Kaplan did not get the win, but eyeing district title, Russo Trophy

KAPLAN - The Kaplan Pirates were hoping for a win against the Church Point Bears, but unfortunately, it didn’t happen.
The Bears took the lead by 12 points in the first quarter and managed to hold on to their lead to win the non-district game 12-8.
The Pirates’ chances were hindered by two fumbles and an interception that stopped them from scoring.
“It wasn’t our best game,” admitted KHS head coach Cory Brodie. “We can’t take anything away from Church Point. They (Church Point) played well and deserved to win. We lost the game as much as they won it.”
Despite the loss, Kaplan, 3-0 in district, can win the district championship as they have a crucial game against the 7-2 Abbeville Wildcats on Friday.
Abbeville also has a 3-0 record in District 5-3A after defeating the St. Martinville Tigers 36-28 on Friday.
The winner of the upcoming district championship game will not only be declared the district champion but will also receive valuable power points to enhance their chances of hosting a first-round playoff game.
Additionally, there is the Peter Russo Trophy, which is awarded to the winner of the Abbeville-Kaplan game every year.
This trophy 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. The trophy has been awarded since 1961 when the Russo family established it. Abbeville recently won the trophy for the first time in 16 years and retained it with a close 14-13 win in their last game.
Kaplan head coach Cory Brodie did not mention the Abbeville game during practice leading up to the Church Point game.
“We knew we had a really good opponent next and could not worry about Abbeville until next week,” said Brodie after losing to Church Point.
The Bears had an easy time against the Pirates in the first quarter, scoring on two big drives and leading 12-0.
On their opening drive, the Bears marched 65 yards in nine plays for their first touchdown.
After stopping Kaplan on their first possession, the Bears went 68 yards in three plays, with quarterback Jayden Reese scoring a 48-yard touchdown run.
The Pirates tried to respond on their next possession, marching 60 yards and getting down to the Bears’ one-yard line, but they fumbled and the Bears recovered.
The Pirates’ defense held, and they got the ball back on their 40-yard line. This time, the Pirates marched 60 yards for a touchdown, with Daylon Landry scoring from the two, and he would also score the two-point conversion.
Kaplan went into the locker room down 12-8.
Unfortunately for the Pirates, their bad luck continued in the second half.
They took their opening second-half drive and marched down to the Bears’ 22-yard line, but they fumbled.
The Pirates’ defense was able to slow down the Bears and keep them out of the end zone in the second half.
The Bears attempted a 30-yard pass in the end zone, but it was broken up by defensive backs Andre Marceaux and Cory Terro.
The Pirates got the ball back and, two plays into the drive, quarterback Sabe David threw a pass that bounced off the Kaplan receiver and into the hands of a Church Point defender. The Bears ran out the final four minutes on the clock to secure the win.
Jed Devoltz led Kaplan with 18 carries for 73 yards. Daylon Landry rushed 17 times for 50 yards. Bradyn Bearb had three carries for 17 yards. Dane Frick had four carries for 14 yards. David completed three out of five passes for 61 yards, with receptions for KHS by Landry (1-34), Bearb (1-6) and Andre Marceaux (1-21).
The loss dropped the Pirates (7-2) to No. 23 in the Division II Non-Select Power Ranking and move Church Point (6-3) up to No. 15 in the Division II Non-Select Power ranking.