CECILIA — For the first time in a long time, Cecilia is heading back to the Superdome.
The last appearance for the Bulldogs was 1995, where they were crowed state champs.
"Seeing the community, seeing the old pictures brings me back to the time of 1995 like it was yesterday", says Cecilia assistant coach, Jason Faulk.
"Their 2023 success has been the catalyst for their historic run. The Bulldogs have only lost one game this year, clinching the two-seed in the Division II Non-Select playoff bracket. Head coach Dennis Skains says the work began last November after losing in the second round.
"We like to say it started in January but the truth is we start it in November about an hour after our last football game. It's something our staff has always done. As soon as our last game, we start prepping while everything is fresh in our mind on the next season."
The population of Cecilia is over 1,500 people. A small, but tight community where everybody knows somebody, where many attended CHS and where all are anxious to relive a championship victory.
"Specifically, I remember driving on the bus, the charter, and we we're going by the levee and someone put on the levee 'Last one to leave, turn off the lights.'"
Jason Faulk was a junior defensive back when the Bulldogs painted the Dome green and gold. He says he remembers the moment like it was yesterday, when they were handed the hardware.
"I remember it being hoisted by the whole team. It felt like everybody was in the middle and I remember the trophy going up."
As Faulk relives this week of preparation, he says it's also been a somber week.
"It became very, very emotional because of the text messages I got. I got a lot of messages from people I played with, people in the community and they started telling me how awesome it must be to have my son on the team. Then all of a sudden, it hit me."
"In his emotional trip to the Dome, Faulk leans on the importance of family. In '95, his now wife, Kristy, was a trainer for the team and their kids, Carlee and Colton share that same Bulldog pride. Faulk wants nothing more than to share the gold with his family at home and his family on the field.
"I think it's going to be a special moment for him and a special moment for the guys that played in that game to come back and watch and we're excited to give that moment back to them", says Skains.
"The thought of going out there and completing the circle is a thought that I want to make come true so bad. Not for myself but I want my family to feel it, this community to feel it and everybody in this locker room to feel it."
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