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 About 200 people arrived at Wildcat Stadium on Saturday to prepare for the upcoming football season.
For the past several years, the Abbeville High School band has been responsible for getting Wildcat Stadium ready for football season.
After receiving a call for help from the AHS Band Director Gabriel LeMoine, Wildcats head football coach Johnathan Zenon decided to make the cleanup and restoration a mandatory project for his team.
“The Band Director asked for a couple of guys to come out, so I just made it mandatory,” Zenon said.  “They have to understand it’s their stadium.  How do they want it to look on game night?”
  “Also, it’s an opportunity to give back to the community.  We want our guys to be good citizens.  We want them doing things in the community because it helps build that character we’re trying to instill in our young men here at Abbeville.”
It wasn’t just the football team and band that showed up, though. AHS Booster Club president Gil Meaux was there with a crew to do landscaping. Also, JH Williams staff and members of the middle school football team showed up to do their part.
 Brandon Johnson, an assistant coach on the AHS football team and a lifelong resident of Abbeville, was overwhelmed by the response from the team and the community.
“The turnout exceeded our expectations,” Johnson said.  “We had a vibrant mix of high school and junior high school student-athletes, band members, staff from AHS and JHW, and the booster club out here.  It was an awesome event.”
  Johnson also elaborated on how the school and the community are connected in Abbeville. He feels they lean on each other.  When one thrives, so does the other.
“Growing up in this community and now stepping into my third year as an assistant coach, I’ve come to understand the relationship between our school and the community deeply,” he continued.  “It’s more than just geography.  It’s about shared history, pride, and mutual support.”
   “As a graduate, I carry the memories of walking the halls, playing on that field, and feeling the energy of the community that always had our backs.  Our community isn’t just a backdrop for our school.  It’s the heartbeat that keeps us going.  When we walk out on that field, it’s not just about us.  It’s about everyone who’s ever walked through those doors or cheered in those stands.”
Abbeville will scrimmage the Patterson Lumberjacks on Friday at 6 p.m.. at Wildcat Stadium.

The North Vermilion High community is mourning the loss of one of its own. A woman who graduated from North Vermilion High School in 2015 and worked for the Baton Rouge mayor was killed in a car crash in Baton Rouge on Sunday.
According to The Advocate newspaper, 26-year-old Simone Pillette was driving a 2014 Lincoln MKZ on Interstate 12 eastbound around 1 a.m. on Sunday when the front driver’s side tire collided with the rear tire of a 2018 Jeep Wrangler. As a result, she veered off the road, struck a tree, and her car was engulfed in flames.
She died at the scene, the newspaper reports.
Pillette is the daughter of Raven Pillette Miller.
On Monday, Raven was interviewed by Baton Rouge’s TV Station Fox 33. Raven told the station that a scholarship would be set up in honor of her daughter.
“She would want all kids to participate in things and would not want money to be a reason why they could not,” Raven said in the TV interview.
On Facebook, Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome posted about the loss of Pillette. 
“With profound sadness, I share the news of the passing of Simone Pillette, a dedicated public servant and beloved member of our tea,” Broome wrote. “As our Office Manager, Simone was the heartbeat of our office. She was a devoted leader, handling many of our citizens’ requests and playing an integral role in the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Veterans Affairs.
“Beyond her professional contributions, Simone was a beautiful and caring person who lit up the room with her presence and brought positive energy to everyone around her. Her love for God was evident in everything she did, guiding her interactions with grace and compassion.
“As we mourn this tremendous loss, we remember her as a colleague and dear friend who made every day brighter. Let us honor her memory by continuing the work she was so passionate about and supporting one another as we navigate this loss together. Simone will be deeply missed, but her legacy will remain with us as we move forward.
Pillette was an alumna of North Vermilion High School, according to a post on the school’s Facebook page.
“With heavy hearts, we mourn the loss of our alumna, Simone Pillette, Class of 2015, who gained her heavenly wings this past weekend. Simone was a bright and vibrant presence at NVHS, leaving a legacy of kindness, talent, and dedication. During this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her,” the school said. 
Dr. Melanie Powell Butler wrote, “In 2017, I had the pleasure of meeting Simone, whose impressive qualities led me to recommend her to Ms. Green for an interview with the Mayor’s Office. It brings me great joy to know that you all valued her as much as we did. Simone was a bright, smart, wise beyond her years, and joyful young woman, selected for multiple student leadership events during her time in the College of Business at SU. Simone’s presence will be deeply missed. Anyone who adds that kind of value to the lives of others will always be missed when they go on home.”
Superintendent Tommy Byler was the principal at North Vermilion when she graduated. He added his thoughts about her loss.
“It is hard to comprehend that this young soul was taken from us so soon,” wrote Byler. “The sky was the limit for her. We all saw and knew that so long ago. I am sending my condolences to her family. RIP Monie. Heaven gained a confident and talented young lady.”