Russo Trophy staying in Kaplan for another year

It looks like the Peter Russo Memorial Trophy is staying put at Kaplan High, for a 12th straight year..
The Kaplan Pirates beat the Abbeville Wildcats 51-12. The 51 points scored by Kaplan is the most points scored by a Pirate team against the Wildcats. The previous highest was 48 points in 2008.
The last time a Kaplan team lost to Abbeville was in 2005, when Robert Toomer was Abbeville’s head coach.
Overall, Abbeville has won the Peter Russo Memorial Trophy more than Kaplan has, over the last 68 years. The series record is 40-26-2 in favor of AHS.
The first 20 years, AHS dominated with a 20-1-1 record.
Since 1970, the Pirates own the trophy, winning 25 out of the last 47 games.
From 1990 to 2017, Kaplan has won 18 out of the last 28 meetings.
Kaplan has also rattled off 12 straight wins. Kaplan head coach Stephen Lotief, who has been at Kaplan since 2010, has won all eight games against Abbeville. His team has scored an average of 36 points against Abbeville.
On Friday, it did not take long for Kaplan to set the tone.
The Pirates took their opening possession and marched 56-yards taking two minutes off the clock for their first score. After running three straight plays, the Pirates went to the air on the fourth play. KHS quarterback Trae Case threw a 10-yard TD pass to Matt Roden for a touchdown. Mac Thibeaux converted the two point play. Kaplan led 8-0.
On Kaplan’s next possession, they scored again. Thibeaux darted 38-yards up the middle for a score, and Braylon Romero ran the two-point play for a 16-0 lead.
Down 16-0, the Wildcats tried to go to the air, but Kaplan was ready. KHS defensive back Logan Roy picked off a Chad Celestine pass. It only took Kaplan two plays to find the end zone. Romero scored on a 26-yard run.
The Pirates had a convincing 30-0 lead at halftime.
“We did alright,” said Lotief about his team’s performance. “I saw some good things out there.”
Romero finished with 110 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown, while Thibeaux had 122 yards on 11 carries. Most of their carries were for three quarters.
Kaplan finished with 470 yards of total offense.
They ran for 409 yards and threw for 61-yards.
Case completed 3-of-6 passes for 61-yards.
If there was a flaw in Kaplan’s game, it was penalties. The Pirates committed 10 penalties for 80-yards.
AHS quarterback Chad Celestine was Abbeville’s leading rusher (13-122). Deion Williams (9-24), Tavis Briggs (2-28) and Tavian Menard (4-20) also carried the pigskin.

GAME NOTE:

With the win over Abbeville, Lotief looks to have won his 114th game as a head football coach. All of his wins come at two different schools in Vermilion Parish.
He coached at North Vermilion from 2002 to 2009 where he finished with a 49-35 win-loss record.
He has been at Kaplan High since 2010, and has an impressive 65-28 win-loss record.
Since 2002, Lotief has a win-loss record of 114-63.
In the parish rankings, he has surpassed former Erath head coach Jacob Byler, who had 113 wins.