Built to Dominate: Acadiana’s Wreckin’ Rams and Their Fearsome Veer

by: Mike Strom // GeauxPreps.com Contributor

Fear The Veer.

These colorful words of warning, used to describe the prowess of Acadiana High School football, have resonated throughout southwest Louisiana for decades.

They still ring true today as Coach Matt McCullough’s Wreckin’ Rams are off to a 7-1 start with seven consecutive victories, a No. 2 state ranking in Class 5A by geauxpreps.com, and a No. 3 power rating among Division I Select teams from geauxpreps.com and the LHSAA.

“Everybody knows who we are,’’ Acadiana’s stellar quarterback Caden DiBetta said. “We’re very much a smash-mouth team. We’re going to come out from the first play of the game and hit you in the mouth and see how you respond. Our defense is going to hit you in the mouth. We’re not going to take our foot off of the pedal until we know we’ve actually won the game.

“Even though the starters come out during blowouts, our second team is going to come in and put their foot on the pedal because we’re just loaded. We have so many guys who can play at our school. Everybody wants to come to our school. So we’re very good.

“This year we throw the ball more than we ever have so we’re a dynamic team. Everybody knows that Acadiana wins district championships and wins state championships and makes it far in the playoffs every year. So that really is what Acadiana is, a smash-mouth team. You know what offense they’re running and you know what’s coming at you. You just have to do your best to stop it.’’

A six-time state champion whose two most recent titles came under McCullough’s watch in his second and third seasons in 2020 and 2019, Acadiana has flexed its muscle with 19 starters returning from an 11-3 team that advanced to the Division I Select state finals in 2023. The Rams, then seeded No. 8, knocked off No. 5 Karr, 30-24, in the state semifinals played in New Orleans before falling to No. 3 Catholic-Baton Rouge, 55-31, in the championship game of the Allstate Sugar Bowl LHSAA Prep Classic.

Sprinkled among those returning veterans are half a dozen impact skill players like DiBetta, a three-year starter and the program’s career passing leader with 3,710 yards, and quick-striking running backs Jonah Gauthier and Tayden Collins along with mercurial wide receivers like Russell Babineaux and Collin DiBetta and tight end Jayden Bessard.

DiBetta, Babineaux, a UL commitment, and DiBetta’s younger brother, Collin, have spiked the equation by bringing the aforementioned “dynamic’’ passing game into play.

DiBetta the quarterback has passed for 19 touchdowns and 1,103 yards in eight games while completing 45 of 67 attempts with only one pass intercepted in addition to rushing 31 times for an additional 345 yards and 4 more TDs. In all, DiBetta has accounted for nearly three touchdowns a game, with 23 total, and 181 yards of offense per outing.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior, who is being recruited by Nicholls State, Southeastern Louisiana, and McNeese State among others, is averaging a gaudy 16.5 yards per pass attempt and a first down (11.1 yards) for every carry.

Caden DiBetta became Acadiana’s career passing leader after throwing for 256 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 55-10 District 3-5A victory against cross-town rival Lafayette two weeks ago on Oct. 18. Now here’s the kicker, DiBetta attempted just 8 passes, completing 6.

Senior Quarterback Caden DiBettas has passed for 19 touchdowns while being intercepted only once in Acadiana’s first eight games. With four additional touchdowns scored rushing, DiBetta has accounted for nearly 3 touchdowns a game with his running and passing. Photo Courtesy: Ricky Aube’ Photography

“When you get up by so much, you can’t throw. That’s the problem,’’ McCullough said with a chuckle when asked about the offense attempting only 8 passes a game.

Babineaux and Collin DiBetta have flourished as receivers despite the limited pass attempts and served as playmakers on the outside with each catching 18 passes. Collin DiBetta holds a slight edge with 492 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns to Babineaux’s 485 yards and 6 TDs.

“(Caden has) made it easy on us (as coaches) because he knows everything that we do offensively. So we’re able to execute,’’ McCullough, a former Acadiana quarterback and the previous career passing leader at the Lafayette-area school. “Caden is one of those guys who comes to practice every day professional-like. He does everything the right way. He goes full speed every day. He’s the leader, of course, of our team and our offense. He’s played extremely well.

“He’s played extremely well the last two years. We went to the state championship game last year and I thought he played really well the last eight games of the year. He’s a guy who’s going to go play college football. He can run, he can throw it, he’s a leader. He’s a competitor, a tough kid and he’s played extremely well this year.’’

Except for a season-opening hiccup at reigning Division I Non-Select state champion Ruston that produced a penalty- and mistake-laden 35-27 loss, all three phases of Wreckin’ Rams football have been on point to date.

Offense, defense, and special teams.

The Rams have won seven consecutive games in impressive fashion starting with victories against perennial powers Zachary and St. Thomas More that have been followed by five District 3-5A wins against New Iberia, Sulphur, Barbe, Lafayette, and Southside that have Acadiana sitting in the driver’s seat for another district crown.

“I just think we’ve played well in all three phases,’’ McCullough said. “I think we’ve improved greatly as the year has gone on. We had a lot of guys back anyway. But we’re playing well right now. We’ve just got to continue it. Our guys have done a good job Monday through Thursday of preparing for every team that we’ve played. We’ve just got to continue it and go out there and execute.’’

“The first loss (to Ruston) was a big one because we thought we could go undefeated,’’ weakside linebacker Dajon “Pop’’ Francis said. “The first game kind of like humbled us and showed us that we’re not where we need to be at. We had a lot of mistakes that game and we still kept up with them, so we saw that we had some adversity to overcome. We knew that we could still be great. We had so many mistakes and still, it was a close game.’’

Despite this season’s passing pyrotechnics, make no mistake, the Rams still take great pride in running the football and demoralizing opponents with basically the same split-back veer offense first installed in 1973 by former coach Bill Dotson for whom Acadiana’s football stadium is named.

It was Dotson’s long-time assistant, Ted Davidson, under whom Wreckin’ Rams football really took off, winning the first four state titles in school history (2006, 2010, 2013, 2014) to go with two other trips to the finals during Davidson’s 14 seasons from 2004-2017. Those historic achievements resulted in Acadiana school officials deciding to add Ted Davidson Field to the Bill Dotson Stadium marquee in 2018.

“Acadiana has been running the veer since Coach Dotson. It was the Veer Machine was what they called it,’’ McCullough, Acadiana’s starting quarterback for two seasons in 1998-99. “Then the defense was called the Terrible Turks. (Acadiana fans) still call them that.

“Fear the Veer and the Terrible Turks … (The Turks) is supposed to be like (from) ancient times when the Turks were the baddest dudes on the planet. So they called (the defense) the Turks.’’

The Terrible Turks moniker indeed dates to the Middle Ages when the Ottoman Empire employed the fiercest army of the 11th century to impose its will and expand its reach far beyond the empire’s East Asian roots.

Acadiana imposes its will through the triple-option split back veer and the 4-3 defensive scheme employed by the Turks.

Running backs Jonah Gauthier and Tayden Collins spearhead a ground game that rotates four senior backs behind a line that features Jayden Lawrence at right tackle, left guard Braxton Scriber, and tight end Jadon Bessard.

Quarterback Caden DiBetta (No. 4) and running back Jonah Gauthier (No. 23) have accounted for 36 touchdowns during Acadiana’s 7-1 start. DiBetta has passed for 19 touchdowns and rushed for 4 more while Gauthier has run for 13 TDs. Photo Courtesy: Ricky Aube’ Photography

Gauthier, 5-foot-7, 180 pounds, has rushed for a team-leading total of 687 yards and 13 touchdowns on 86 carries despite missing four games due to a turf toe injury. A 5-foot-7, 180-pound senior, Gauthier rushed for approximately 600 yards in Acadiana’s first three games versus Ruston, Zachary, and St. Thomas More before being injured.

Gauthier returned in last week’s 43-10 District 3-5A victory against Southside, rushing 15 times for 122 yards and 4 touchdowns against the Sharks, the league’s last unbeaten team besides Acadiana. Collins rushed 8 time times for 137 yards and 1 touchdown versus Southside to increase his season rushing totals to 71 carries good for 473 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Lawrence at right tackle has been an in-season find at a position of need after being switched from the defensive line following the season opener at Ruston. Senior Keldrick Francis has filled a similar need defensively in taking over the star linebacker post.

“Jayden has been really good offensively for us,’’ McCullough said. “That was a big move offensively and we had enough defensive linemen that I don’t think it hurt us at all defensively. We knew we had a chance to move (Keldrick Francis) and he has played really well there (at star linebacker).’’

“We’ve executed on offense really well. We’ve played really good defense since week two. We’ve kind of grown up a little bit as far as being able to practice and prepare the right way. Which we knew (would happen).

“We had some tough games early, but I think we’ve gotten a lot better from a preparation standpoint as we went. Also, I think moving Jayden to tackle helped us a bunch after week one.’’

Defensively, the Rams have talent spread across the field with junior tackle Darryus McKinley leading a front four along that additionally boasts senior tackles Jayden Carmouche and Vallen Charles. McKinley, a five-star prospect for 2026, is the younger brother of LSU freshman five-start defensive lineman Dominic McKinley.

Senior Dajon “Pop’’ Francis at weakside linebacker and his cousin Keldrick Francis at the star position are top-shelf play-makers in the front seven while the entire secondary of cornerbacks Dalyn Lewis and Taveian Landry, free safety Braylon Noel and strong safety Keeman Thibodeaux has excelled.

Lewis, a 5-foot-11, 160-pound senior, is a returning All-State selection while Noel, a 5-foot-9, 165-pound senior, is a three-year starter and Grambling State commitment.

The Ram’s defense has been flexing its muscles since week three by allowing just 34 points in the last six games with two shutouts, two games allowing seven points apiece, and two games allowing 10 points apiece. The Rams allowed nearly double that total, 63 points, in their first two games versus Ruston and Zachary.

Special teams have excelled behind the kicking and punting of senior Eduar Hernandez and the returns of Babineaux and Collin DiBetta via kickoffs and punts. Hernandez, 5-foot-8, 150 pounds, and a college prospect, according to McCullough, is 4-for-4 on field goals with a long of 42 yards, has been successful on all but one PAT kick, and owns a 95 percent touchback effort on kickoffs.

“Defense has been playing a big part,’’ Pop Francis said. “We feel like if we do our job, the offense can go out there and get more chances to do their job. Like run the clock out and punch people in the mouth and get them tired. When we’re both on a roll, it’s just hard to stop us.’’

Acadiana’s Terrible Turks defense has stepped up, allowing only 34 points in its last six games after surrendering 63 in the first two contests. Photo Courtesy: Ricky Aube’ Photography

Not that the Wreckin’ Rams plan to leave anything to chance.

“We feel good where we are right now, but we can’t really get too comfortable because we know there are teams out there that are feeling the same way as us,’’ Pop Francis said. “But we’ve been playing together since freshman year. So the team has a lot of seniors (31) and a lot of returning starters. So we’re feeling good about this season.

“We feel like we know a lot now. We have good communication. But we’re not comfortable yet because we still feel like we can be better than what we are now.’’

“I really enjoy this senior group,’’ McCullough said. “We’ve got 30-plus seniors and I think they get it. They come to work every day. They’ve done a tremendous job of preparing. We’ve been playing the right way in the game. By playing the right way, I mean that we’re playing physical, disciplined, not blowing assignments on offense, lining up, and playing physical and fast on defense. We’re playing till the tail end of the whistle and then going back and doing it again.’’

Acadiana (7-1 overall, 5-0 in District 3-5A) closes the regular season with a 7 p.m. home game against Sam Houston (5-3 overall, 3-2 in 3-5A) this Friday followed by a 7 p.m. road game at arch-rival Carencro (4-4 overall, 4-1 in 3-5A) scheduled for Friday, Nov. 8.

“I feel like we’ve been putting in the work we needed to be where we’re at right now,’’ Gauthier, the running back, said. “I feel like after last year coming back from the Dome, knowing it ended not the way we wanted, it put kind of a chip on our shoulder to be the best we’ve ever been.

“I feel like we have guys on both sides (of the ball) that came back from last year, they know what the goal is every year, to compete in one of the biggest games in the state. We’ve just been taking one week at a time, practicing hard, knowing our assignments and just doing the little things that matter.

“It’s not that much of a pressure thing. We know the work we’ve got to do to attain our goals. We accept it. We know that we just have to work hard for the big thing that we want for our senior group and for the rest of the team.’’

“Sam Houston can throw the ball,’’ Caden DiBetta said in analyzing the final two regular season games. “They’ve got a good quarterback. It’s going to be a test for our (defensive backs). Then we’ve got Carencro.

Acadiana’s Terrible Turks defense has stepped up, allowing only 34 points in its last six games after surrendering 63 in the first two contests. Photo Courtesy: Ricky Aube’ Photography

“Everybody knows Acadiana and Carencro is the biggest game. Everybody’s got that game circled. Two smash-mouth teams that both run the veer. So I’m excited.

“These two games are going to get us ready for the playoffs and get us ready to make a run. So we can play big-time teams and be ready.’’

Include the Rams among the list of big-time teams that other Division I Select playoffs teams must be ready.

In addition to its geauxpreps.com No. 2 ranking in Class 5A behind No. 1 Karr, the Rams are ranked No. 3 in the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 5A state poll behind Karr and No. 2 Neville. Acadiana also carries a No. 3 power rating from geauxpreps.com used to determine playoff seeding.

“We want to win every championship we can,’’ McCullough said. “Which right now we’ve put ourselves in position in first place in the district with two games left to play. Then once we get through week 10, the other goal of course is to win a state championship.’’

“I feel like our focus is what’s going to help us get there,’’ Gauthier, the running back, said. “Taking out the little things that we need to improve and adjusting it to where it’s perfect almost. Just making those little changes to make our offense and our defense even more dangerous.’’

“We expect to win,’’ McCullough added. “That’s always going to be the expectations at Acadiana. So it is what it is. We just want to keep up the tradition and keep up the ability to compete at a high level.’’

“I hope people don’t doubt us just because we run the veer,’’ Gauthier said. “We’ve got a lot of athletes on the field at the same time and we can do a bunch of different things that (opposing teams) probably have never seen us do. I just want people to keep their eyes open to the abilities our athletes have.’’

“I just want people to know that we’re coming and we’re coming to make a statement,’’ Pop Francis, the weakside linebacker, said. “It’s time. This is our revenge tour from last year because that hurt us so bad. We’re coming for revenge this year.

“So Fear the Veer.’’


Featured Image Courtesy: Ricky Aube’ Photography