Abbeville able to beat Erath with help of defense

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.