Erath head coach hugs 14 seniors after playoff loss

ERATH—After the tough 28-7 playoff defeat to the Loreaville Tigers on Friday, Erath head coach Eric LeBlanc sought out every senior on the field to express his love for them. He found 14 seniors chatting with friends and family and gave each one a hug.
“I tell them I love them because they put a lot into this program,” said LeBlanc.  “Many have been here four years. I tell them how much they mean to the program.”
Despite whether they were dressed in a football uniform or nursing an injury, LeBlanc managed to find each senior.
There was one senior he hugged a little longer than the rest. That senior was No. 34 Drake Domangue. Domangue injured his knee in the first game of the season against Loreauville. He had to have surgery and missed the entire season.
“I felt for him,” the coach said.
Heading into the Loreauville game, a team EHS beat 14-7 in the first game of the season, LeBlanc was a little concerned because after playing 11 straight weeks (counting the jamboree), the Bobcats suddenly got a bye and did not have to play on Friday.
“It was the unknown that worried me the most,” said LeBlanc about coming off of a bye. “We never had a bye and had to wait two weeks before a game.  I worried more about that than what Loreauville would do.”
The Tigers took their opening drive and marched 78 yards in six plays to go ahead 7-0. The Bobcats had to punt on their first three drives.
“Certain plays we were not sharp on,” he said. “That could have been because of the week off. No one was a fan of it. If I could choose, I would rather not have a bye week.”
Erath’s defense struggled to find a solution to stop Loreauville’s running and passing game.
Loureauville’s  Maddox Savoy was able to dominate on offense with his strong running style. Savoy had 30 carries for 187 yards. He could have reached 200 yards had the junior varsity not come into the game in the final 25 seconds. 
Coach LeBlanc said the first time Erath played Loreauvile, the weather conditions were different because it rained, and Savoy did not stand out like he did on Friday. 
When Maddox was not running over the Bobcats, Loreauville quarterback Hayden Benoit was picking the EHS defense apart. Benoit threw for 226 yards, completing 13 out of 18 passes.
The Tigers accumulated 443 yards of offense.
Erath, on the other hand, had 280 total yards. Erath rushed for 78 yards and threw for 202 yards.
Senior Mason Hebert, who scored the one touchdown on a 2-yard run, finished his final EHS game with 32 yards on eight carries.
EHS quarterback Jack Landry was 10 out of 22 throwing the football. He had a total of 202 yards, including a 50-yard pass to Jonathan Goodrich in the final 15 seconds of the game.
EHS head coach Eric LeBlanc will not let the second-round loss dampen the entire season. The seniors helped Erath finish 8-1 overall and also won an outright district championship.
“This has been an incredible season for the Bobcats,” he said. “These guys finished games and believed in themselves. I am not going to let this playoff game define our season. We had a great year, and the seniors should be proud of what they accomplished. I know I am proud of them, and I love them.”
The 14 seniors are Jonathan Goodrich (0), Coty Broussard (2), Mason Hebert (3), Sawyer Robbins (9), Torrien Alfred (10), Landon Bouillion (11), Luke Etie (12), Peyton Frederick (13), Cameron Soirez (15), Griffin LeBlanc (18), Eli Felipe (33), Drake Domange (34), Andre LeBlanc (60) and Kritein Potier (68).