BY DAVID FOLSE II

Sports Editor

RESERVE-Most schools that make the playoffs have a rich tradition and have been through the battles before.

It’s all new to Riverside Academy and they hope that it never stops.

Capturing only the school’s second-ever playoff victory and first ever at home, the Rebels defeated Mamou, 76-67 last Friday night.

Riverside advanced to take on 7-2A champions Jeanertte on the road last night.

In no surprise to Rebels fans, Josh Labiche again led Riverside with 32 points. Chris Fontenot also had a solid night with 13 points and senior center Matt Rogers added 12 points.

“We’re playing pretty well,” an excited Rebels Head Coach Tommy Monier said. “Mamou came out really on fire from the field early in the game. I think that they missed three shots in the entire first quarter. They (Mamou) played as well as they were going to play that opening quarter and we were only down 20-19.

“I told my kids after the first quarter that was as good as it gets for them. All the information that we had gotten on them was that they were a decent shooting team, but not outstanding. We figured that they were not going to shoot lights out like that all night. In the second quarter we did a better job defensively and began to pull away.”

Monier said he felt before the game that if his team executed well, they would be able to come out on top with the victory.

“I felt like when we had to we proved that we were the better team,” Monier said. “I felt like going into the game that we were 10-15 points better than they were. We were up 20 with a couple of minutes left and they started making some crazy shots.”

Entering the second round for only the second time, Monier said he is proud of his team’s accomplishments no matter how they finish.

“I told my team that we are bringing three bus loads of people to our game against Jeanerette,” Monier said. “I told them that win, lose or draw, if we get beat by 100 or win the game, they are going to be treated like heroes.”

‘They (Mamou) played as well as they were going to play that opening quarter and we were only down 20-19.’

—Riverside HC Tommy Monier

On Mamou’s explosion in the first quarter of their match-up