New covered facility means no rain on parade of newly crowned SLC champion Colonels

It may have been a dark, dreary Monday morning in Thibodaux, but no one was raining on the parade of the newly crowned Southland Conference football champions.

Only two days after Nicholls defeated Lamar 37-24, the Colonels held their first practice under their new covered outdoor facility because of inclement weather.

The Colonels had used the facility previously, but only scheduled, light workouts. Monday’s practice was the first time for a regular session padded practice under the roof.

“We probably could have gone (on the grass practice field), but for filming purposes, it’s better to get out the weather, and those (film) guys did a good job of it today,” Nicholls coach Tim Rebowe said. “We know how to practice on one field. We do it all the time. We know the areas we have to go to. I thought the guys bounced around too, being underneath it. They had a little bit of pep, a little bit of energy underneath them.

“As early as last week, I anticipated some bad weather. It was good to know we had this option. We didn’t have to delay, stay in meetings a little bit longer because of the weather, or move the practice time around. Knowing you have that, is a big, big plus.”

The practice came less than a week after Gov. John Bel Edwards in town for dedication of the practice facility.

“It’s nice. We’re spoiled. I was here when we were in the old Barker Building. To have all this is nice. It really is,” said junior tight end Lee Negrotto.

It’s pretty cool. You don’t get this opportunity at every school you go to,” junior defensive back Tyler Morton said. “It’s a blessing to have a (covered facility) like that and field to practice on.

“It’s beautiful. No rain touching us, we are all good.”

“It’s nice. The turf, nice. The lights, everything. It’s so comfortable. Nice everything. Love it,” said senior linebacker Jacob Parker.

For senior kicker Gavin Lasseigne, the school’s all-time scorer, the ceiling just as well might have had a bullseye painted on it.

“First rep, I hit the ceiling,” Lasseigne smiled. “I had to gear it in. I had to focus not to hit it.”

Was he really trying to hit it?

“The first reps, yeah,” admitted Lasseigne. “I had to break in the new facility as well as I could.”

The facility, said Lasseigne, meant more than just a challenge.

“It’s very nice. It’s a pretty dark day out here, but the lights keep it nice and bright. Keeping the rain off of us is nice,” he said.

For Parker, the new facility could easily be a metaphor for what is transpiring at the school and the community.

“The guys before us got it for us,” said Parker, referring to previous Colonel players. “We are just paving the way for the next generation. We’re just trying to continue to build the campus, continue to build the community, continue to build this team.”