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On Sunday, just after 10:30 p.m., Louisiana State Police Troop I started investigating a fatal hit-and-run involving a pedestrian on Louisiana Highway 700 near Highway 92 in Vermilion Parish.
The crash killed 28-year-old Tony Barthe Jr. of Rayne.
The initial investigation showed that on November 2, 2025, Barthe was found dead along LA Hwy 700. Evidence suggested he had been hit by a vehicle.
Police later found the suspected driver, Logan Hoke of Duson.
Troopers learned that Hoke was driving a 2020 Ford Edge north on Hwy 700, following another vehicle.
At that time, Barthe was walking in the southbound lane of Hwy 700. When Hoke tried to pass the slower vehicle, his Ford moved into the southbound lane and hit Barthe, causing fatal injuries.
Hoke left the scene and kept driving north after the crash.
After the investigation, troopers arrested Hoke for hit and run driving resulting in death under LA R.S. 14:100 and took him to the Vermilion Parish Jail.
The crash is still under investigation.
Hoke’s bond was set at $75,000 and by Tuesday morning, Hoke had already bonded out of jail.

ERATH – A simple dare led Erath High band director Kenny Broussard and his band to a state title.
Before the band season kicked off, Broussard got a challenge from a college buddy who dared him to teach his band a fancy skit with an Italian twist.
During the show, the band played Italian songs and served pizza, meatballs, and spaghetti at an Italian restaurant setting.
The performance was titled “Bouon Appetitio,” which means “Enjoy Your Meal With Loved Ones.”
On Monday night at McNeese University, the Pride of Erath High Marching Band won the 2025 Louisiana Class 3A State Marching Championship.
They outperformed 15 other bands in the Class C division, which includes groups with 80 to 100 members.
This is just the second year that state bands have competed in the LEMA State Band Competition. Previously, marching bands took part in the Showcase at UL-Louisiana, where they faced both smaller and larger bands.
Last year, Erath finished fourth in the Class 3A C state competition.
Broussard has led the EHS band since 2003.
“It feels good to win the state title,” Broussard said just after learning Erath High had won. “There are so many good bands we competed against. Any of them could have won.”
E.D. White High School from Thibodaux took second place, while North Vermilion High finished seventh in the same class as EHS.
Even after seeing a flawless performance, Broussard wasn’t sure it would be enough to win. The announcer started calling out placements, beginning with number 10.
When the third-place band was announced, only E.D. White and Erath were left as possible winners.
The announcer named E.D. White as the second-place finisher, then announced Erath High School as the state champion.
This was the second week in a row that the Erath Marching Band was named grand champion.
The previous week, Erath High was named Grand Champion at the Sulphur marching competition.
Erath High senior Drake Wright said that hard work helped the band win the state title. He wrote a statement Monday night about what the victory means to him.
“Winning state is proof of the hard work paying off,” said Wright. “It’s a reward that comes with so many memories of the Pride of Erath. We, as seniors, will look back at this celebration as the culmination of years of hard work, growth, discipline, and dedication put in to lead us to the final moments, holding the state champion trophy.
“It’s a togetherness that captures all of us joined together in memories lasting forever. And finally, it’s a reminder of the forever home we have together in the Pride of Erath.
“Thank you to my fellow band members and parents for the constant work and support you have put into this year. And most of all, thank you to our wonderful staff, without whom none of this would have been possible. Your patience, love, and support will never go unnoticed.
“Forever thankful for this opportunity,” Wright closed.

Carlos Arellano is having an outstanding season as the kicker for the Erath Bobcats.
With one regular-season game left, Arellano has made 40 out of 45 extra points and is perfect on field goals, going four for four. He has scored 52 points for the Bobcats. Last Friday, he broke the school record by making his 40th extra point during his fourth attempt against Kaplan.
Arellano found out about the school record the Sunday before the Kaplan game, when assistant coach Jacob Broussard told him during practice.
“He asked me if I was keeping my stats,” said Arellano. “He told me I was on pace to break the extra point record. I said, ‘Oh, really. I did not know that. ’”
Before the Kaplan game, word got out in the community that Arellano could break the school record. Fans made signs with his jersey number 12, and Erath Principal Belisa-Powel Smith even wore a shirt with his number handmade on it.
Arellano entered the Kaplan game with 34 extra points and needed Erath to score four touchdowns to break the record. The previous record was 37, set by Dylan Floris in 2015.
The Bobcats scored six touchdowns, and Arellano made his fourth extra point to set the new record.
“I was not nervous going for the record,” said Arellano. “It was like any other game.”
Arellano hasn’t been the Bobcats’ kicker for long. This is his first year as the team’s place kicker.
He was on the team as a freshman but didn’t kick. After a knee injury that year, Arellano chose not to play during his sophomore and junior years since the Bobcats already had a strong kicker, Elie Felipe. Felipe and Arellano are good friends.
Arellano waited until Felipe graduated before trying out for kicker. He spoke with Coach Eric LeBlanc about trying out during the summer before the season started.
“He has been a pleasant surprise,” said Coach LeBlanc.

The No. 18 Vermilion Catholic Eagles scored early and often en route to a dominating 63-0 victory over the Gueydan Bears on senior night at Eagle Stadium Friday.

On the night the VC community honored its seniors, VC head coach Broc Prejean described his guys as selfless.

“This group represents selflessness,” Prejean said. “Kids like Caleb Guidry, Luke McClain, Will Simon, Wyatt Bertrand, and the rest have been completely selfless football players who do all the little things that make playing this game worth it. We’re going to miss them, but we have quite a few more weeks to enjoy them.”

The Eagles (4-5) have now won two straight games and three of their last four. Prejean is excited about his team’s chances as they head into week 10 on the road against No. 22 Westminster Christian in Lafayette.

“I’ve loved these last few weeks,” Prejean said. “It’s been tough at times this season. We were 2-5 just a couple of weeks ago, but they stayed the course. They kept showing up and believing in getting better, and they absolutely have.”

“Last week showed what we’re capable of (50-15 over No. 14 Opelousas Catholic). Next week’s a big one to possibly get a home game in the playoffs. We’ll go from there, but it starts with Westminster.”

Senior Luke McLain said the Eagles can win in week 10 and make a playoff run if they keep playing their style of football.

“We started slow, trying to figure everything out together,” McLain said. “We were hurting ourselves, and we corrected it. Now we feel we have a strong shot if we keep playing our best. The seniors know what it takes. We have to set the example for the younger guys.”

Prejean said stopping Westminster’s offense will be a tall task for his defense.

“We saw the split-back veer already this year, and we didn’t perform well against it,” Prejean said. “We have to be assignment-oriented and fill the right gaps. They walked the field on us on their opening drive last year. It’s going to be a challenge.”

On their first drive against Gueydan, VC moved 54 yards in three plays. On the second play, McLain ran 35 yards to the Bears’ 10-yard line. He scored on the next play and kicked the extra point, making it 7-0 with 9:33 left in the first quarter.

VC senior quarterback Will Simon’s 17-yard scamper on their next possession made it 14-0 before back-to-back pick-sixes by Kohen Hebert (5 yards) and Jacob Dubois (15 yards) made it 28-0 with 4:50 left in the first. On their next possession, Simon went to the air and found tight end James Bradley for a 15-yard touchdown pass to make it 35-0 at the end of one.

Simon struck again on VC’s next possession, hitting Matthew Mollere for a 23-yard touchdown pass and a 42-0 lead. Caleb Guidry made it 49-0 when he ran it in from 11 yards out. Freshman Beckett Brantley made it 56-0 at the half when he scored on a 14-yard run. He also scored the Eagles’ final touchdown of the night when he broke loose for a 48-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

The Bears nearly scored in the fourth quarter when Braylon Mercier turned the corner and raced 83 yards down to the VC one-yard-line. The Eagle defense stood firm and forced a turnover-on-downs to preserve the shutout.

Brantley led the VC rushing attack with 58 yards and two touchdowns on three carries. McLain was right behind with 45 yards and a touchdown on two carries.

Simon completed all four of his passes for 63 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a third. Michael Mollere caught two passes for 25 yards to lead the team. Matthew Mollere caught one pass for 23 yards and a score, while Bradley had the 15-yard TD reception.

Mercier led Gueydan with 77 yards rushing on four carries. Mason Smith completed one pass for two yards to Traevin Billiot.