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The Wildcats will try and beat VC on Friday.

Abbeville /VC meet for the first time in football

The date of Sept. 20, 2019 is now historical in Vermilion Parish’s high school football history.
On Friday the Abbeville High Wildcats play the Vermilion Catholic Eagles in football.
It will be the first time in parish history these two teams meet up on the football field for a varsity game. They have played one another in basketball, softball, baseball, tennis, and possibly soccer.
The Wildcats are a Class 3A football team who is 0-2 after Week 2.
The Eagles are a Class 1A football team who is 1-1 after Week 2.
The game is at 7 p.m. at Vermilion Catholic.
Tickets are on sale for $8 at each school.
VC head coach Kevin Fouquier’s Eagles are coming off a loss to Opelousas Catholic. Despite Abbeville’s record, he is not taking them lightly, because of their athletes.
“Abbeville would love to beat Vermilion Catholic,” said Fouquier. “It would make their season. I get worried about every team we play, including Abbeville. We are playing a Class 3A school. They have athletes. It scares me.”
Fouquier rattled off names of Wildcats who stood out on film. He was impressed with AHS quarterback Jaidyn O’Brien, tailback Charles Shuford, Brennan Shelvin and Christian Alvarez.
He is also worried about Abbeville’s offensive linemen because of their size.
The Wildcats and the Eagles run a contrasting styles of offense.
The Eagles are great at throwing the football and good at running it.
The Wildcats are good at running the football and decent at throwing the football.
Behind the arm of junior quarterback Drew Lege, VC is averaging 329 yards a game throwing the football. In two games, he threw for 659 yards.
Lege has a group of receivers who can catch.
Saul Dartez leads the team and parish with 12 catches for 141 yards. He averages 12 yards a catch. John Robert Allumns is second on the team with 10 catches for 148 yards. He is averaging 15 yards a catch.
VC likes to throw short passes to running back Moe Maxile (9 catches, 91 yards).
VC receivers average 10 yards a catch.
The Eagles do like to run. Against Catholic High, they ran for a total of 165 yards. On the year, they have 263 rushing yards.
Andre LeBlanc leads the team with 117 yards on 16 carries. Maxile had 19 totes for 98 yards.
The leader on defense for VC is linebacker Jacques Touchet (6-1, 230 pounds). In the loss to Opelousas Catholic, Touchet had a career-high 16 solo tackles and four assists.
On the year he has 23 total tackles.
Maxile, VC’s safety, had nine tackles last week.
“VC’s offense is going to put our defense to a test,” said AHS head coach Kevin Kern, who coached at VC in the mid 2000s. “Their receivers run crisp routes and Drew throws the ball quick. They counter with a good run game. They have an impressive offense.”
The Wildcats’ offense is still trying to find itself.
AHS head coach Kevin Kern installed a new wide-open offense for 2019.
In two games, Abbeville has scored only 15 points. Last week against Rayne, the Wildcats scored eight.
A year ago after two games, Abbeville scored 44 points.
O’Brien, who has good speed, is the quarterback.
O’Brien had a good game throwing the pigskin last week. He threw for 103 yards, including one that went for a 67-yard touchdown reception to Garrick Scott.
Shelvin had two catches for 23 yards.
Rushing the ball, O’Brien had 10 carries for 18 yards last week. He has 63 yards rushing in two games.
Nine Wildcats carried the football against Rayne, and not one had more than 20 yards.
Marshall Major leads Abbeville on defense with 14 tackles.

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