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The Class 3A Coaches All-State Team was recently released and Vermilion Parish players did well on the team.
Two running backs from Vermilion Parish landed on the first team.
Elijah Mitchell of Erath and Julius Johnson of Kaplan landed on the first team as running backs.
Julius Johnson also landed on the first team defense at linebacker.
Parish players who landed on the second team are Connor Dupuy of North Vermilion at wide receiver. Payton Gaspard of Kaplan landed on the second team as a punter.

Funeral services will be held on Sunday, January 29, 2017 at 1:00 P.M. at Vincent Funeral Home in Kaplan, LA honoring the life of Therese Broussard LaBry who died Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at Eastridge Nursing Center in Abbeville, LA. She will be laid to rest at Fountain Memorial Mausoleum in Lafayette, LA. Father Paul Bienvenu will officiate the services in Kaplan and in Lafayette.
Mrs. LaBry was a proud 100 years old and a life-long resident of Kaplan, LA. She was the only daughter of Ovey and Odilia Broussard. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Susan LaBry Anderson, and her three brothers: Dr. Leo Broussard; George Broussard; and Henry Broussard.
As a young adult, Therese graduated from Kaplan High School as Valedictorian of her class in 1934. She attended college at SLI (UL) in Lafayette, graduating in 1938 with a degree in Home Economics and Science. In 1944, Therese obtained a Masters Degree from LSU with certification in Supervision and Administration, Science, Home Economics, English, and P.E.
After receiving her Master’s Degree from LSU Therese was offered numerous teaching positions at LSU, Centenary College, Xavier University, McNeese, Arkansas Agricultural College, and the American School Foundation in Mexico City. She was invited to do Health and Nutrition Work in Bogota, Colombia and Haiti which was sponsored by the Office of Inter-American Affairs in Washington, D.C.
Putting family first and being a true Cajun at heart, Therese wanted to give back her experience by teaching in Kaplan and Vermilion Parish for over 30 years. During these years she taught Chemistry, Life Science, and Home Economics. Although a tough teacher, she was highly respected and loved by her students.
During her early years as an educator at Kaplan High School, Therese sponsored a very active Future Homemakers Club of America and acted as advisor for the F.H.A. She also helped reorganize the Girl Scouts. She was a member of the Citizen’s Service Corps and helped with Red Cross work during World War II.
Later in life, Therese was very active in various clubs. She was a charter member of the Chez Elles Federation Women’s Club and a charter member of the Catholic Daughters of America. Other organizations she belonged to were Delta Kappa Gamma, the Louisiana Retired Teachers’ Association, the Vermilion Parish Retired Teachers’ Association, LSU Alumni Association, UL Alumni Association, American Legion Auxiliary, Kaplan Homemakers Club, and the Vermilion Rice Growers’ Association.
One of Mrs. LaBry’s loves was her Cajun heritage. As a result she devoted many years to helping out with the Kaplan Museum, Le Musee de Kaplan. She was a patron and member of the museum. Many family artifacts and historical items were donated or loaned to the museum. She was also on the Kaplan Historical Preservation Commission and the Kaplan Arts Council. A large number of the family’s historical pictures were published in the book The History of Kaplan by Donella LaBry Hargrave. In 1996 she was recognized by the Louisiana State Legislature House of Representatives for her contribution as an early pioneer who helped in developing the City of Kaplan.
Numerous other interests were pursued by Therese. She was very active in the family farming operations working as a manager. She loved gardening and traveling around the United States. Her favorite place to visit was Alaska.
As a grandmother and great-grandmother, Mrs. LaBry enjoyed spending time with all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They held a very special place in her heart.
Mrs. LaBry is survived by two daughters, Lea Meisetschlaeger and husband Rodney of Lafayette, LA and Annette Skaggs and husband Jack of Bossier City, LA; four grandchildren, Amy Contreras of Houston, TX, Renee Fuselier of Lafayette, LA, Jack Ryan Skaggs of Bossier City, LA, and Jill Valentine of Bossier City, LA; and five great-grandchildren including Levi Contreras, Mia Contreras, Brady Skaggs, Skylar Skaggs, and Christopher Wooley.
The Therese LaBry family would like to thank Hospice of Acadiana and nurses Robin Broussard and Stephanie. The family would also like to thank all Eastridge Nursing Center Hall 1 employees for their wonderful help and care during her final weeks. Thanks also to Dr. Dana Dicharry, Dr. Randall Faulk, and Dr. Michael Cain for their great bedside manner and genuine concern. Much gratitude goes to Susan Williams for offering to help during a difficult time and to Margie Romero for her friendship and service over the years.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Kaplan, LA, 300 N. Eleazar Ave., on Sunday, January 29, 2017 from 10:30 AM until services at 1:00 PM with a rosary being prayed at 12:00 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 LaBry family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.

If you are from south Louisiana, chances are you have seen an airboat.
You haven’t seen anything like the one sitting in the parking lot of the old Fruit of the Loom building in Abbeville.
Marine Turbine Technologies, the Franklin-based company with an office in the old Fruit of the Loom building, has built what it calls the Turbine Powered Super Airboat.
The company built the boat at the Port of West St. Mary in Franklin and transported to Abbeville for exposure.
Using an exclusive 10-foot-diameter propeller system, the 15-foot-by-27-foot boat definitely earns its name.
“It has 5,000 pounds of thrust per side,” said Stuart Duncan of Marine Turbine Technologies. “That’s 10,000 pounds of thrust on a 27-foot boat.
“In the right conditions, the boat would do over 100 miles per hour.”
However, the company didn’t build the boat to simply go fast.
The Super Airboats are designed to haul heavy equipment such as cranes, drills, heavy fire fighting equipment, workover machinery, telephone poles and cradles for pipeline material.
It has an eight-ton payload.
“Companies like the power companies use conventional-style airboats with three or four gas engines to haul cranes,” Duncan said. “Those boats get into some areas where they need to run across marsh and swamp-land areas. There are certain sections where you have to run dry marsh or cross a levee.”
“Those big boats can’t run on dry land with nothing on the front deck.”
The Super Airboat can run on dry ground while hauling six tons. That ability allows for little impact to the environment.
“The marshes and coastal erosion are issues that companies are facing,” Duncan said. “When they have to use the marshbuggys, it costs them money to come back and restore the land. We can come in and haul the heavy loads, and a week later, you don’t know we were there. The grass starts coming back up. We don’t dig any ruts.
“It allows for work to get done with no impact on the marshlands.”

HAMMOND – It was only a matter of time until former VC standout Ashailee Brailey found it.
On Wednesday, Brailey, in her first year at Southeastern Louisiana, scored a college-career high 21 points to help lead the Lady Lions to a 69-58 Southland Conference victory over Northwestern State in women’s basketball action Wednesday evening in the University Center.
The Lady Lions (4-15, 2-6 Southland) snapped a four-game losing streak with Wednesday’s victory. SLU outscored Northwestern State (9-10, 3-5 Southland), 46-26, after halftime.
Brailey had personal bests against Northwestern.
The sophomore played a season high 36 minutes. She made a season-high six field goals, including five 3-pointers.
She was also 6-for-6 at the free throw line and pulled down a season high six rebounds on Wednesday.
Prior to Wednesday’s game, Brailey has scored an average of 5 points a game and started all 19 games.
She leads the team in shot percentage for three-pointers. Brailey has made 24 out of 62 three pointers for a .387 average.
On Wednesday, Southeastern forced the Lady Demons into 25 turnovers and scored 23 points off those miscues. One of the areas the Lady Lions have struggled this season has been on the boards, but Wednesday saw Southeastern end a 13-game string of losing the rebounding battle, finishing even on the boards, 43-43.
“Our defensive effort was the difference tonight,” Southeastern head coach Errol Gauff said. “We were able to create some opportunities for ourselves with our pressure and I’m just very proud of our dedication on the defensive end tonight.”
Gauff was quick to offer praise to offer several individuals for their efforts in the victory.

“Ashailee and (sophomore guard) Bre (Warren) had some big three’s for us tonight,” Gauff said.
Brailey and Underwood’s scoring performances marked the first time this season multiple Lady Lions have scored 20-plus points in the same game.
Brailey was a perfect 5-for-5 from behind the arc and these were very key in the win.
Underwood made three treys of her own, giving her 141 in her career and moving her past former Lady Lion Shanna Achord (2000-04) for third on the school’s career list.
The first half was the tale of two quarters, as NSU took a 21-19 lead after a back-and-forth opening period. SLU went ice cold in the second quarter, making just one field goal and scoring four points in the period. However, the Lady Lions held the Lady Demons to just 11 points and went into the halftime break down just nine at 32-23.
Southeastern bounced back by playing its best quarter of the season after halftime. The Lady Lions held NSU without a field goal in the third quarter, outscoring the Lady Demons, 24-8 in the period to take a 47-40 advantage into the final quarter.
Brailey and Warren hit consecutive three-point field goals to open the fourth quarter and push the Southeastern lead to double digits. Northwestern State would get no closer than six over the final 10 minutes, as SLU earned its first victory over the Lady Demons in its four tries.
Southeastern will be back on the road on Saturday, traveling to Sam Houston State for a 4 p.m. game.