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KAPLAN – The Kaplan Pirates dismantled the Berwick Panthers 49-0 at Ed Douglas Memorial Stadium Friday night, giving head coach John Thompson his first career win.
When asked about win number one, Thomspon gave credit to his team. He said they had a great week of practice, and it showed.
“These kids played their butts off tonight,” Thompson said. “We pushed them in practice this week. We corrected the mistakes, and they got it done. I’m proud of them.”
He did admit the gravity of win number one hadn’t quite sunk in.
“It hasn’t really hit me yet,” Thompson continued. “When I’m at the house petting my dog, Luna, that’s when it’ll hit me.”
Senior quarterback Sabe David was happy to be on the team that got Thompson his first victory as a head coach.
“It feels good to get Coach Thompson his first win,” David said. “He’s a really good coach.”
The Pirates (1-1) dominated on defense, pitching the complete-game shutout. Berwick only managed 94 yards of offense in the game, including negative-eight rushing. Kaplan also intercepted three passes and forced two fumbles.
Meanwhile, the Kaplan offense put up 418 yards, including 321 on the ground. They threw for 97 yards and a score and converted all seven of their extra point attempts.
“They’re starting to understand what we want,” Thompson said. “It’s tricky at first, but they’re starting to see how easy it is to get it done.”
Kaplan opened the scoring at the 6:21 mark of the first period when freshman wide receiver Jeremy Roy took the handoff on the sweep and raced 49 yards for the score. Gannon Smith made the extra point for the 7-0 lead.
On their next possession, the Pirates drove 49 yards in 2:26 seconds. Sophomore Jayden Hargrave scored the first of his two touchdowns on the night from 10 yards out. The Smith extra point put the Pirates ahead 14-0.
Hargrave struck again in the second quarter. He took the handoff and raced 50 yards down the left sideline for a 21-0 Kaplan-lead with 7:09 to play in the first half. He finished the night with 113 yards and two touchdowns on only nine carries.
Following a good Berwick punt that pinned the Pirates at their own 11-yard-line with 1:14 to play in the half, Kaplan went to the air. David connected with receiver Matthiew Breaux over the middle. Breaux got a block, made a move, and darted down the sideline for the 89-yard score. Smith’s extra point made it 28-0 at the break.
David is excited he’s getting to throw the ball more.
“It’s fun,” he said. “If the run’s not there, we can open it up with the pass.”
Kaplan scored two more times in the third quarter. David punched it in from two yards out to make it 35-0. De’Maurion Cormier made it 42-0 with a 14-yard touchdown run with 22 seconds left in the frame.
Van Guidry scored the Pirates final touchdown with 3:35 left in the game. Breaux booted the extra point to provide the final margin.
Hargrave’s 113 yards on the ground led all rushers while Roy finished with 65 yards and a score on three carries and Cormier added 64 yards and a score on nine carries. Van Guidry also added 28 yards and a touchdown on three carries.
David completed one pass for 89 yards and a touchdown while also scoring a touchdown on the ground. Breaux had one catch for 89 yards and a score. Hargrave also completed one pass to Javonte Mouton for eight yards.
Next up, the Pirates have 0-2 North Vermilion Patriots. The game has been moved to Kaplan because North Vermilion’s field is under construction and is not ready.
Thompson expects them to be a typical Roderick Moy football team.
They’re a physical, hard-nosed football team,” Thompson said. “Moy’s going to want to run the ball to control the clock and keep it a low scoring affair.”

Things are going according to the plan for the Erath Bobcats.
Heading into the Eunice Bobcat (1-1) game on Friday, the EHS Bobcats are 2-0, just like a year ago.
In 2024, Erath entertained Eunice and came away with a 28-21 victory.
This year, Erath would love start the year 3-0 with a win over Eunice. However, Erath head coach Eric LeBlanc is not taking Eunice too lightly. The 2024 Eunice Bobcats finished 2-8. Already, the 2025 Eunice team is 1-1. They lost this past Friday to Jennings 22-16, but beat Northwest 16-14 to open the season.
“Playing Eunice has been really close games,” said EHS head coach Eric LeBlanc. “I expect it to be a really tight game.”
One game that was not tight was this past Friday’s game against the Class 4A North Vermilion Patriots.
Erath cruised to a 48-8 win over the Patriots.
It is the most points scored by an EHS team since the 2023-2024 season when the Bobcats put up 68 points in a win over Donaldsonville.
“This score is not what I expected,” said LeBlanc. “We challenged the guys each week and try to get better fron last Friday.
“Heading into this game, I wanted us to execute the game plan. We did not do that last week. I thought from the first snap, we executed.”
The Patriots were in the game in the first quarter, down only 7-0.
Then the Bobcats used ball control in the second quarter and blew the game open by scoring 21 points.
Erath drove 80 yards in six plays. Running back Aiden scored his second touchdown of the game with a 12 yard run. He finished the game with 116 yards and he scored three touchdowns.
The Bobcats scored again on their next possession, They took four minutes off the clock and marched 45 yards, capped off by a 9-yard TD run by Landon Lemaire.
That made it 21-0.
The EHS defense even got involved in scoring in the first half. EHS linebacker Jahlil Charles picked up a fumble and ran it back 27 yards for a touchdown.
In the second half, Charles scored a touchdown on offense on a 31-yard pass from quarterback Jack Landry.
Charles had two catches for 33 yards and a touchdown, plus on defense, he had nine tackles, four of them for loss yards. He had a forced fumble and a pass break up.
Landry, who completed eight out of 10 passes for 148 yards and a score, comes into the Eunice game.
On the year, Landry has completed 50 percent of his passe (15 out of 31 for 239 yards).
He has spread the wealth around. Not one EHS receiver has more than two catches and there six with one or two catches.
Running the ball, the Bobcats have shared the duties between Charles and Bourque. Both have around 23 carries for just over 202 yards. Bourque has scored five rushing touchdowns, including a 61-yard run in the third quarter against NVHS.
Charles has scored three times, three different ways. He has a rushing touchdown, a receiving touchdown and a fumble recovery returned 27 yards for a touchdown.

The Romero family of Abbeville has announced that their son, Landon Romero, was involved in a head-on collision that occurred on Friday morning on La. 338. 
The accident claimed the life of 56-year-old Charles Levine, whose truck crossed the centerline and collided with Romero’s vehicle. Levine’s truck subsequently caught fire. Landon Romero had to be rescued from his vehicle by the fire departments of Erath, LeBlanc, and Abbeville. 
He was initially transported to a hospital in Lafayette and later moved to a hospital in Baton Rouge.
 Landon is a 2022 graduate of Vermilion Catholic High School. 
His parents are Tricia and Jeremy Romero, the latter of whom is a chiropractor in Abbeville.
 Landon’s sister, Lene Claire Romero, is currently a student at UL-Lafayette.
The Romero Family released an update Monday night on their son.
“ We would like to thank everyone for their prayers and support. He is improving each day, but still has a long road ahead of him in his recovery. There are a lot of unknowns at this time, but we are hopeful.”

A long-vacant downtown property is set to take on new life as the Abbeville Harbor & Terminal District announced this week it has purchased the building to house its Port Security Network, a public safety initiative developed in coordination with other state and local governmental entities, as well as the potential to include federal partners.
The property was purchased from LISPAP INVESTMENTS, LLC for $300,000, according to District officials. The building, situated in the heart of downtown Abbeville, had been on the market for over four years. Leaders said they waited to ensure no private business intended to acquire the property before stepping in.
“This purchase is about timing, opportunity, and responsibility,” said Jimmie Steen, president of the Abbeville Harbor & Terminal District Commission. “After waiting years to ensure no private business was left out, we felt it was the right moment to step in not as competitors, but as partners in security and redevelopment. Our focus is on protecting the Port, supporting law enforcement, and putting an idle building back to work for the community.”
Mayor Roslyn White praised the acquisition as a boost to the City’s long-term revitalization strategy. “Every time we see a vacant building brought back into commerce, it strengthens the momentum of our downtown redevelopment,” White said. “Having the Harbor & Terminal District invest here shows confidence in our city’s future, and it plays an important role in the overall development plan for Abbeville.”
The Port Security Network is designed to safeguard critical infrastructure and assets from potential threats, including terrorism. While plans for the building are still in the early stages, officials say it will be dedicated to operations and could eventually host additional federal partners. The facility could also serve the needs of current Port tenants, providing them with extra space to expand or coordinate their operations.
Attorney Roger Boynton, who has represented the District for more than 40 years, pointed to the legal authority behind the move. “Louisiana law is very clear on this point: the District is expressly empowered to acquire, own, and lease property in furtherance of its mission,” Boynton said. “The statute specifically authorizes the District to ‘lease or sell for manufacturing, commercial and business purposes, land or buildings owned or acquired by it.’ This authority ensures the Port can provide facilities and partnerships that support commerce, security, and further development.”
Executive Director Nick Gautreaux said the project is as much about revitalization as it is about the Port’s mission. “This acquisition represents more than a facility for Port operations; it is an investment in the long-term vitality of Abbeville. By returning this building to active use, we are creating a space where local, state, and potentially federal partners can collaborate in the shared mission of protecting critical infrastructure. At the same time, we are contributing to the momentum of downtown redevelopment, ensuring that public safety and economic progress move forward together.”
The acquisition aligns with recent investments by the City Council and Mayor in downtown Abbeville. Local leaders believe the project will restore the property to active use, supporting both public safety and further development.