Parish Lines Drawn: Erath, Kaplan Battle for Bragging Rights, Inside Track to 5-3A Title
by: William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
There’s a 15-mile stretch of La. 14 in Vermilion Parish that divides the communities of Kaplan and Erath, but for one evening it will serve as an epicenter for high school football.
When Erath (6-1, 0-0) hosts Kaplan (6-1, 1-0) at 7 p.m. at Erath’s Robert J. Segura Sr. Memorial Stadium the two teams will battle for the 50th time where more than just parish bragging rights will be up for grabs.
The winner of the District 5-3A showdown will clinch a share of the league’s championship with one game to play. They can also enhance their chances at a top 5 power rating in the Division III non-select state playoff bracket.
Kaplan leads series the all-time series 32-17, but Erath has won three of the last five meetings. Depending on their postseason paths, this could be the first of two games.
“I give a lot of credit to those kids for the success we’ve had this year,” Erath football coach Eric LeBlanc said. “This week’s no different. We played North Vermilion and VC (Vermilion Catholic). They’re friends with them (Kaplan) and they grew up playing with those guys in Little League, Biddy Basketball, and Pee-Wee Football. It’s just another week for us. We’ve talked about staying focused on the things that matter, the schemes, and our attitude on the field at practice.”
Veteran coach Stephen “Tank” Lotief has made a successful return to Kaplan after a successful 14-year stint that resulted in him being relieved of his duties four years ago. He came back to the parish, and within the same district, the past two years as defensive coordinator at Abbeville High, before returning to Kaplan which advanced to three state semifinals under Lotief between 2016-2018.
The Pirates have rallied from a season-opening loss to Ascension Episcopal (23-6) and are currently riding a six-game winning streak. They’ve recorded a pair of shutouts and a run-oriented offense has produced 45 points a game over the past four weeks.
“I’m happy,” said Lotief, the parish’s winningest coach at 145-84, a mark that includes a stint at North Vermilion. “We work hard. Good players make good coaches. I think I do a good job at getting the most out of them.”
LeBlanc’s transformed a team that endured its share of disappointment on top of a litany of injuries a year ago. Erath, which lost three games by a combined eight points, won their first four games of the 2024 season before a comeback attempt against undefeated Class 1 power Vermilion Catholic came up short, 41-34.
The Bobcats have shown their mettle this season, winning five games by a total of 23 points, including a Week 2 overtime win over North Vermilion (21-15).
“We still lost some tight games against some good competition,” LeBlanc said of his ’23 team. “I’ve always felt like we’ve had some very coachable kids who want to win. Kids who are tough and have some grit. I think it showed although the record didn’t portray that.
“All the hard work they put in last year, there are some young kids that are playing well this year,” LeBlanc said. “Three seasons ago we were winning games by one possession. It just shows the toughness and character of the kids. I give them the props. They finished the games and the coaching staff’s putting them in good positions to finish games.”
Learning a Lot in a Jamboree
LeBlanc traced his team’s success to its fall scrimmage where no one left with warm, fuzzy feelings against Ascension Episcopal. It was the sixth straight year the two teams scrimmaged, but the Bobcats were left pondering their future after a less-than-stellar performance.
“We knew Ascension would be a good team and that’s why we like scrimmaging them,” LeBlanc said. “We had a big heart-to-heart (talk) about what it was going to be like to be successful. It was an eye-opener for us and the things we needed to accomplish and how we needed to practice. We felt like they really put it to us. We were looking to find answers.”
The leaders on Erath’s team took a great role in paving the way for the team. The Bobcats, with a senior class of 13, leaned into the leadership of that group and the team’s captains in the weight room, conditioning on the track and in team meetings.
A victorious outing in the Acadia-Vermilion Parish Jamboree against Class 4A Rayne was a first step.
“We turned it around and kept rolling,” LeBlanc said.
For the first time in the careers of the current senior class, Erath won its season opener – 14-7 – over Loreauville. The Bobcats continued that trend, going to overtime against another parish rival, North Vermilion, and quarterback Jack Landry’s TD pass to tight end Coty Broussard enabled the Bobcats to match their victory total of 2023.
Erath rallied from a one-point deficit to nip Eunice, 28-21 when Landry passed 27 yards to Talen Landry. Landry also added a two-point pass to account for the final score.
The Bobcats bounced back from their seven-point setback to VC with a pair of road wins over Westlake (21-20) and DeQuincy (30-28) before a home blowout of Berwick (43-7). The stage was set for the team’s district opener at St. Martinville until pregame gunfire outside the stadium resulted in the game’s cancellation.
Erath, the No. 7 team in GeauxPreps’ Top 10 in Class 3A, is the state’s No. 2 team in the latest Division III non-select power rankings behind St. James.
“We’ve been fortunate in staying healthy,” said LeBlanc, who lost starting wide receiver/cornerback Drake Domingue to an ACL injury against Loreauville. “The guys that are contributing are seniors. They had to play last year because of injuries that happened to guys who were upperclassmen. That experience really helped them and rolled into this year.”
Picking Up Where He Left Off
Because of his time at Abbeville, which entailed scouting and breaking down film, Lotief had a pretty good idea of what he was inheriting this season. The Pirates reached the state playoffs in two of the past three years and were 7-4 in ’23.
“I got to see a lot of their games,” said Lotief, who added his son Daniel to his staff which also included Craig Blanchard, Codey Mire, and Rhett Menard from his previous stint. “I know we played them (18-14 Abbeville win in ’23) and there was no doubt they were the better team. They just didn’t win because they didn’t know how to finish. They were right there in the games they should have won.
“Talent-wise, this is a very talented football team,” Lotief said. “They had to play better. A lot of them have been starters since they were sophomores. I’ve been watching them for three years and told them they had some talent, but I told them they had to play a little harder and for each other. Hold onto the ball, block a little bit longer, and don’t quit on your teammates.”
The tough, hard-nosed culture Lotief developed in his first tenure at Kaplan has returned. The Pirates’ Wing-T offense is predicated on physical offensive line play to help win the time of possession battle and keep the team’s defense fresh down the stretch of games.
Kaplan’s 37-6 win over North Vermilion triggered its current six-game win streak. The Pirates also defeated Loreauville, 40-18, and easily handled Patterson (55-20) and reigning Division IV state champion Southern Lab (40-20) before opening league play with a 40-0 verdict over Abbeville.
The Pirates are rated No. 8 in the most recent Division III non-select power rankings.
“There’s not much difference between a win and a loss,” Lotief said. “It comes down to four or five plays. You play each play like it could be the difference in the game. Maybe it took us getting beat by Ascension. We got down there (red zone) twice and didn’t score and fumbled once. We played a good football team and then we kept getting better. We’ve stayed healthy and have taken care of the football (1 turnover in the last 5 games).”
Differing Approaches for One Common Goal
The end result for a pair of six-win teams shouldn’t matter at how they arrived here.
But Kaplan and Erath couldn’t be more different in their approach to offense.
Kaplan, which has punted six times all season and three times during its win streak, features a three-pronged running attack averaging 309 yards and 5.6 yards per carry.
The all-senior backfield of Daylon Landry (113-864, 12 TDs), Wyatt Hebert (142-703, 15 TDs) and Bradyn Beard (64-401, 2 TDs) follow an offensive line led by seniors Zach Marceaux, Kevin Small, Isaac Saltzman and tight end Carter Petry. Juniors Wyatt Bourque and Keiton Milton comprise the rest of the offensive line.
“The backs run hard and they’re blocking for each other,” Lotief said. “Bearb may have the least amount of carries, but I love that kid because he’s a team player. The offensive line is busting their tail, and Carter is a Division I tight end that no one knows about. He’s laying the lumber. I give our offensive line all the credit in the world because that’s how we win. We win by keeping the ball.”
Kaplan’s defense, led by senior linebacker Dane Frick, is allowing 157.8 total yards and 12.4 points a game. The Pirates have been especially stingy against the run, permitting 68.4 yards a game (3.1 per carry), and have held two opponents to minus yards on the ground.
“He’s our quarterback on defense,” Lotief said of Frick. “He could be a skill guy. He puts us in the right defenses.”
Petry and Bourque key a defensive front, along with senior Remy Broussard and sophomore Owen Marceaux at outside linebacker. Senior Coy Terro is part of a group of defensive backs that relies on depth, rotating throughout the course of a game.
“We’ve been rolling,” Lotief said. “I want more. I’m very excited.”
LeBlanc is hopeful his offense, which averages 27.2 points, will be efficient with the opportunities it’s presented against Kaplan’s ball-controlled offense. He believes his team will have at least three fewer possessions compared to facing a more balanced opponent.
“We know when we get our opportunities we have to execute at a high level,” he said. “We have confidence in our defense and special teams to do their jobs. Our game plan’s solid in all three phases.”
Landry, in his first season as a starter, has completed 56% of his passes (74 of 133) with three interceptions and 10 touchdowns. He has a formidable wide receiving corps to select from in senior Cameron Soirez (20-454, 3 TD), junior Talen Landry (18-259, 3 TD), senior Jonathan Goodrich (12-100, 3 TD), and senior tight end Luke Etie (10-160, 3 TD).
“Production-wise on the field, he’s right where we need him to be,” LeBlanc said of Landry. “He’s doing a lot of great things for us in terms of communication, checks at the line. As a junior, he’s one of our team captains.”
Senior center Andrew LeBlanc is the anchor for an offensive line that also has three juniors and a sophomore.
The Bobcats have a pair of productive running backs in senior Mason Hebert (93-413, 9 TD) and junior Aiden Bourque (49-241, 4 TDs). Landry’s also a capable runner with 74 carries for 231 yards and a touchdown.
Hebert is among the team’s defensive leaders and was an LFCA honorable mention selection last season on the Class 3A All-State team.
“He does what’s needed and it’s been that way for a long time,” LeBlanc said. “He’s a smart kid (4.0) and one of the toughest kids we have on the field. He had 20-something tackles last year against Kaplan. I’d take 100 of him if we could get them. He’s always putting us in the right positions with calls and checks.”
One of Erath’s strengths this season was having three returning defensive linemen who were multi-year starters.
Junior Kaiden Viator, along with Andrew and Griffen LeBlanc (no relation), provide the Bobcats with experience in front of Hebert, while juniors Landon Lemaire, Aiden Bourque, Cade Francis, and senior cornerback Torrien Alfred, provide the heart of the team’s secondary for a team permitting 19.8 points a game.
“The battle’s going to be won in the trenches,” Coach LeBlanc said, “and I think those guys are ready for the challenge.”