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On Friday, during a match between the Abbeville Wildcats and the Erath Bobcats, a 5-foot tall freshman defensive back named Joseph Davis made the biggest play of his young life.
He took the ball from an Erath receiver’s hands deep in the endzone with 11 minutes to play, preventing Erath from scoring and possibly tying the game. This gave Abbeville the football and a ton of momentum on offense. As a result, Abbeville drove 80 yards in five minutes and scored, securing a huge district 20-12 win. Abbeville’s overall record improves to 6-2, while Erath’s falls to 1-7.
Davis, who is a full-time starter on the junior varsity team, said he and a teammate switched coverage and began guarding EHS receiver Cameron Soirez, who was running in the corner of the endzone.
“I went up and took the ball from him,” said Davis. “It was a big play.”
Davis worked his way up into the starting lineup because he plays on the junior varsity team and played varsity sparingly at the beginning of the season.
Abbeville head coach Roderick Moy praised Davis, saying, “He is a great tackler and someone we can count on. He is never too good to play junior varsity. He has played every JV game every Wednesday and started for us on Friday night. He is so unselfish. He gets his butt chewed weekly for his mistakes, but he takes it. Then he comes out and makes huge plays for us.”
According to Moy, the AHS defense helped win the game against Erath.
Davis’s interception was undoubtedly a game-changer and a testament to his skills on the field. Ending any chances of EHS making a comeback was defensive back Tajh Judge to secure the victory.
Moy said the AHS defense played a crucial role in securing the win, keeping the Wildcats in the game while the offense stepped up when it mattered most.
After Davis’ interception, Abbeville started its possession at the 20-yard line with just over 10 minutes left in the game. Moy’s objective was for the team to score a touchdown and take time off the clock.
During the drive, Zaylun Williams, a linebacker playing fullback, made a crucial play. Known as the “Enforcer,” Williams carried the ball up the middle and for a 37-yard run to the EHS 13-yard line. Two plays later, Justin Montgomery scored the security touchdown.
Throughout the game, the Wildcats relied on running the ball, while the Bobcats successfully passed it. EHS sophomore quarterback Jack Landry attempted to pick apart the AHS defense, completing 9 out of 13 passes for 92 yards in the first half and ending the game with 15 out of 25 passes for 146 yards.
Abbeville started strong by marching 80 yards in five plays, scoring on their second possession of the game. The longest play was a 65-yard run up the middle by TeZarron Stewert. Edmar Simon III scored a five-yard run for a 6-0 lead.
The Bobcats responded on their next drive by marching 60 yards on three passing plays and three runs by Landon LeMaire, covering a total of 14 yards. Jack Landry completed a nine-yard TD pass to Christian Pillette with 11 minutes left in the first half.
Abbeville’s defense stopped the two-point conversion, keeping the game tied at 6-all.
Abbeville took the lead on an 12-yard run from quarterback DaZavien Maze with 7:15 left to play in the first half. They finished the half with a 12-6 lead.
Abbeville travels to St. Martinville next Friday, while Erath is home against Crowley.

January 8, 1961 ~ October 17, 2023

ABBEVILLE — Funeral services will be held at 3:00 PM on Friday, October 20, 2023 at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville honoring the life of Gina Marie Vaughan, 62, who died Tuesday, October 17, 2023 at Abbeville General Hospital. She will be laid to rest at Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery with Russell Hayes officiating the services. Those serving as pallbearers will be Shane LeBlanc, Brody Dupuis, Luke LeBlanc, Marcus LeBlanc, Brett Vaughan, and Rixby Broussard.
She is survived by her son, Brett Vaughan and his wife, Karlie; granddaughter, Zayda Vaughan; step-grandson, Carter Derouen; brother, Scott Smith; sisters, Lisa Vaughan, Natasha LeBlanc, and Marlene Patterson; brother-in-law, Shane LeBlanc; nephew, Luke LeBlanc; nieces, Lauren LeBlanc, Alyssa LeBlanc, Melissa Bobo, and Megan Bobo; great-nephews, Maverick Dupuis and Lincoln Boudreaux; and great-nieces, Hailey Lattero and Layla Bobo.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Virginia Landry Norman; step-father, Cecil Norman; Godchild, Matthew Primeaux; grandparents, Alton and Leta Dubois Landry; and father of her son, Alvin Hull.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Friday, October 20, 2023 from 9:00 AM until time of services.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, (337) 893-4661.

A man was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly hitting a school resource officer (SRO) with his vehicle and then threatening to fight him after dropping off his child at North Vermilion High School.
Keith Dain Sellers Jr., 37, was charged with aggravated battery, threatening a public official, and failure to obey police officers and traffic signals.
The Vermilion Parish Special Response Team arrested him at his house without any incident.
The SRO was directing traffic in the student drop-off area when the incident occurred.
He instructed the driver of a tan Toyota to turn west instead of turning east from the westbound line. However, the driver became irate and ignored him. When the SRO tried to direct the driver, the car hit the SRO, forcing him onto the car’s hood. The driver then stopped, turned around, and drove off while cursing the SRO and threatening him with bodily harm.
Fortunately, the SRO was not injured, and the Vermilion Parish School Board provided a video that documented the incident and assisted in the investigation. Sellers remained in the Vermilion Parish jail on Thursday afternoon, with a bond set on three of the charges totaling $37,500, but with no bond set on three other charges.

Shirley LeBlanc Ditch was crowned homecoming queen at Mt. Carmel in 1953, seventy years ago.
Recently, her children discovered that their mother was not only part of the homecoming court, but she was also the queen.
However, when asked about it, Shirley changed the topic and spoke about her friends on the court instead.

Shirley is the daughter of the late Edward LeBlanc and Neda Comeaux LeBlanc, and the sister of retired General Bob LeBlanc and the late Dr. Edward J. LeBlanc, Jr.
After finishing high school, she pursued further education at USL, where she graduated in education. It was there that she met Oliver Perry Ditch, a retired US Air Force personnel, and they were married for 64 years until his recent death.
The couple has four children - Karen Dominick, Perry Ditch, Richard Ditch, and David Ditch - as well as eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.