Vermilion Catholic’s 2023 Homecoming court - Top left: Kirsten Briggs, Madison Rogers, Carlisle Quackenbos, Jo Lynn Boudreaux and Kayla Broussard; Bottoms left, Ada Verret, Grace Hebert, Queen Ella Gaspard, Kallen LeBlanc and Kinley Dartez. The VC Eagles (7-0) are home tonight against Centerville. The parade will begin at 4 p.m. and pass near the courthouse.
Shirley LeBlanc Ditch when she was in high school.
Shirley LeBlanc Ditch today at the age of 86. She will turn 87 on Oct. 22.
Shirley LeBlanc Ditch was crowned homecoming queen at Mt. Carmel in 1953, seventy years ago.
Recently, her children discovered that their mother was not only part of the homecoming court, but she was also the queen.
However, when asked about it, Shirley changed the topic and spoke about her friends on the court instead.
Shirley is the daughter of the late Edward LeBlanc and Neda Comeaux LeBlanc, and the sister of retired General Bob LeBlanc and the late Dr. Edward J. LeBlanc, Jr.
After finishing high school, she pursued further education at USL, where she graduated in education. It was there that she met Oliver Perry Ditch, a retired US Air Force personnel, and they were married for 64 years until his recent death.
The couple has four children - Karen Dominick, Perry Ditch, Richard Ditch, and David Ditch - as well as eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
CROWLEY — Kaplan native Kyla Grace Abshire is one of the five ladies vying for the title of the 86th International Rice Festival Queen in Crowley.
The pageant is scheduled to take place on Saturday at the Supreme Riche Sound State, where the winner will be crowned at approximately 10:45 a.m.
Kyla is the daughter of David and Natalie Abshire and a student at LSU, majoring in Cybersecurity and Criminology with a minor in Fashion merchandising. She is an active member of the National Society of Women Engineers, the LSU Fashion Club, and the LSU Bengal Bots. She has received the Tier 2 TOPS scholarship and is also an active member of Christ the King Church.
When she’s not busy with her studies and extracurricular activities, Kyla enjoys hiking, fishing, zip-lining, ATV riding, and air rifle competition. Her sponsor for this year’s pageant is Bocage Crawfish.
Earlier this week, two Civil Rights groups filed a lawsuit against the city of Abbeville over redistricting.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Vermilion Parish NAACP to block the Abbeville City Council-approved redistricting map that denies equal representation to voters, in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution’s One-Person, One-Vote requirement. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Lafayette Division, claims the Abbeville City Council knowingly enacted a malapportioned map.
On Dec. 20, 2022, the Abbeville City Council voted 5-0 not to reapportion the district map.
On Wednesday, the city released the following statement regarding the lawsuit:
“On Tuesday, October 17, 2023, the City of Abbeville was named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court, Western District of Louisiana. This suit was filed by the Vermilion Chapter of the NAACP and makes allegations that the City of Abbeville has violated federal law by failing to reapportion the voting districts applicable to the Abbeville City Council elections. While the City of Abbeville has had communications with the party that has filed this lawsuit, the city was disappointed to receive notice from a local news agency of this litigation. Mayor Roslyn R. White and the members of the Abbeville City Council approached the issue of apportionment with much research, care and consideration ahead of the unanimous decision to leave the current voting districts in place. The interests of the people of Abbeville are always at the forefront of every decision made by the Council and the Mayor. While specifics of the lawsuit cannot be discussed at this time, the City of Abbeville believes that the facts of this case will show that the current voting districts are not in violation of any voters’ rights.”
Mayor Roslyn R. White said, “As a new administration, we are focused on creating a more equitable and inclusive city and building a network of resources to tackle the many challenges facing our community. We made our decision to keep the current districts based on data and in good faith that we had the support of the community that has entrusted us to lead the city. I believe that the totality of the facts will support our decision. This issue is now in the hands of the court.”
This is a press release submitted to the Abbeville Meridional by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) filed a lawsuit today on behalf of the Vermilion Parish NAACP to block the Abbeville City Council-approved redistricting map that denies equal representation to voters, in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution’s One-Person, One-Vote requirement.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Lafayette Division, claims the Abbeville City Council knowingly enacted a malapportioned map that dilutes the voting power of District B residents, which includes members of the Vermilion Parish NAACP, by packing them into one of four single-member council districts. The 2020 U.S. Census showed that the Abbeville population decreased by 1,000, resulting in an overpopulation in District B — well above the legal limits.
On December 20, 2022, the Abbeville City Council voted unanimously not to reapportion the district map in defiance of the One-Person, One-Vote requirement under the U.S. Constitution — insisting that the 2020 Census results were invalid and did not produce a “substantial variation” in Abbeville’s population. The council rejected multiple compliant maps presented by the Vermilion Parish NAACP and SPLC before deciding to leave the district map as-is.
“This country was built on free labor, the blood, the sweat, and the tears of our ancestors, who suffered and died for us because they had a vision of better days for their future generations,” said Vermillion Parish NAACP President Linda Cockrell. “Past generations have fought and struggled because they too had a vision. This generation and generations to come will not STOP FIGHTING because they too will have the vision that states ‘Chained and Bound’ no more because ‘we will break every chain’ by remembering that we are One!”
“I believe in fair and equal representation for all people,” said Marilyn Mitchell, a citizen of Abbeville. “Everyone deserves to have their vote count.”
The Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution requires legislative districts, regardless of location, to provide equal representation and voting power for all citizens. Louisiana law also requires municipalities to examine their apportionment plan within one year after the release of the decennial census to determine whether a new apportionment plan is needed. The lawsuit seeks a court order requiring the City Council to draw a map that complies with federal law.
“Abbeville City Council’s decision to not reapportion following the 2020 U.S. Census denies equal representation,” said SPLC Staff Attorney Ahmed Soussi. “This is an abuse of power that undermines the voting rights of the residents of District B including Vermilion NAACP members. We are suing to end this illegal and harmful practice.”
Sunrise: September 11, 1976
Sunset: October 9, 2023
Timothy Eara LaJuan Rockette, 47, of Abbeville, LA, departed this life on October 9, 2023, in Lafayette, LA. Tim was born on September 11, 1976, in Benton Harbor, MI to the late Shirley Angel Campbell Rockette and Proctor Sanders.
Jean Smith and Lonnie Smith (affectionately known as “Pops”) lovingly raised Tim and Shanta as their own; along with Bonus Brothers, Ray Boudreaux, Jelani Smith and Michael Parker, “Tu-Tu” and Radiance Ham, who is affectionately known as “Sissy.”
Tim is survived by his son, Eara Rockette, affectionately known as “Snacka” of Houston, TX, and his siblings: his twin sister, Shanta Ebony Rockette of New Orleans, LA, Jean Smith of Abbeville, LA, Kim Simmons Williams of Syracuse, NY, Eilene Rockette of Baton Rouge, LA, Sherrah Jerry Scrivnor of Sebring, FL, and Willie C Campbell (Janice) of Tomball, TX. Tim is also survived by The Sanders Family in Benton Harbor, MI: LaVerne, Proc, Isaiah and Marlon in addition to The Beloved Smith Clan in Valdosta, GA: Winona, Barbara, Kenneth, Trini, Lonitta, Franco and Gretta
Tim also leaves to cherish his memory, Nieces; Essence, Ashley, Angel, London and ReAnna; and Nephews, Julius, Juparee, Tré, Omari, Eddie and Clay.
Tim also leaves to treasure his memory, a host of beloved great nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Tim was preceded in death by his Beloved Mother, Shirley Angel Campbell Rockette, his Maternal GrandMother, Vernice Joiner Campbell and Maternal GrandFather, Rudolph Campbell and Sister, Dorothy Sanders.
Tim graduated from North Vermillion High School in Maurice, LA. He later pursued a career as a General Manager for luxury men's clothing. He also worked as an offshore rigger; he additionally worked in traveling magazine sales across the US.
Tim loved spending time with his son, Eara, his twin sister, Shanta, family and friends. He had a passion for music and expressed his creativity through playing the guitar, writing lyrics and showcasing his music. Tim was a free spirit, a kid at heart, and always had a smile for others. Even when confronted with life’s most difficult challenges, Tim chose hope and he encouraged others to do the same. He made a profound impact in the lives of numerous family members and friends. May his soul rest in eternal peace. While we love you, dearly and beyond words… God Loves You more. Spread your wings and fly “Baby Boy” for you are indeed precious in the eyes of God.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Desselle Funeral Home, located in Baton Rouge, LA.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, October 21, 2023, from 9 a.m., until the start of service at 11 a.m., at Lighthouse for Jesus Ministries, located at 6526 Chiasson Rd in Abbeville, LA. 70510. Interment will take place at Greater Pleasant Green Cemetery, Green St Location in Abbeville, LA. 70510.
The North Vermilion Patriots are 29th in the latest unofficial power rankings from the LHSAA, and remains in contention for a spot in the non-select Division IV playoffs. The top 28 teams in each division earn a spot in the non-select playoffs.
LEROY — This week’s home game against Northside may not be a must-win contest for the North Vermilion High football team, but the Patriots are treating it that way.
North Vermilion is 2-5 on the year but all but one of its losses has been by 7 points or less. The Patriots are 29th in the current, unofficial power points in non-select Division II, meaning they need to make up one spot by season’s end to earn a playoff bid for the second straight year.
“We’ve been competitive all year, and we’re looking for the same thing this Friday,” North Vermilion head coach Joe Heintz said. “Hopefully we’re competitive and we find a way to pull out the victory.
“We’re kind of treating this as a playoff game for us. We’re seeded 29. We’re one out. We’re looking from the outside in right now. But a win Friday night definitely pushes us into the playoff picture, and without saying it’s a must-win, it’s a must-win for us Friday night.”
The Patriots are tantalizingly close right now because they’ve been competitive with just about everyone on the schedule.
“What’s really frustrating is, we look at our season right now, and we’ve got four losses, all within 7 points or less,” Heintz said. “We’re close to being 6-1 right now, and we’re also close to being 1-6. It’s a crazy season, I guess.”
The Patriots have two 4-point losses (18-14 to Kaplan and 22-18 to Abbeville), a 7-point loss (17-10 to Loreauville) and last week’s 6-point loss to Westgate (16-13). Their first win was a 23-15, triple-overtime win at Erath in week 2.
But because of the strength of their schedule, the Patriots have a shot at earning a playoff bid again. Abbeville and Kaplan are 17th and 18th, respectively, in non-select Division 4, and Loreauville is 12th in non-select Division III.
Then there’s the district slate. St. Thomas More (7-0) is first in select Division II, and Lafayette Christian (6-1) is second. Teurlings Catholic (5-2) is fifth in select Division II and Northside (3-4) is 15th in select Division II.
The Patriots had a chance to upset Westgate this past week. The Tigers (6-1) have been ranked in the top 10 in the Class 4A polls all season, and are currently 15th in the Division I non-select power rankings. Yet North Vermilion chopped a 19-0 Westgate lead in the second half to 19-13 with a long scoring drive capped by a touchdown pass from Logan Thompson to Myles Garrett, then got a pick-six from James Higginbotham on the next series.
The Pats had two more possessions but couldn’t do anything with the ball, Heintz said.
“Defensively, Westgate’s still got a good defensive team,” he said. “Offensively they’re kind of searching right now with their (starting) quarterback being shut down (with injury). We went into the game knowing that they would have to run the football. We did the best we could to take away the run and make them one dimensional.
“At the end of the day, a couple of more plays and we have a chance to win the game.”
North Vermilion trailed 13-0 at halftime because it could not consistently move the ball, the coach said.
“In the first half offensively, we were just so inconsistent,” Heintz said. “We’d go good play, bad play, good play, bad play. We couldn’t get anything consistently going on offense.”
Heintz said Norris Benoit did a good job on offense against Westgate.
“He rushed the ball a bunch of times last week, and almost every time he touches the ball, it’s positive yardage for us,” the coach said. “Defensively, I thought we played really well. Kind of like most of the season. Our defense has been pretty good all year, except for the St. Thomas More game. I thought they showed up last week again and played their hearts out on defense.
“I thought offensively we’re playing hard, and we’ve got good schemes, we’re just physically outmatched in a lot of these games in district right now.”
The Patriots are looking for that consistency this week with a home game against Northside at 7 p.m. on Friday.
“(They’re) much improved,” Heintz said. “They have a new coaching staff over there. They’ve got the kids playing hard. I think they’re buying in. You can see it on film. They’re much more aggressive and they really are playing hard.
“They’re not going to do anything to fool you, but they’re just very aggressive on defense. Offensively, their quarterback is decent. He throws a good ball, and they’ve got a couple of kids who can catch it and run afterwards. Typical Northside team — they’re very athletic, but I think the biggest thing is they’re moving in the right direction over there right now. Their kids are playing hard, and they’re coached up well.”
Heintz said the Vikings try to spread opponents out and get the ball to their athletes in space. Defensively, Northside runs a 3-4 and is aggressive up front, and tackles well.
“They’ve got some tendencies that I think we’ve picked up on pretty well,” Heintz said. “Like it is with every team in our district, we’ve got to do a good job of tackling, especially tackling in the open field.”
Vermilion Catholic’s Jyrin Bessard (3) catches a pass that he turned into a 23-yard touchdown after escaping from Jeanerette defender Zyre Colar (2) this past Friday. Bessard was one of five players with touchdowns for VC in the first half of a 42-8 win.
Vermilion Catholic will look to get off to a fast start again this week when the Screaming Eagles take on Centerville for homecoming on Friday.
The Eagles scored on all six of their first-half possessions in a 42-8 road win over Jeanerette this past week. That included a one-play scoring possession and two two-play drives.
The defense did its part, pitching a shutout until the final series of the game, when JHS scored against VC backups as time ran out in the second half.
“Early in the year we had difficulty getting off to fast starts, and lately it’s kind of been the reverse,” VC coach Broc Prejean said. “We’ve been really pleased with that. I thought that first quarter, specifically, was as good as we can play. I think we had a great gameplan and we just executed at a high level.”
Five players scored for the Eagles — Andrew Prejean, Jyrin Bessard and Ross Dartez on passes from Jonathan Dartez, and Tyjh Williams and Jonathan Dartez on the ground — Dartez twice on QB keepers.
Williams had a game-high 121 yards on eight carries (15.12 yards a carry), while Jonathan Dartez passed for 185 yards and ran for 80. Five different players had pass catches.
“We keep saying that’s who we want to be,” Broc Prejean said. “We want to distribute the ball. We want to make you cover all five of our skill guys, and we think we did a pretty good job of that Friday. We’ve just got to look to continue that.”
The defense held a potent Jeanerette offense with a lot of big, athletic skill players to 202 total yards.
“(They’ve got) a lot of speed and athletes all over the field, and I thought we were up to that challenge,” Prejean said. “Credit to the defense.”
The Eagles (7-0 overall, 3-0 District 7-A) moved up to No. 1 in the LSWA Class A poll this week and are No. 2 in the Division IV select power points (see story, page 10).
Centerville (4-3 overall, 0-3 district) will bring a big, physical team to Friday’s game at VC.
“They’re a football team that likes to run hard at you, and they’re willing to throw the ball around a little bit,” Prejean said. “They played Hanson fairly tight last week, so we’re going to expect them to come in here and definitely give us their best shot.
The Bulldogs spread the field out a little more than in past years and have a quarterback they feel confident can distribute the ball down the field, Prejean said. Centerville looks to run about 60 percent of the time and throw it about 40 percent of the time.
Defensively, the Bulldogs have some size up front. Defensive end Jamari Ayrow (6-foot-2, 230 pounds) stands out.
“No. 10 for them (Ayrow) has been a problem for the district for a few years now,” Prejean said. “He’s a tough guy to deal with. He’s super physical. He plays some tight end. He plays some wideout. He plays wildcat running back, and then he spins around on defense and he lives in your backfield. They definitely have some guys that present some challenges for us.”
The Eagles are working to stay focused in practice for homecoming week.
The message is to try to get better each week as the Eagles prepare for the playoffs, the coach said.
“You try to keep it as routine as possible,” Prejean said. “There’s always a few distractions that pop up during homecoming, but it’s all in the spirit of community building and appreciating the traditions that came before you and the people that came before you, so we’re happy to do that.
“You just focus on making sure your kids know to get rest and during the week keeping it about football on their end and get to Friday and make sure that when 7 o’clock comes around, that’s all we’re thinking about.”
VC has done a great job focusing on game games and avoiding distractions this year, the coach added.
“It really has been impressive, this group’s ability to be mature athletically, and be consistent at practice,” Prejean said. “It’s a difficult thing for a teenager to be able to do, in general. I’ve been tremendously impressed with them. That’s a credit to their parents and the upbringing that they’ve had to understand that they’re committed to something and they’re going to be all in on it.”
The Vermilion Catholic Eagles jumped up to the No. 1 spot in the latest Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class A football poll after a 42-8 road win over Jeanerette this past Friday.
The Eagles (7-0) climbed one spot from second after previous No. 1 Ouachita Christian (6-1)lost a game to Harding Academy, 31-14, in a game played at Hyatt Field in Monticello, Arkansas. Harding Academy (7-0) is located in Searcy, Arkansas.
VC is No. 2 in the unofficial Division IV select power rankings, behind St. Mary’s (5-1), which is ranked 10th in the LSWA Class A poll. Ouachita Christian dropped to second in the LSWA poll with seven first-place votes to Vermilion Catholic’s five first-place votes.
The Screaming Eagles are the lone Vermilion Parish team receiving votes in the polls.
In the power points, which are used to determine seeding for the playoffs,
Abbeville (5-2) is 17th and Kaplan (6-1) is 18th in the Division II non-select power points.
North Vermilion (2-5) is 29th and Erath (1-6) is 36th. The top 28 teams in non-select divisions earn playoff bids.
The top 24 teams earn bids to the select division playoffs.
In the non-select Division IV rankings, Delcambre (0-7) is 34th and Gueydan (0-7) is 41st.
Jeanerette, which was ranked No. 2 in the non-select Division IV power rankings last week, slipped to fourth in the power rankings.
The top spots in the other four classes remained unchanged in the latest polls.
Edna Karr (6-0) is No. 1 in the Class 5A poll. Karr has six first-place votes, while No. 2 Destrehan (7-0) has eight first-place votes.
St. Thomas More (7-0) remains No. 1 in the Class 4A poll with fellow District 5-4A team Lafayette Christian (6-1) second. STM, which shut out Northside 49-0, received all 12 first-place votes in the 4A poll. LCA beat Teurlings Catholic 62-3, knocking the Rebels out of the top 10. TCHS (5-2) dropped from seventh to 11th in the poll. Westgate (5-2), which beat North Vermilion 19-13 this past week, moved up a spot from 10th to ninth in the 4A poll.
University Lab School (6-1) has nine first-place votes and remained first in the 3A poll with a 43-7 win over Madison Prep. E.D. White (7-0), which has the three remaining first-place votes, stayed second with a 44-6 win over Donaldsonville.
In Class 2A, Calvary Baptist (7-0) is the No. 1 team after beating Green Oaks 58-6. Calvary has nine first-place votes. St. Charles Catholic (7-0), a 43-15 winner over St. Martinville, is No. 2 and has three first-place votes.
The Comets beat Abbeville a week earlier in a non-district football game.
Class 5A
School (1st) Rec Pts Pvs
1. Edna Karr (6) 6-0 138 1
2. Destrehan (8) 7-0 137 2
3. Zachary 6-0 114 3
4. Ruston 7-0 111 4
5. Carencro 7-0 98 5
6. East St. John 7-0 75 8
7. John Curtis 4-2 50 10
8. Catholic-Baton Rouge 5-2 45 9
9. Holy Cross 6-1 42 7
10. Southside 6-1 35 NR
Others receiving votes: Brother Martin 25, Acadiana 20, West Monroe 20, Captain Shreve 13, St. Augustine 4, Airline 3, Archbishop Rummel 3, St. Amant 2, Central 1.
Class 4A
School (1st) Rec Pts Pvs
1. St. Thomas More (12) 7-0 144 1
2. Lafayette Christian 6-1 132 2
3. Neville 6-1 115 3
4. North DeSoto 6-1 105 4
5. Warren Easton 3-3 101 5
6. Lutcher 5-1 86 6
7. West Feliciana 6-1 61 8
8. Archbishop Shaw 5-2 52 9
9. Westgate 5-2 44 10
10. Cecilia 6-1 42 NR
Others receiving votes: Teurlings Catholic 35, Evangel Christian 14, Opelousas 9, Tioga 7.
Class 3A
School (1st) Rec Pts Pvs
1. University (9) 6-1 139 1
2. E.D. White (3) 7-0 130 2
3. St. James 6-1 115 3
4. Sterlington 6-1 101 4
5. Jena 7-0 98 5
6. Parkview Baptist 6-1 81 7
7. John F. Kennedy 6-1 61 9
8. St. Louis 6-1 55 10
9. Union Parish 4-3 52 6
10. Wossman 6-1 31 NR
Others receiving votes: Bunkie 17, Madison Prep 17, Iowa 15, Amite 14, Church Point 10, Bogalusa 4, Lake Charles Prep 2, Pine 1.
Class 2A
School (1st) Rec Pts Pvs
1. Calvary Baptist (9) 7-0 141 1
2. St. Charles (3) 7-0 134 2
3. Newman 6-0 121 3
4. Oak Grove 5-2 103 4
5. Dunham 5-2 98 5
6. Notre Dame 4-3 77 8
7. Many 4-2 60 9
8. Episcopal-Baton Rouge 5-2 46 6
9. Ascension Episcopal 5-2 38 10
10. D’Arbonne Woods 6-0 35 NR
Others receiving votes: Northlake Christian 29, Catholic-New Iberia 24, South Plaquemines 14, Loreauville 6, Welsh 6, Oakdale 2, Pope John Paul II 2.
Class A
School (1st) Rec Pts Pvs
1. VC (5) 7-0 138 2
2. Ouachita Christian (7) 6-1 135 1
3. Southern Lab 5-1 120 3
4. Kentwood 6-1 106 5
5. Riverside Academy 6-1 97 6
6. Homer 5-2 87 4
7. Logansport 6-1 61 8
8. Haynesville 6-1 58 8
9. St. Martin’s 5-1 47 10
10. St. Mary’s 5-1 37 7
Others receiving votes: Ascension Catholic 26, Glenbrook Academy 21, St. Frederick 2, St. Edmund 1.
Lance Broussard
Eddie Langlinais
There will be a run-off election for Vermilion Parish’s Sheriff race, which is a parish-wide election and will take place on Nov. 18th.
This marks the first run-off election in the past 20 years.
The two candidates competing in the run-off are Eddie Langlinais and Lance Broussard. In the initial round, Langlinais received 8,145 votes, and Broussard received 6,220 votes, while Preston Summers received 2,041 votes and finished third.
Langlinais, from Delcambre, came very close to winning the election outright, but he was 59 votes short of getting 50% plus one more vote.
Langlinais secured 49.65% of the votes, whereas Broussard got 38% of the votes.
318 N. Main St.
Abbeville, LA 70510
Phone: 337-893-4223
Fax: 337-898-9022
219 North Cushing Avenue
Kaplan, LA 70548