Delcambre High School announced Karlie Crochet as the 2017
Homecoming Queen during halftime of Friday’s football game.
Delcambre High School announced Karlie Crochet as the 2017
Homecoming Queen during halftime of Friday’s football game.
Erath's Luke Frederick is tackled by North Vermilion players.
LEROY – The North Vermilion Patriots are sitting pretty. Just don't expect them to rest on their laurels. There's simply too much left to accomplish.
Coach Richard Prejean's squad rebounded from last week's narrow loss to Patterson with a resounding 34-0 victory over winless Vermilion Parish rival Erath on Friday, improving to 5-2 on the year.
It was the kind of performance every coach wants to see in answer to adversity.
“Every week is a step in our development,” Prejean said. “The kids were angry after the loss last week, and they were focused on getting better. I told them to win the game Monday through Thursday at practice.
“I like where we're sitting, to be 5-2 at this point. We've got some kids who've been banged up, that we're getting off IR (injured reserve). These players handled losing last year, when we played a lot of young kids. They went through great pains to figure it out.
“There's a level of maturity on this team that I like.”
What's not to like about a 34-0 win over a rival? Junior quarterback Garrett Becker said the seeds were sown during the week.
“It was a tough loss last week,” he said. “But we practiced hard all week and came back from it tonight. Erath is always a good opponent and it was easy to focus.”
When a team is winning, big plays seem to pop up at perfect times. Struggling teams, in turn, can't seem to find the key.
NVHS took a 7-0 lead in the second quarter on a 5-yard run by Malik Criner, two plays after the EHS punter couldn't handle the snap and was swarmed under at his 19.
It was 14-0 at half, thanks to a Bobcat fumble at the visitors' 43. Criner appeared to score on a 41-yard run, but a penalty wiped it out. Undaunted, he rambled for 40 to the EHS 16 on the next snap to set up Creed Rudd's 16-yard TD.
Erath attempted to cut the lead to start the third period behind Cameron Landry, but was halted by another fumble at the Patriots' 24.
Becker soon capped a 76-yard drive to make it 20-0 when he bobbled a shotgun snap, recovered it, escaped and finally high-stepped it in to finish off a 40-yard TD and effectively bury the luckless visitors.
Other North Vermilion scores came on Kade Hebert's 26-yard blocked punt return and a 5-yard run by Rudd.
Criner led the win, as usual, with 111 yards, but there were plenty of standouts.
“They did something different to load up the box and stop Malik,” Prejean said. “We had to adjust to that. But, we've also got plenty of other guys who are overlooked but can make plays for us.”
Landry hit 13-of-30 passes for 190 yards in defeat before being relieved by Luke LeBlanc, but the Bobcats were clearly overmatched in falling to 0-7.
“It's very different than last year,” Becker said. “We've got numbers across the board. Nobody has to play both sides of the ball. We've got athletes all over the field. My role is to keep them up, keep us grinding it down the field, keep us moving.”
Abbeville is next up, and Becker has a plan.
“We need to keep playing our game,” he said. “We want to improve as a team, make the playoffs, go as hard as we can and see how far we can go.”
That doesn't sound like a satisfied team. Not yet.
“We didn't execute 100 percent tonight,” Prejean said. “There are still things we need to work on to get better.”
Bernadette Dawson Benoit and Don Chauvin hold their awards at the banquet.
Two were inducted into the Abbeville High Athletic Hall of Fame on Thursday.
They were also honored at Friday’s football game at halftime.
Inducted were Bernadette Dawson Benoit, 1989 AHS graduate, and Don Chauvin, who was inducted for the work he did to make Abbeville High athletics better and was also one of the founding fathers of the AHS Athletic Hall of Fame.
Benoit was a two-sport (basketball and track) athlete. Her freshman year she quit track but came back strong, the following three years.
Her events were in the 400, relays and high jump. She won state her senior year in the high jump and finished second in the 400 meter dash.
At state, she placed second in the 400 with a personal time of 59.54 and after several passes at increasing height in the high jump she cleared the winning height with her first jump to win the state title.
She went on to win the Roddy Menard Memorial Award, on of the highest honors bestowed upon an Abbeville High athlete.
Benoit, who is married and has five children, had family and friends attend the banquet. Saying a few words about Benoit was her former AHS track coach Joyce Thibodeaux.
Thibodeaux, who is now retired from teaching, remembered an interview Benoit did with William Weathers, then sports writer of the Abbeville Meridional. Benoit said in the interview after a track meet, that she wanted to make a name for herself because it was her senior year.
“Making a name for yourself is happening tonight,” said Thibodeaux. “You will be among the great athletes and individuals who have walked the halls and competed loyally as a Wildcat for Abbeville. Seven women have come before you and are enshrined forever as members of this elite group.”
Benoit held back tears as she thanked everyone for making her who she is today. She praised her parents, Elbert and Jenny Dawson. Elbert attended every track meet and stood by the fence yelling advice to his daughter. Jenny always cheered her daughter on from the stands.
“I am really, really honored,” said Benoit. “I remember walking through the halls of Abbeville High and seeing the wall with all of those great people (in the hall of fame) and saying as a high student, ‘One day, I want to be in there.’ At that time, there was no women in the hall of fame. I wanted to be the first one. That was my goal.”
She was not the first, but she was the seventh. She was happy to be named one of the women. She praised God, her family and friends for making her who she is today.
Chauvin, who is an honoree selection, played football at AHS and was second team all-district. It was not what he did in high school that landed him in the hall of fame, it was what did after high school.
When he learned he was selected into the hall of fame, it caught Chauvin off guard. “I was speechless for about 10 seconds,” said Chauvin. “I am humbled that they saw fit to honor me with this presentation.”
Chauvin was asked by then head football coach Mike Conlin to create the AHS Athletic Hall of Fame. Serving on the first committee were Donald Toups, Harris LeMaire and Barbara LeMaire.
Elijah Mitchell
LAFAYETTE – If the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns are going to rally to earn a sixth bowl berth in the last 7 years, they’ll have to do it without rising freshman star Elijah Mitchell.
The first-year running back from Erath High missed Thursday’s 24-7 home victory over Texas State and will be sidelined the rest of the season with an injured left foot that he suffered in the Oct. 7 win at Idaho.
“We looked at it again today,” coach Mark Hudspeth said on Friday, “and unfortunately our fears were confirmed. Elijah will have surgery on the foot and will be out for the rest of the year. He should be ready for January.
“You’re not sure how those things happen in the heat of the action. Someone rolled up on that foot.”
The setback came just as Mitchell was beginning to form a backfield tandem with power-running redshirt freshman Trey Ragas, adding a smooth-stepping long distance threat to Ragas’s thrusts between the tackles.
In the season-opening 51-48 win over Southeastern Louisiana, Mitchell showed he belonged on the college stage with 56 yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts.
That promise grew one week later when, despite a road loss at Tulsa, the former EHS Bobcat had 84 yards on just 8 carries, scoring on a 20-yard run and having another dash of 28 yards. He also scored on a 19-yard reception.
There were setbacks, to be expected among freshmen, as Mitchell was limited to a combined 10 yards on 10 attempts in road games against Texas A&M and Idaho.
But in between, in the 56-50 shootout home loss to UL Monroe, Mitchell recorded the first 100-yard game of his budding career with 107 yards on 13 carries, touchdowns of 1 and 10 yards and a long gain of 38.
Hudspeth put him on the shelf for Texas State. Then the decision was made to have surgery to preserve his longterm health and value to the program.
For the year, Mitchell has 257 yards and 4 touchdowns on 42 carries – averaging a robust 6.1 yards per carry – as well as 3 receptions for 25 yards and a fifth score.
“Elijah is a strong runner, one who’s got everything you look for at the position,” Hudspeth said. “He’s not small (5-11, 221), and he’s not big and slow. He’s got good speed and outstanding ball skills. And he has excellent lateral movement.”
Mitchell was one of the prize recruits of 2017 for the Cajuns after rushing for 1,903 yards and 28 touchdowns as an EHS senior in 2016. For his high school career, he totaled 4,045 yards and 50 touchdowns on 457 attempts (8.9 yards per carry).
He missed action due to injuries as a senior at Erath, playing fully in only 8 games.
Mitchell is still considered a likely candidate to follow in the footsteps of current New York Jets rookie Elijah McGuire as the next running back star of the Cajun program.
That role will have to wait until the 2018 season, though, as Ragas and others share the load in the UL ground game.
In Thursday’s win over Texas State, Ragas had 10 carries for 72 yards and senior Darius Hoggins chipped in with 42 on eight.
“We’re fortunate to have depth at the running back position,” Hudspeth said. “Others will have to step up. We were rolling with two freshmen (Ragas and Mitchell) and it’s exciting to think about what the next three seasons can be like with them.”
Now 3-3 overall and 2-1 in the Sun Belt Conference after their win over Texas State, the Cajuns travel to face Arkansas State next Thursday in a nationally televised contest.
EDITOR’S NOTE: As a freshman player, Mitchell was not allowed to talk to media members during his initial college campaign.
Abbeville quarterback Chad Celestine scored against Patterson.
The Abbeville Wildcats actually outplayed the Patterson Lumberjacks for three out of the four quarters. It was that one quarter that cost them the game.
The Wildcats fell 34-24 to Patterson in front of a homecoming crowd.
“After the Jeanerette game, we had people crying,” said AHS head coach Kevin Kern. “Tonight, they had enough (of losing). They wanted to come out and show what they are made of. This game proved that we can do better than what our record shows. This game should go a long way.”
The two teams took jabs from one another in the first half. The Wildcats scored and then Patterson came back and scored.
Abbeville looked like it was going to take a 16-13 lead into halftime. But Patterson marched down field in the final 30 seconds of the first half and scored and they went into the locker room leading 20-13.
“We had a couple of things go against us in the first half,” Kern said. “We had two touchdowns called back because of penalties. That knocked us back a little.
“I am proud of them. They came out and I saw a difference in them that I have not seen in them this season. Tonight, with the exception of the third quarter, we played well. If play all four quarters, I think we will shock some people.”
Abbeville could not get across midfield in the third period. Its offense stalled. Then bad luck struck on a bad snap to the punter deep in Patterson’s territory. The Lumberjacks fell on the bouncing ball at AHS’ 25. Three plays later, Patterson is in the end zone and sitting on a 27-16 lead.
On the kickoff, Patterson was successful with an onside kick and recovered it at midfield.
The drive was killed when AHS free safety Jo’Ron Trahan intercepted a pass and ran it back 40-yards, but Abbeville’s offense stalled and could not cash in on the interception.
Patterson got the ball back and marched 70-yards and scored with five minutes to play in the game.
Patterson had 372 yards of total offense, while Abbeville had 327.
Abbeville out rushed Patterson, 318 to 287 yards.
The Wildcats were led in rushing by Deion Williams (28-146 yards, 1 TD) and quarterback Chad Celestine (14-98, 2 TDs). Other ball carriers were Tavian Menard (7-36), Tavis Briggs (6-22) and Channing Spears (3-11).
Junior quarterback Colt Dooley ran for 182 yards on Friday.
Delcambre junior quarterback Colt Dooley ran for 182 yards and threw for another 81 yards in the Panthers’ 35-25 loss to Ascension Christian.
His longest run was a 33-yard run. He also scored two TDs on 1-yard TD runs. He led the team in carries with 27.
He also threw two touchdowns. He had a 14-yard TD pass to Katom Migues.
At the start of the second quarter, Delcambre (0-7) led 13-7. Ascension tied it 13-13 and then took a 21-13 lead.
With two minutes to play in the third period, DHS scored to make it 29-25.
Noah Broussard had 11 carries for 50 yards for DHS.
Cauy Menard keeps his balance for VC after a catch and then heads up field for a touchdown.
The Vermilion Catholic Eagles were too much for the Gueydan Bears, cruising to a 48-0 victory on Friday in Abbeville.
It was 21-0 after the first quarter and 41-0 at half time.
The Eagles had to punt on their first possession of the game, but then scored each time they had the ball in the first half.
VC punt returner Ethan Lege set up VC’s first touchdown with a nice punt return down to the Gueydan 26-yard line. Three plays later, VC quarterback JT Lege threw to Cauy Menard, who put a move on a Gueydan defender and then ran 20-yards for a touchdown. Menard finished with three receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown.
On VC’s next possession, Lege connected with Kris Constantine on a short pass that Constantine turned into a 55-yard touchdown. He made a Gueydan defender miss and it was a clear path to the end zone after that.
With three minutes left in the first period, the Eagles got the ball at their own 27 and marched 73 yards for another score. Lege, who does not run much, ran six yards for a touchdown.
The Bears tried to score at the start of the second period when they got down inside the 5-yard line. VC’s defense stopped the scoring threat. When VC got possession of the ball, Kalix Broussard broke a couple of tackles and sprinted 85-yards for a touchdown.
Lege would add another TD on a 1-yard run and then with 11 seconds left in the first half, he connected with Cauy for a 2-yard TD and put the game away.
Lege was almost perfect throwing the football. He was 12-of-16 for 256-yards and three TDs. He also ran for two.
Kalix Broussard had only 8 carries but he rushed for 115 yards.
Andre LeBlanc (3-18) and Lege (3-18) also had carries.
Constantine had four receptions for 110 yards, while Garrett Wiggins had 2 catches for 19 yards.
For Gueydan, Mark Clark had 12 carries for 82 yards and Blaire Broussard had 7 totes for 37-yards.
Blaire was 7-of-17 passing for 47-yards.
KHS head coach Stephen Lotief talks to his team during a time out. Mac Thibeaux (28) ran for 302 yards.
The Berwick Panthers were run over by a “Mac” on Friday, in Kaplan.
That Mac was Mac Thibeaux of the Kaplan Pirates.
Thibeaux rushed for a career high 302-yards and scored three touchdowns to help the Pirates beat the Panthers, 46-28, in front of a homecoming crowd.
Thibeaux came into the game with 576-yards rushing and only four TDs. Friday, he carried the ball 30 times and averaged 10-yards a carry.
He had a 62-yard TD run, 52-yard TD run and a 10-yard TD run.
The win puts the Pirates (4-3, 2-0) in good position for a district title.
Kaplan was behind most of the first half and part of third period.
At halftime, the Pirates went into the locker room, losing 28-16 but came out in the second half and dominated.
The Pirates cut the lead to 28-24 on Matt Roden’s 4-yard run at the 6:44 mark.
The Pirates scored four straight touchdowns, while shutting down the Panthers offense.
They outscored Berwick 22-0 in the fourth period.
The KHS defense held Berwick to only 12-yards of total offense and no first downs in the second half.
The KHS defense even scored when Trae Case fell on the ball in the end zone with 1:36 to play in the game.
Kaplan had a season-high 556-yards of total offense; 544 on the ground.
Top rushers for KHS were Braylon Romero (21-93), Roden (11-81) and Drake Abshire (2-32).
Case was 1-of-5 passing for 12-yards.
February 12, 1938 ~ October 11, 2017
ABBEVILLE — A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 AM on Monday, October 16, 2017 at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church honoring the life of Adam Abshire Jr., 79, who died Wednesday, October 11, 2017.
He will be laid to rest at St. Paul Cemetery with Reverend Louis Richard officiating the services. Pallbearers will be Joshua Meaux, Kade Abshire, Kameron Abshire, Taylor Abshire, Coty Trahan and Chanley Maturin. Honorary pallbearers will be Miranda Vice, Megan Abshire, Maci Savoy, Brooke Boudreaux and Chelsea Trahan.
Adam is survived by his wife of 60 years, Jenny M. Mouton Abshire; as well as his children, Jerome Abshire (Shawn), Dean Abshire (Monica), Rachel Meaux (Arnold), Kent Abshire (Ann) and Randy Abshire (Twyla); brother, Truman Abshire; ten grandchildren; and twenty great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Adam Abshire Sr. and the former Alicia Thibault; brothers, Alex Abshire, Alfred Abshire, Leo Abshire, and Otis Abshire; and sisters, Alice LeBlanc, Bernice Duhon, Jeanne Schexnider, Stella Duhon, Eve Richard and Rosa Roche.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Sunday, October 15, 2017 from 2:00 PM until 10:00 PM with a rosary being prayed at 7:00 PM; Monday, October 16, 2017 from 8:00 AM until 9:45 AM when the procession will depart for the church.
The family would like to express a special thanks to Heart of Hospice, Home Health of Acadiana and Our Lady of Lourdes and his doctors for the love and care they gave to our husband and father.
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.
The damaged brick wall at Magdalen Square.
Abbeville's Magdalen Square wall was damaged early Thursday morning after a driver slammed into a brick wall.
The crash happened just after midnight at the corner of Pere Megret St. and N. Main St., Abbeville Police Lt. David Hardy said.
Joseph Magnon, 37, was charged with a third DUI offense. He was also charged with possession of synthetic marijuana, a drug Abbeville police say is on the rise.
Magnon is being held in the Vermilion Parish Jail on a $61,000 bond.
318 N. Main St.
Abbeville, LA 70510
Phone: 337-893-4223
Fax: 337-898-9022
219 North Cushing Avenue
Kaplan, LA 70548