Russo Trophy going back to Abbeville High

KAPLAN — The Peter Russo Memorial Trophy will remain in Abbeville for another year after the Wildcats claimed a 14-13 win over Kaplan on Friday night.
The trophy, which is named in honor of a 1941 AHS graduate who died while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1944 during World War II, has been given to the winner of the Abbeville-Kaplan game every year since Russo’s family established the trophy in 1961. Abbeville won the trophy in 2021 for the first time in 16 years, and retained it with Friday’s down-to-the-wire win.
“We got what we came for,” Abbeville coach Roderick Moy said, patting the trophy after his team improved to 6-4 overall and 2-2 in District 5-3A. “I’m proud of our kids.”
The Wildcats will enter the non-select Division II playoffs likely somewhere in the middle-teens in the power rankings, possibly with a home game. In unofficial power rankings released by Louisiana high school sports website geauxpreps.com, Kaplan (4-6, 1-3) is No. 30 in the power rankings and would miss the playoffs.
The LHSAA plans to release the brackets at noon on Sunday.
“(We have) a little momentum going into the playoffs. Hey, look, we’re spoiled a little bit. We ain’t too far removed from the 2-8s and 1-9s of the world,” Moy said, referring to Abbeville’s record in recent years before reaching the quarterfinals in 2021. “But just because we were 11-2 last year, people act like 6-4 is a bad season. I’m proud of this thing. I’m proud of these kids. Six and four, going into the playoffs, I’ll take that, and I’ll take our shot next week.”
The game came down to a stop on a 2-point conversion attempt after Kaplan had rallied to within a point with 1:01 remaining in the game. Kaplan fullback Caden Campisi, who had scored the touchdown on a rugged 12-yard run moments earlier, was stopped just shy of the goal line on the 2-point try.
“Even right there at the end, when you’ve got to have a stop to win the ballgame, our kids were able to rise up to it,” Moy said. “They stayed, read their keys, and were disciplined.
“The thing I value about that the most is, he had about eight white jerseys on him. We gang-tackled. We played as a football team. We stayed together. We could’ve cracked at halftime, because we probably should have scored a lot more points, and we didn’t (crack). I’m proud of that.”
Kaplan coach Cory Brodie said a few factors went into the decision to go for the win with the 2-point try. First was a stiff wind that would have been blowing straight at the Pirates on a kick attempt.
“One of their better players (Zaylun Williams) that was playing the strong side for them all night went down two plays before,” Brodie said. “I think we had about a 15 or 20 mile an hour wind, which I think was the same reason coach Moy wanted to go for 2 on his second touchdown.
“Also, it’s kind of our m.o. (to go for it on fourth down or 2-point tries). We punted twice tonight. I don’t remember the last time we punted twice, maybe North Vermilion. Plus, we have a freshman kicker, who’s been phenomenal for us, but I’d rather give it to the guy that took us down there (Campisi). If I could do it again, I’d go for 2 again.”
Abbeville came out firing to open the game, with quarterback Tahj Judge nearly connecting with receiver Brian Gordon for a 58-yard TD on the game’s first snap.
“They knew they had to stop our run game. We had a size advantage on them. We took our shot early,” Moy said. “We had some more shots to take, but we felt like we were being successful running the football right at them, too. We didn’t do a lot wrong offensively except for the penalties (nine for 75 yards). We’ve got to tighten up if we’re going to make a run.”
That opening drive didn’t result in points, but an interception by Chad Nolan on Kaplan’s second possession set up a four-play, 31-yard scoring drive for the Wildcats to break the scoring ice. Jaysen Shelvin went in tom 16 yards out with 2:46 left in the first period and Edwin Ramirez kicked the PAT for a 7-0 lead. Shelvin rushed for 59 yards on eight carries. Tresea Greene led the Wildcats with 66 yards on 16 runs.
Kaplan answered with an 18-play, 80-yard scoring drive on its next possession to tie the score. Campisi carried on nine of those plays, netting 43 yards, including a 3-yard TD run, and Jed Devoltz converted a fourth-and-2 play with an eight-yard carry to keep the drive alive. Campisi finished the game with 119 yards and two TDs on 30 carries, raising his season totals to 1,850 yards and 23 TDs, both tops in Vermilion Parish.
Daylon Landry had five carries for 19 yards on the drive, and finished with 34 yards on 11 runs. Brodie said it was good to see Landry have success because he’s a player who always does more than is asked of him and puts in extra work in the weight room.
“That was more what they gave us,” Brodie said of the big workload for Landry, a sophomore. “Coach (Tank) Lotief (Abbeville’s defensive coordinator and former KHS head coach) has one of the better defensive minds, especially against the wing-T, which he’s coached. We had a tendency to run strong, and (Landry) is a strong-side running back, so we ran him weak (side) a lot. He’s a guy that wasn’t starting a lot for us, he got some reps Jed Devoltz was injured a little (recently) and played more on defense. “I’m super proud of all the young kids that got experience in this game.”
Abbeville took the lead on its first possession of the third quarter, going 66 yards in nine plays, with Tyrelle Harrison going 19 yards untouched to the end zone for the TD with 4:17 left in the quarter. After a couple of penalties on an attempted 2-point try, Abbeville settled for the kick from Ramirez for the 14-7 lead.
Kaplan put together one last drive in the fourth quarter, chewing up 10 full minutes on 20 plays, including a pair of fourth-down conversions on runs by Campisi. The Senior ballcarrier had the ball in his hands on 14 of the 20 plays on the drive, netting 67 yards, including the seven-yard TD that pulled Kaplan to within 1.
“I love that kid,” Brodie said. “No words can describe what he means to me and to this team. I’m more sad that we lost. I love this school so much. The passion comes from feeling for the kids. When you have those emotions you realize how much you’ve grown in the past two years.
“We played a team last week (Church Point) that reached the semifinals, and lost in the last minute. This team, coach Moy said at the beginning of the year they have state championship aspirations, and they were a quarterfinal team last year.”
Moy said the Wildcats expected Kaplan to give them their best shot.
“We knew,” Moy said. “But they got ours, too. People like to say discipline vs. athletes, or this, that and the other. Giving up 13 points to that ball club is tough, and our kids rose to the challenge.”
Brodie also was proud of the way his team played.
“I’m so proud of these guys and the way they fought,” he said. “Just being down early, we could’ve given up. It’s a different team than it was week 1 and week 2. Defensively we gave up five touchdowns in the last four games. They were on the field the entire first half and only gave up one touchdown. I’m really proud of my players. I’m really proud of my assistant coaches. They’ve been the hardest and longest working guys I’ve been around in coaching.”
In the end, the Wildcats got the win and the trophy they were after
“I’m always going to bet on our kids, and we got what we came for,” Moy said.