Sharpened Iron: The Tee Cotton Bowl Story

by Mel LeCompte Jr.

A BAYOU TALE OF GRACE, RACE, AND SMALL TOWN FOOTBALL In 1999, Ville Platte, La. resident and sports nut Tim Fontenot longed to do something special to celebrate his small town's prep football City Championship. Amazed by the harmony between Sacred Heart High and Ville Platte High, two schools that could not be further apart racially or socially, 'Dr. Tim' wanted to commemorate the teams' simple ability to get along with each other. What started out as a nice idea and a trophy is now a week-long celebration complete with Zydeco and Cajun concerts, all-day tailgating, and an intense prayer banquet for both teams. Also tossed into the Tee Cotton gumbo are skydivers, fireworks, collegiate marching bands, and anything else Fontenot can get his hands on to make the annual even bigger and better than before. Sharpened Iron not only covers the game, but the journey. From hurricanes to Hakas, federal judges to NFL Films Presents, boucheries to blessings from Pope John Paul II, this game has some serious backstory. Come join award-winning sports journalist Mel LeCompte Jr. as he details the story of one of the premier prep sporting events in the nation.

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2010

Reviews

[Ellen Threatts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Talent,hope, effort & grace is always closer to home than we think.
Real life battles, tragedies, humorous tales & hometown southern comforts lined between the pages.
Well done Mr. LeCompte,Jr you've shined the lights on the people & places of this southern locale.
Any sports fan with a true sense of team & town spirit will enjoy this fun & factorial read.