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LEROY - The second round of the Class 4A three-game playoff series was like a good old fashion “Rocky” movie. ‘Rocky’ Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) kept getting hit and falling to the canvas, but then he would get up and keep fighting.
The North Vermilion Patriots were Rocky and the Carencro Bears were Rocky’s opponents.
Like in the first Rocky movie, Apollo Creed beats Rocky at the very end of the movie. The Bears beat NVHS 5-1 in Game 1, setting up Game 2 (Rocky II) and a Game 3 (Rocky III).
In Game 2 on Saturday, the Patriots were getting beat 5-1 and were six outs away from being eliminated from the Class 4A baseball playoffs.
In Rocky II, Apollo Creed had Rocky on the canvas and all he needed to do was stay away from the South Paw, and the fight was his. Instead, Rocky never quit, as did the Patriots in Game 2. They scored seven runs in the final two innings en route to an 8-5 victory.
That win kept the NV alive and tied the series 1-1, and set up Game 3 played that Saturday afternoon. Like in Rocky III, boxer James “Clubber” Lang (Mr. T), smacked Rocky around early, sending him to the floor and the fight looked bleak.
In Game 3, Carencro went for the knockout early and jumped on the Patriots 10-3, heading into the bottom of the third inning.
North Vermilion rallied back with a one-two-three punch in the bottom of the fourth frame by scoring six runs and tied the game 10-10. All of a sudden, it was a new game. The Bears unloaded a flurry of punches on the Patriots for the first three innings, and the Patriots remained standing.
The Patriots went on to outscore Carencro 5-4 in the final three innings to edge the Bears 15-14 in dramatic fashion.
“I’m speechless right now,” NV head coach Jeremy Trahan said. “We gave up 10 runs in the first three innings in Game 3, then we came back. We just fought. We scored a run every inning. The kids didn’t give up. They trusted in it.”
The Patriots out-hit Carencro 18 to 15.
The top of North Vermilion’s lineup, consisting of Camden Breaux, Lane Patin, Tyson LeBlanc and Dale Martin got it done. They accounted for 12 hits and 10 RBIs in Game 3.
Martin and LeBlanc each doubled twice, and Breaux hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning to put the Patriots ahead 14-12.
“Breaux has been huge for us all year batting leadoff or in the two-hole,” Trahan said. “He had four hits with a huge home run. Lane had been struggling. He had three hits. LeBlanc had three hits.
“We were determined not to let them take it from us. It was a long day. Yesterday was tough. Carencro played well, we played well. We just didn’t hit. We had to trust that this is why you play a three-game series.”
In the top of the seventh inning, Carencro sent the Patriots to the canvas by scoring two runs and loaded the bases. All the Bears had to do was score one more run to tie the game.
North Vermilion pitcher Cole Verronie did his job in the top of the seventh inning by getting a Carencro batter to pop-up for the third out. Verrone pitched the final four innings and gave up six hits and four earned runs. He only struck out one.
“That was a great job by our reliever, Cole Verronie, coming in,” Trahan said. “He gave up a couple of runs, but he stayed composed. He gave us a shot. He gave us a chance to win.”
Breaux was 6-for-9 Saturday in the doubleheader. He scored five runs, knocked in two RBIs, along with a home run, a double and a stolen base. In Game 3, he batted 4-for-5 with 2 RBI and a home run.
In Game 3, Lane Patin was 3-for-3 (1 RBI), while Tyson LeBlanc (3-for-5, 3 RBI), Dale Martin (2-for-4, 2 RBI), Brandt Fontenot (2-for-4, 2 RBI), Dyland Naquin (2-for-3), Blake Lastrapes (1-for-2) and Cooper David (1-for-1).
The Patriots used three pitchers in Game 3. Allen Johnson started the game and went 1 1/3 innings. Aiden Leonard pitched 1 2/3 innings and then Veronie threw the final four innings.
“Our team knew we had seven innings to play and that we can score,’ said Trahan. “They stuck with the plan and chipped away the whole game. Unbelievable fight and determination by every single one of them.”
Rocky IV has North Vermilion (29-7) playing host to No. 6 Franklinton (25-5) in a quarterfinals series, beginning Friday.
Trahan said on Saturday he is glad the next series is in six days because, like a good fighter, it gives his team time to rest.
“We need some time to rest from this one,” said Trahan.

Within you is a vast treasure awaiting rediscovery. You have more power, potential, and capability than you realize. A sculptor looking at a piece of marble sees a figure waiting to be revealed. The sculptor’s job is to remove enough stone to expose the silhouette.
What abilities, talents and desires do you possess that are waiting to be uncovered? Why is it that inner treasures are not always obvious? Let’s follow a person’s development from birth to adulthood.
When a baby is born, he or she has no concept of fear, failure or danger. We’ll call the baby Alice. Her imagination and dreams are limitless. Yet, she’s completely vulnerable to her environment.
Alice is totally dependent on her parents for food, shelter and protection. As Alice grows, her parents teach her the dangers of her surroundings. She learns what she can’t or is not allowed to do. There is little, if any, emphasis on teaching her how to fully realize her potential.
Alice starts school and begins her formal education. That process includes learning proper rules of behavior. Rules, by their nature, outline what is not allowed or acceptable. Again, there is little or no emphasis on how to fully realize one’s potential.
Alice’s education constantly imposes limitations. There are several interesting examples that illustrate the impact learned limitations can have. Put a flea into a small jar with a glass top. The flea quickly determines that there is a limit to how high it can jump. Remove the glass top and the flea, due to its conditioning, won’t jump out of the jar even though it has the capability to do so.
Take a fish tank and divide it in half with a piece of glass. Put several fish on one side. The fish will hit the divider until they learn where the swimming limits are. Remove the divider and the fish will still remain on one side of the tank.
The educational system and societal constraints are the equivalent of the jar top and fish tank divider on Alice’s development.
As Alice grows and interacts with others she will be exposed to jealousy. People tend to be envious of what someone else may have. Jealousy can manifest itself through ridicule, and alienation. If Alice shows ambition, unique abilities or talents she may find herself being rejected.
Each time Alice experiences a negative reaction, a layer of stone forms around her dreams. She finds it easier to go with the flow and be accepted rather than blaze her own trail.
Alice finishes school and begins working. She may not be doing the kind of work she once dreamed of due to all of the limitations imposed on her while growing up.
If Alice shows too much enthusiasm or ambition she may be admonished by her coworkers. She could be denied a promotion while someone less capable moves ahead because they are more adept at office politics.
Alice might want to go back to school to further her education or change careers. Perhaps she wants to start her own business. Her family and friends discourage her from being “unrealistic.” Once again, a layer of stone is added as she receives little or no encouragement. Alice’s dreams, aspirations, and abilities become so deeply buried that she forgets they ever existed.
Everyone has a buried treasure waiting to be rediscovered. What is yours? Uncover it and your life will be enriched in unimaginable ways.

Danzel Kyrie Levene
A son, Danzel Kyrie Levene, was born on Thursday, April 1, 2021 at Abbeville General to Shamir Lenee Bryant and Derek Lorenzo Levene, Sr. of Abbeville.

Amir Dale Brown
A son, Amir Dale Brown, was born on Friday, April 9, 2021 at Abbeville General to Shalaya Janae Greene and Jose Jacolby Brown of Abbeville.

Christopher Mason
Tilton Towell
A son, Christopher Mason Tilton Towell, was born on Sunday, April 18, 2021 at Abbeville General to Grace Ann Tilton and Evan Joseph Mckinnen Towell of Abbeville.

Elijah Paul Guidry
A son, Elijah Paul Guidry, was born on Friday, April 23, 2021 at Abbeville General to Brianna Nicole Ritchie and Andrew Neil Guidry of Kaplan.

Dauntrel Tyrone
Bessard, Jr.
A son, Dauntrel Tyrone Bessard, Jr. was born on Tuesday, April 27, 2021 at Abbeville General to Fatavia Leonta Andrews and Dauntrel Tyrone Bessard of Abbeville.

Aidan Ray Greene
A son, Aidan Ray Greene, was born on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at Abbeville General to Todd Terryl Greene of Abbeville.

MAURICE — By now, you have likely tried something from Sunny Akers Bread.
If not, it’s not hard to find the numerous items created in Kalyn Akers’ kitchen. She’s a regular at markets, including the Abbeville Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market, where she will be on May 15. Her menu and schedule can also be found at www.sunnyakers.com.
“I make all kinds of yeasted bread,” Akers said, “sourdough, baguettes, sandwich loaves, croissants, cinnamon rolls, focaccia, brioche, dinner rolls, to name a few. My favorite thing to make would have to be sourdough. I have had my starter for four years now. I find it an absolute miracle that such simple ingredients as flour, water, salt, and natural yeast found in the air can make something so delicious. Plus, it’s the healthiest bread you can eat. Of course, I also love the delicate process of making laminated doughs like croissants and danishes.
“The end product with all those crispy layers of butter and dough is something special.”
Akers has ramped up her baking to a full-time operation within the past year. Before that, it served as a hobby after she left teaching to spend more time with her growing family. She married Kory Akers in 2008, and the two have five children from ages 10 to 1.
“I had been teaching French for a few years,” Akers said, “and when our family grew from three to four children in ‘14, I decided I needed to spend some time at home with my children. I stopped teaching and home schooled for four years. At that time, I picked up the hobby of baking bread. I quickly became obsessed, and life has not been the same since! I eventually went back to teaching, and bread baking was a humble hobby that I continued to pursue in my spare time. That all changed in ‘18, when I began selling king cakes.
“Every year since then, the business has been growing, and in June of ‘20, I began baking as a full-time venture.”
While it has grown into a successful venture, baking has also served as a way for Akers to stay connected to French culture. At age 10, Akers, née Guidry, moved from Abbeville to Florida with her family. After graduating from high school, she returned home and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in French from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in ‘09.
“Living away from Louisiana gave me a greater appreciation for my culture and led to an interest in the French language,” Akers said. “Bread is an important part of French culture, so when I wasn’t teaching French anymore, I shifted my focus to learning how to make French bread. The first bread that I made was a baguette and it remains my most challenging. In hindsight, I don’t recommend starting with baguettes.”
One challenge to overcome for any growing business is the growth itself. Akers has seen that.
“After quickly outgrowing my home kitchen,” Akers said, “my husband and I decided to build a space that could accommodate bigger equipment and greater output. We built a commercial kitchen on our property in Maurice, and I am so in love with my little home bakery. I have a hard time saying it’s a one-man job because none of it would be possible without the numerous family and friends who watch our kids, print labels, wash dishes, give advice, and taste test to make this dream a reality for me. And of course, my husband, Kory, works two full-time jobs between his actual job and helping me in the bakery.
“I have plans to expand to a storefront in Vermilion parish, but I don’t anticipate it happening until my children are older. For now, markets, king cake season, and custom orders keep me as busy as I can handle with five young children and a farm.”
It’s that family farm that led to the name of Sunny Akers Bread.
“When Kory and I first moved to the country, we got chickens,” Akers said. “My family got such a kick out of it and insisted that we come up with a name for our “farm.” So we decided on Sunny Akers Family Farm, a play on our last name. My sister gave us a stamp with the name for Christmas. I would stamp our egg cartons with the name when eggs were the first thing we sold.
“Eventually, when we started exclusively selling bread, we changed the name to Sunny Akers Bread, but we kept the chicken in our logo as a reminder of our beginnings.”
The response from the community has been nothing short of sunny.
“It never fails to amaze me how much support I have received from my community,” Akers said. “It means the world to me to have “regulars” at the market. Their support is what keeps me going and gives me confidence. Doing markets is not easy; it is physically and mentally challenging. Prep begins on Thursday. I bake late into Friday night, then wake early on Saturday morning to pack up, set up, and hopefully sell everything.
“But I get to meet people in my community and talk about my passion, and it makes it all worth it.”