time Tuesday. If Son cannot play, junior quarterbacks James Morales and Yale Vannoy would have to step up and play, Daye said.
“It’s day-to-day,” Daye said. “We are taking him one step at a time, and hope he would be able to play in the game. Those guys (Vannoy and Morales) are on scholarship, so it is their opportunity to show what they can do.”Lagniappe: In its 30th year of existence, the 12,800-seat Guidry Stadium will be honored Saturday at halftime. Before the Colonels could field a football team, it needed a stadium.
When the necessary funds were secured to build Lafourche Parish’s newest stadium, the only thing left to do was give it a name. It took one year, but ultimately those involved in the decision making process decided to honor lifelong sports enthusiast John Leonce Guidry. On Sept. 15, 1973, Guidry’s legacy was forever enshrined when the stadium was dedicated in his name.
Guidry, a native of Galliano, died in 1952 at the age of 56. He helped establish a sports and recreation program in Lafourche Parish’s 10th ward and provided the land and built stands for a Sugar Cane semi-pro baseball team in Golden Meadow. Guidry, who founded Galliano Elementary School in 1918, was also a well-respected businessman that owned a supermarket, theatre, ice-cream parlor, restaurant, barbershop and rental homes. Politically, Guidry served as a state representative and police juror during the years when the drive to establish Francis T. Nicholls Junior College was underway.
On hand for the event will be Guidry’s three living children Richard, Robert and Rosie and daughter-in-law Mary. During halftime, Guidry’s family members will be presented with an engraved plaque honoring his many accomplishments. In addition, a marker will be placed outside Guidry Stadium soon afterwards.
“Upon the 30th anniversary, we felt it right to present members of Mr. Guidry’s family with a plaque to honor his contributions to the South Lafourche area,” Athletics Director Rob Bernardi said in a quote from Sports Information. “We also wanted to honor the living members of his family because of the historical significance of it being the 30th year since the stadium was first dedicated in his name.”