VC holds off Erath in fourth quarter

It’s tough to come back when you’re down 21 points in the first quarter. Somehow, the Erath Bobcats fought hard and reduced the deficit to just seven points with less than three minutes remaining.
Erath scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but time ran out, and the Eagles (4-0) won 41-34. The Bobcats were trailing 35-13 at the 7-minute mark in the third period but never gave up.
At the 3:32 mark in the fourth quarter, EHS quarterback Jack Landry found Luke Etie open for a 22-yard touchdown pass. Suddenly, Erath had new life and only trailed 41-27 with 3:32 to play in the game. Erath head coach Eric LeBlanc called for an onside kick, and Erath sophomore Ayden Tallmore successfully recovered the ball.
Erath recovered the onside kick at the VC 38. On first down, EHS quarterback Jack Landry connected with Talen Landry for a 38-yard touchdown reception. Eli Felipe nailed the extra point for EHS. Suddenly, the Bobcats were only down by seven points (41-34) with three minutes to play.
Erath attempted a second onside kick but had a different outcome than the first. With the hands team on the field for the kickoff, VC’s Will Simon recovered the onside kick at midfield.
The Bobcats needed to stop the Eagles’ offense on four downs to get the ball back. But that was harder said than done because of the VC quarterback. 
VC quarterback Jonathan Dartez carried the ball on all seven plays on the final drive.
With 22 seconds remaining in the game and VC facing a fourth down on the EHS 21-yard line, Dartez ran for 10 yards to secure a first down and VC’s fourth victory.
“On our end, that is two games in a row we had a chance to put a team away, and we did not quite do it,” said VC head Broc Prejean. “But I have to give Erath credit. Coach (Eric) LeBlanc and his team fought to the end.  That is a heck of an effort for them not to quit. I am proud of him as a coach on how Erath played. They pushed us all of the way.”
The last time VC lost a regular-season game was in 2021 against Erath (36-34). Dartez, who was a freshman at the time, was the quarterback in that game. Since that loss, Dartez has not lost another regular-season game. VC has now won 29 straight regular-season games.
“Our offense always runs through John-John,” said Prejean. “He was hungry for this one. I know the score 36-34 still weighs heavy on him.  I remember seeing him as a freshman, losing to Erath three years ago. He earned the right to be the deciding factor in this game.”
Dartez finished the game with 168 yards rushing on 32 carries and three TDs. He also threw for 202 yards and three touchdowns.
Erath head coach Eric LeBlanc was proud of his team and how they fought back in the fourth period.
“It is hard to overcome after getting down like we did, especially against a team like VC,” said LeBlanc. “We were down 21-0 like that. 
“Overall, as a team, we executed well, except in the first quarter. We stepped up at the right moment.”
In the first quarter, VC scored twice on a 62-yard TD reception by Hudson Hebert and a 32-yard TD reception by Allen McLain III. McLain also caught a 34-yard TD reception in the second period.
Hudson had five catches for 114 yards and a touchdown.
EHS quarterback Jack Landry completed 13 out of 26 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns. 
Cameron Soirez led Erath with four catches for 131 yards. His longest catch of the game was a 68-yarder.
Johnathan Goodrich had five catches for 40 yards.
Landry had 10 carries for 57 yards, Mason Hebert had 15 carries for 57 yards, and he scored twice for the Bobcats.