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The Tee Cotton Bowl

In my small Cajun/Creole Southwest Louisiana town of Ville Platte we have two uncommon high school football teams. One is an 82% African American, predominately Protestant, and mostly poor public school called the Ville Platte High Bulldogs. The other is an all white, Catholic, largely upper middle class private school, called the Sacred Heart Trojans. Now, we are in the Deep South, approximately 80 miles from Jena, Louisiana, where the city and high school there were torn apart with racial violence that made national and international headlines two years ago. We are not immune to the racism and prejudice that historically has been in this region.

But, God has given us a rare and precious gift that brings this town and community together in a way that nothing else has. He has given us a simple high school football game. An uncommon game that draws the whole community together in which winning is important, but not the most important thing. An uncommon game where respect, effort, and love for your opponent is most important. An uncommon game where two uncommon teams share a meal together the night before the game. An uncommon game where two uncommon teams after the meal, kneel together and pray for their opponent to play his best game of his life!

A game where the winners don't boast or brag, but talk good about their opponents and the loser doesn't hang his head, but looks at his opponent and shakes his hand and says, "Congratulations. Good Game"! An uncommon Game where two uncommon teams and fans kneel together and Thank God for the opportunity to compete. An uncommon game where NFL Films came down and did a short ten minute feature on the game. The late Pope John Paul II saw this feature and sent a letter with a Papal Blessing over the two teams, schools, and town. A uncommon game where the public school faces closing due to a 40 year old desegregation case and the prayers and fasting from members of both schools have kept it open!

The Game is called the Tee Cotton Bowl (Tee is Cajun French for 'petite' or 'little'). My name is Tim Fontenot and I am the physical therapist for both teams and sponsor the Tee Cotton Bowl game and think these two teams and their coaches are great examples to promote.

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