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By Bruce Brown

Special to The Meridional

YOUNGSVILLE – What a difference a year can make.
Last season, the North Vermilion Patriots came out on the short end of an overtime battle – one solitary point – to the Ascension Episcopal Blue Gators. It was emblematic of a season that didn't live up to expectations.
But on Friday night at AES, the visitors turned the script on its ear.
Senior quarterback Darius Gilliam stung the Gators with a 10-yard score on the first play of overtime. Patrick Chapman made the extra point, and the NVHS defense stopped a two-point try by AES to secure a memorable 23-22 win.

“This was a testament to effort,” NV coach Brett Blakey said. “To putting the work in.
To coming in three times a week in the summer and sacrificing two hours away from home to get better.
“It was a fun game that went back and forth between two good teams. It's what it's all about. I love playing in games like this. They make you better.”
The Patriots won by shutting out the Gators in second half regular time, rallying from 16-7 down at halftime to force a 16-16 deadlock.
They won despite having one field goal squashed by a bad snap to holder Noah LeBlanc with 5:55 to play in a tie game.
They survived a second potentially deadly blow when a point blank field goal was blocked by the Gators in the final 4 econds of regulation.
They did the kind of things winning teams have to do in crunch time.
They also won because Ascension Episcopal saw a fumble go through the end zone and out of bounds for a touchback instead of increasing a 16-13 third period lead.
“Give them credit,” AES coach Matt Desormeaux said. “They played hard and made the plays they needed to make. We didn't play very clean. There was the fumble, and we made to many mistakes, costly penalties that set us back.”
But, make no mistake, the Patriots earned the win.
Gilliam was brilliant. He ran 22 times for 117 yards including a 2-yarder for NVHS's first score and the winning 10-yarder.
“That touchdown run in overtime was special,” Blakey said.
Gilliam also hit 11-of-12 passes, barely missing just once, for 155 yards and a 38-yard score to Zack Necaise.
“We moved Zack from outside to inside receiver this week, and he came up with a huge game for us,” said Blakey.
AES moved effectively on the ground when it avoided penalties – especially Asa Freeman, who powered his way to 197 yards on 22 carries, mainly between the tackles.

“We like the inside running game,” Desormeaux said, “and Asa did a good job.”
The Gators used a 19-yard punt return by Andrew Stolzenthaler to set up a 25-yard drive to 7-0 on a 6-yard run by Cole Simon. NVHS tied it at 7 on Gilliam's first score.
Jaime Cordova's 22-yard thrust gave AES a 13-7 lead, and a drive before halftime was capped by freshman Peyton Woodring's 33-yard field goal for a 16-7 lead at the break.
But NV proved resilient, as Necaise eluded defenders for a 38-yard score to close within 16-13 on the first possession of the third quarter.
A goalline hit on Cordova transformed a TD into a touchback, inspiring a tying drive with Chapman's 28-yard field goal.
NVHS's two blunted field goal tries followed, leading to overtime.
Once there, Gilliam turned up the heat with his 10-yarder. Simon responded by hitting a fourth down pass that Matt Remondet brought in with a circus catch for a 4-yard score.
That set the stage for the final drama, as Simon was swarmed on a keeper.
“I had the tight end on the play.” Noah LeBlanc said. “I was supposed to cover him if he went out. But he didn't go out, so I got in on the tackle.”
“We'll always fight to the end,” Gilliam said. “This was a real test for us. This was a different week for us. This opens things up.”

With the game being over at halftime against the Abbeville Wildcats, Vermilion Catholic coaches had somewhat of a challenge in the second half.
VC led 28-0 at halftime against the Class 3A Wildcats and cruised to a 49-14 win.
As a way to preserve their starting players for next Friday against the Kaplan Pirates, the coaches did their best to get all 51 players into the game in the second half.
Everyone was running in and out of the game until the very end. The coaches had players playing in a position they never practiced at.
When the clocked struck 0:00 and the game was over, every VC kid got in the game.
That was a perfect situation for VC head coach Kevin Fouquier because the junior varsity game was canceled this past week due to bad weather.
“We did not have a JV game because of the weather, so we got to play everyone. Kids got to play new positions.”
The entire fourth quarter, Fouquier was asking players who did not play, and then he sent them into the game.
“Kids made plays and made tackles. It was good to see.”
The Eagles, playing Abbeville in football for the first time in school history, took advantage of seven Abbeville turnovers and eight Abbeville penalties.
Abbeville fumbled five times and lost all five fumbles.
VC quarterback Drew Lege had a typical night throwing the ball. He completed 16-out-of-29 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns.
Moe Maxile had a good game. He rushed for 71 yards on 11 carries and caught three passes for 64 yards.
The Eagles took their first drive and marched downfield for a score. Andrew Marceaux scored from the 1, and John Roberts Allums nailed the extra point that made it 7-0.
Two minutes later, Lege completed a 58-yard pass to Maxile and Alums kicked that put VC up 14-0 still in the first quarter.
Andre LeBlanc had a 15 -yard touchdown reception and Joshua Sagrera hauled in a 59-yard touchdown catch that made it a 28-0 game still in the second quarter.
In the third period, Sagrera ran back an interception for a touchdown to secure the win.
Down 42-0, Abbeville scored its first points when Christian Alvarez intercepted an Andrew Marceaux pass and ran it back for a touchdown.
With 5:43 to play in the game, Brennan Shelvin ran 7 yards for a touchdown.
In the final minute of the game, with first-year players and sophomores got in the game. VC still had success moving the ball. Travin Moore Jr. scored his first varsity touchdown with a 2-yard run.

VC/ABBEVILLE Stats

VC - Passing: Drew Lege: 16 of 29 for 273 yards, 3 TDs; Andrew Marceaux, 1-for-3, 2 yards: Abbeville: Brennan Shelvin: 3-of-7, 41 yards, 2 INT;
Rushing: VC: Moe Maxile, 11-71; Travin Moore Jr. 5-30; Andre LeBlanc 5-24; Ashton Belaire, 2-23; Andrew Marceaux 2-1; Abbeville - Derrien Harrison, 10-48; Brennan Shelvin; 14-35, 1 TD; DJ Campbell 3-31, Azaylan Boudreaux, 10-18, Rashad Cormier, 3-14; Jaysen Shelvin , 1-6;
Receiving: VC: Moe Maxile, 3-64; Joshua Sagrera, 1-59; Andre LeBlanc 3-48; Saul Dartez, 2-47; John Robert Allums, 2-26; Camden Sellers, 3-18; Alec Broussard, 1-10; Blair Turner 1-1; Abbeville - Conor Garrett 2-38; Garrick Scott 1-3;

January 31, 1938 ~ September 14, 2019

KAPLAN — Funeral services will be held at 1:00 PM on Friday, September 20, 2019 at Vincent Funeral Home - Kaplan honoring the life of Godfrey “Mooch” Schexnider, 81, who died Saturday, September 14, 2019 at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center. He will be laid to rest at Kaplan Cemetery with Reverend Palthasar Arrockia Doss officiating the services.
He is survived by his wife of 28 years, Barbara Schexnider of Gueydan; one son, Dale Paul Schexnider and his wife, Dela McCoy of Channelview TX; four daughters, Jerri Davis of LaPort, Tx, Alice and her husband, Eddie Neal of Brady, TX, Verna Primeaux of Lafayette, and Rachael Schexnider of Deer Park, TX; his sister, Catherine and her husband, Kurt Carlson; of Kaplan; 14 grandchildren; and 21 great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul Schexnider and the former Marian LeMaire; one brother, Raymond Schexnider; son-in-law, Jimmy Davis; and one great granddaughter, Hartley Hering.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Kaplan, 300 N. Eleazar Ave., on Thursday, September 19, 2019 from 3:00 PM until 10:00 PM with a rosary being prayed at 7:00 PM; Friday, September 20, 2019 from 8:00 AM until the time of the services at 1:00 PM.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Kaplan, (337) 643-7276 [Service Information 225-5276]. Condolences may be sent to the Schexnider family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.