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The Abbeville High Wildcats would like to be able to throw the ball as well as run it on offense, but with the way its offensive line dominated a young Beau Chene team for homecoming this past Friday, AHS head coach Roderick Moy was pleased to see the way his team imposed its will on the game.
“We went out and made a statement about what we want to be,” Moy said after his team’s 36-7 win over the Gators. “I keep saying every week we’re going to have to throw the ball — somebody’s going to make us throw the ball — and we do want to e as multiple as we possibly can be, but at the same time, I’m glad we were able to impose our will and weren’t forced to do anything we didn’t really want to.”
The Wildcats rushed for 350 yards and only passed once, with six players getting carries and five of them scoring touchdowns. Three players ran for at least 85 yards — Edmar Simon III (87 yards on six runs), Tazavian Andrews (95 yards, 11 carries) and Justin Montgomery (15 runs, 115 yards).
The Wildcats are also benefiting from the weekly improvements that sophomore quarterback Da’Zavien Maze is making.
“Da’Zavien Maze is really starting to read that option very well,” Moy said. “He pulled that thing out of there when nobody else was expecting it and scored a touchdown last week. I’m very pleased that he’s getting better every week in that position.”
But it all began up front for Abbeville.
“The offensive line on that side of the ball (played very well),” Moy said. “I was very impressed with our linebackers. A lot of that has to do with the defensive line keeping them clean, but those two guys, who are new to that position for us — Zaylun Williams and Tyrin Doucette — are coming into their own, and they’re making us a lot better with their play in that position. We’re much improved right there over the first two weeks of the season.”
Abbeville gets an early game in this week, traveling to face West St. Mary on Thursday.
“Athletic guys on the perimeter, they have some good size to where they’re going to throw four or five jump balls up there and we’re going to have to be in position to stop that,” Moy said in describing the Wolfpack. “We’re going to try to negate their speed with our power and see which one wins.”
The Wildcats will again look to control the ball on offense to keep WSM’s offense off the field.
“Our best defense is going to be a ball-control offense to limit their opportunities and limit their explosive plays,” Moy said. “If their offense isn’t on the field, they can’t score.”
The defense is a mirror of the offense, Moy said.
“Tall, athletic, lean guys, that can really run,” he said. “They can really cover sideline to sideline, so we’re not going to have any secrets. We’re going to go right at them and try to impose our will with power football.”
Moy said that so far this week his team has done a good job preparing for an earlier game.
“We had a really, really good practice (Monday) trying to build two days into one, because we’re going to lose a day on Wednesday that was normally a longer day for us,” he said. “But the kids came out very focused. We had a very good practice, a little longer than usual, but the kids were very focused and I was very pleased with our preparation.
“It’s a short week for them, too, so I think we’ll be ready come Thursday night.”

The second half of the season starts this week for the Vermilion Catholic Eagles, and winning a district title still means a lot to the program in an age of expanded playoffs with separate select and non-select divisions.
VC plays the first of six straight District 7-A games at home on Friday, taking on the Highland Baptist Bears.
“We’re going into our second half of the season with district games from here on out, and that’s important to us,” Vermilion Catholic head coach Broc Prejean said. “We want to try to defend our title as district champs, and that starts with Highland, and it’s just going to continue to be that same monotonous message of play complimentary football. Three phases have to pick each other up, and all three phases have to know what they’re doing. When we do that, we’ve proven that we can play some quality football.”
Prejean said that as long as there are districts in the state, coaches want to make sure their teams stay at the top of their districts.
“It’s a big thing for our kids,” he said. “We value it immensely. It’s something that we talk about. When the playoffs get here, the playoffs get here. But right now our attention is on winning a district title, and that’s what we’re going to focus on.”
Prejean said the Bears’ 0-4 record isn’t great right now, but coach Rick Hutson will put his team in position to be competitive, and the Eagles will have to show up and execute, he said.
“Coach Hutson does a great job,” Prejean said. “I’ve known Coach Hutson for a while now. I believe he told me this is his 40th year coaching, so you’ve got a whole lot of experience on that sideline.”
The Eagles held a powerful Erath offense to two first-half touchdowns in a 38-14 win.
Prejean said the entire defense did a great job.
“Credit to the coaching staff for putting together a great gameplan, and even more credit to the kids for executing that gameplan,” Prejean said. “The first quarter was tough. The first half was tough, with the rain starting in the second quarter. But our guys didn’t flinch, and they continued to trust what we’re asking them to do, so we were able to pull away late. It was a big win, a great win, against a really formidable team in the Bobcats, and we’re really pleased with it.”
Prejean said defensive coordinator Brett Blakey and the defensive coaches did a good job of adjusting to what Erath was doing.
“I think it was the most complete defensive performance we’ve had this year,” Prejean said.
On offense, quarterback Jonathan Dartez did a good job of taking what was there.
“I thought Tyjh (Williams) got rolling again, and that’s a credit to our offensive line and wide receivers blocking,” Prejean said. “And we made some big catches when we had to, so we’re playing a little more like we want to play. We’re spreading the ball around and being a little more of a spread team.”
The offensive line’s play has been marked by that group focusing on its mission.
“They’re playing really, really strong assignment football,” Prejean said. “That’s the tough thing when you have an inexperienced group is are they going to have the answers to the test when people start changing things around in front of them, and we’ve been very pleased with how well they’ve been able to make their own adjustments in game. At that point we just ask them to execute as hard as they can, and we really have no complaints so far.”
The Eagles will mark the 70th anniversary of the 1953 Mt. Carmel “Iron Dozen” football team, along with the 1954 Mt. Carmel team, and will honor members of the 2003 and 2013 Vermilion Catholic state championship football teams on the 20th and 10th anniversaries of those titles, respectively.
“I’m super excited about our kids getting the opportunity to see the legacies and traditions of former teams that have done some pretty special things,” Prejean said. “Starting with the first team in ’53 and ’54, to the 2003 and 2013 state champions. Those things happen as a product of work and sacrifice and years of kids building themselves to that point, so we’re definitely going to make sure our young men take note of that.”

Each year Dozier Elementary randomly chooses one boy and one girl from the first-grade class to represent DES as the Erath High Homecoming Crown Bearer and Flower Girl. Recently, a drawing took place with the entire first-grade.
Dozier Elementary is proud to announce the 2023 Erath High Homecoming Crown Bearer and Flower Girl are Evan Thibodeaux and Oakleigh Falgout! These students will represent Dozier Elementary at the EHS Homecoming game on Friday, September 29, 2023!
Oakleigh is the daughter of Dillon and Jindi Falgout and Evan is the son of Micah and Amy Thibodeaux.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents cited a Morgan City man for an alleged alligator hunting violation on Sept. 17 in Vermilion Parish.
Agents cited Clifford Roberts, 58, for taking an alligator from an unapproved area.
Agents received a tip about Roberts taking an alligator from an unapproved area just north of Gueydan on Sept. 15. Agents met up with Roberts on Sept. 17 and he allegedly admitted to taking the over 10-foot alligator from the unapproved area. Roberts had an alligator tag for an approved property and put that tag on the alligator.
Agents seized the alligator hide.
Taking an alligator from an unapproved area brings a $400 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail.
Agents participating in the case are Lt. David Sanford, Corporal Derek Logan, Corporal Lucas Hidalgo and Agent Rebecca Bercegeay.