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For the third year in a row, the Kaplan Pirates have a Vermilion Parish MVP.
Two years ago the Pirates had Julius Johnson rush for 2,000 yards and earned the Offensive MVP in the parish.
Last year Johnson led the parish in tackles and was named the Defensive MVP in the parish.
Well, in 2017, the Kaplan Pirates swept the parish MVP awards.
Mac Thibeaux, who made the parish first team as a running back last year, was selected the Parish Offensive MVP this year.
Behind the Wing-T offense, Thibeaux rushed for 2,000 yards and scored 17 touchdowns. He helped the Pirates reach the semifinal round of the Class 3A Playoffs for the second straight year.
“He did everything we asked him to do,” said Kaplan Head coach Stephen Lotief about Thibeaux.
In two seasons, Thibeaux has rushed for just under 4,000 yards and scored 30 touchdowns.
“This award is not about me,” said Thibeaux. “It is about my teammates. I could not have done it without them.”
Running up the middle for the Pirates and also earning all parish honors is Kaplan full back Braylon Romero, who could not finish the season because he broke his foot in the playoffs.
Romero finished with 1,200 yards rushing and scored 11 touchdowns.
On offense, the Pirates landed six players on the first team.
Two first-team linemen were Austin Stelly and Aaron Hebert. The firs-team tight end is Kaplan’s Dane Winsendanger.
Kaplan’s Matt Rhoden is the first-team kick returner.
In his first year as the head coach at Gueydan High School, Roderick Moy posted a 5-5 year and got one yard within upsetting Montgomery in the first round of the Class 1A playoffs this year.
Because he had success in his first year at GHS, the Meridional named Moy as the Coach of the Year in Vermilion Parish.
He was happy with his team’s performance in 2017.
“I am very pleased because I thought we maximized the talent we had,” said Moy about the season. “The kids believed in themselves. I am very proud of the season we had based on being one-yard away in overtime from upsetting the No. 10 seed team in the playoffs compared to where this program was when we started in June.”
Last year no Bear player made first or second team all parish. This year there were two who made first team and two on the second team.
Griffin Guidry of Gueydan was second in the parish with reception yards (35-581, 6 TDs) and Spencer Broussard rushed for more than 1,00 yards for Gueydan and he was also the team’s leading tackler, earning him as the first -team “athlete.”
On defense, the Pirates’s defense was solid.
The leader on the defense was linebacker Rhett Menard.
The season did not start off too well because Menard was injured. He missed the scrimmage, jamboree and two regular games.
When he returned, he came back strong and fierce as ever.
He was selected the MVP in the district and the Abbeville Meridional also named him the Vermilion Parish Defensive Player of the Year.
He will be missed by Lotief next year.
“Rhett was a student of the game,” said Lotief. “He lined up everyone on defense and made the calls, checked the coverages or totally changed the defense.
“He was a coach on the field, plus, he was a great player.”
Joining him on the defense are teammates Logan Roy (LB) and Quintlan Cobb (DL).
Like years in the past, VC had a high octane offense and a tough defense.
For the second year in a row, JT Lege lands as the all-parish first team quarterback. Lege threw for 1,820 yards and completed 129 out of 225 passes and 23 TDs.
Kris Constantine of VC was the top receiver with 55 catches for 933 yards and 18 TDs.
Felix Joseph earned first team all parish as an offensive lineman for VC.
The Eagles had four players on defense.
VC defensive lineman Quintin Marshall led the parish with 14 sacks and 64 tackles.
Kayle Bengston was VC’s top linebacker (100 total tackles) and finished second on the team in tackles.
Defensive backs Ethan Lege (89 total tackles, 5 interceptions) and Nick Langlinais (110 total tackles, 5 interceptions)
Freshman John Robert Allums, in his first year playing varsity football for VC, led the parish in points for a kicker with 54.
North Vermilion’s first-team players all-parish were Malik Criner (200-1,423 yards) at running back, and Eli Dubois on the offensive line.
On defense, defensive back Ryan Broussard, lineman Drake Griffin and punter Darian Duhon (37 yard average) are first teamers.
First teamers for Abbeville High were defensive linemen Omari Akebulan and Keiran Shelvin.
First-team players for Erath were offensive lineman Jax Harrington and defensive back Mason Granger.

All Parish Teams

1st Team Offense

QB JT Lege, VC, Senior
RB Mac Thibeaux, Kaplan, Senior
RB Malik Criner, North Vermilion, Junior
RB Braylon Romero, Kaplan, Senior
WR Kris Constantine, VC, Senior
WR Griffin Guidry, Gueydan, Senior
TE Dane Winsendanger, Kaplan, Junior
OL Austin Stelly, Kaplan, Senior
OL Jax Harrington, Erath, Junior
OL Aaron Hebert, Kaplan, Senior
OL Felix Joseph, VC, Soph.
OL Eli Dubois, North Vermilion, Junior
K John Robert Allums, VC, Freshman
KR Matt Rhoden, Kaplan, Senior
Ath. Spencer Broussard, Gueydan, Senior

1st Team Defense

DL Drake Griffin, North Vermilion, Senior
DL Quintin Marshall ,VC, Junior
DL Quintlan Cobb, Kaplan, Junior
DL Omari Akebulan, Abbeville, Senior
DL Kieran Shelvin, Abbeville, Junior
LB Rhett Menard, Kaplan, Senior
LB Kayle Bengston, VC, Junior
LB Logan Roy, Kaplan, Junior
LB Payne Touchet, Erath, Senior
DB Ryan Broussard, North Vermilion, Senior
DB Ethan Lege, VC, Senior
DB Mason Granger, Erath, Senior
DB Nick Langlinais, VC, Senior
P Darian Duhon, North Vermilion, Soph.

OFFENSIVE MVP
Mac Thibeaux, Kaplan

DEFENSIVE MVP
Rhett Menard, Kaplan

Coach of the Year
Roderick Moy, Gueydan High

2nd Team Offense

WR - John Pupera, Erath; Camden Sellers, VC; TE - Cooper Derouen, North Vermilion; OL - Grant David, VC; Justin Mayard, North Vermilion; Anthony Demarco, Kaplan; DeShawn Campbell, Abbeville; Michael Lotief, Kaplan; QB - Blaire Broussard, Gueydan; RB: Mark Clark, Gueydan, Deoin Williams, Abbeville; PK: Hunter Hulin, North Vermilion. RS - Tavion Menard, Abbeville;

2nd Team Defense

DL - Jax Harrington, Erath; Tyler Stelly, Kaplan; Larry Kelly, Erath, Austin Belaire, VC; LB - Caleb Jagneaux, Erath, Kevin Dennis, Abbeville, Kade Hebert, North Vermilion; DB - Kendrick Baudoin, North Vermilion; Cauy Menard, VC; Drake Abshire, Kaplan; Dominick Nunez, Abbeville; Athlete: Blaire Broussard, Gueydan

Dozens gathered at the Abbeville Police Department Friday morning to honor those who have lost their lives in the line of duty as part of the annual John “Dooley” Hardy Memorial.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Hardy’s death. His brother, Abbeville Police Chief Tony Hardy, said that while the memorial honors law enforcement, it provides a message that should resonate with everyone.
“No day is guaranteed,” Tony Hardy said. “Take care of your family, your kids and your friends.
“Nothing is guaranteed.”
The memorial is held each year by the Fraternal Order of Police John “Dooley” Hardy Memorial Lodge 48, honoring fallen officers from Vermilion Parish. Those in attendance also honored the memories of the 123 officers lost nationwide, including five from Louisiana. Those numbers are both down from 138 (nationally) and nine (state) in 2016.
Lane Payne, the pastor of New Life Church in Abbeville, served as the speaker Friday. He said his church begins service each Sunday by praying for officers and other first responders.
“These men and women are marching forward by a call to serve and protect,” Payne said. “This is not just a vocation. It is a calling and they answer that call, standing between those who wish to do harm and those who would be harmed. In fulfilling that call, there are times, even with all the best training, that some fall.
“That is who we are honoring today, those who give their own lives to protect and to serve.”
Officers from Vermilion Parish who gave their lives in the line of duty include Hardy (Dec. 24, 1992), Todd Touchet (Jan. 8, 2000) of the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office, Rodney Trahan (April 6, 1969) of the Kaplan Police Department, Otto Bourque (Oct. 3, 1964) of the Erath Police Department, and Allen Bares Jr. (June 23, 2014) of the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office.
“They did not shrink back from the call and paid a price that is so high,” Payne said. “Jesus himself called it the highest form of love, to lay down one’s life for his friends. Let us never forget to honor those who have laid down their lives. Let us also not forget to hold in high esteem those who are still serving.
“I thank God for these men and women.”

BATON ROUGE — It looks as if Louisiana’s sugarcane grinding season is going to be an extended one. But there is a good reason for the late finish—an exceptional sugarcane crop.
Most years, the majority of mills complete grinding by the end of December. While some may be finished by then this year, others are scheduled to continue grinding until as late as Jan. 20.
“That’s very late,” said Kenneth Gravois, LSU AgCenter sugarcane specialist. “That makes a lot of people nervous going that late, but we’ve had a good crop. We’re sitting on a record crop here in Louisiana.”
Last year, Louisiana produced a record amount of recoverable sugar per ton of cane. But the crop was light in terms of tons per acre. This year, tonnage per acre is up.
“This year we have good sugar recovery,” Gravois said. “In addition, we have good tons of cane per acre. So we have sugar and tonnage, and that’s a great combination.”
The all-time record for sugar per acre was more than 8,400 pounds in 2012. Gravois said it looks like that record will be broken unless a major weather event, like an extended hard freeze occurs.
Weather always is a factor in producing a successful crop. Last year’s dry harvest got this year’s crop off to a good start, and rain came just when the crop needed it.
“We just had timely rains. We didn’t have too much rain. We didn’t have too little rain,” Gravois said. “Someone said it looks like this crop was irrigated.”
A rare snowstorm in early December dumped anywhere from 2 to 4 inches across Louisiana’s sugarcane growing region. It created minor problems, as some cane was laid down from the weight of the snow, but it did not create any long-term issues.
“The duration of the freeze wasn’t that long, and it looks like we escaped some of the most damaging aspects of that,” Gravois said.
Rains have slowed the harvest recently, but Gravois said that is to be expected moving into the latter part of December.
“Most fields that are yet to be harvested are on the better, sandier lands, fields we can harvest and manage even if it does rain on us,” he said.
Gravois is optimistic about next year’s crop as well.
“This crop sets us up well for the 2018 crop,” he said. “Again, we’re harvesting under dry conditions. Even though the last part may be a little bit wet, we’ve harvested the majority of this crop under dry conditions,” he said.

September 5, 1931 - December 10, 2017

ABBEVILLE — A Home-going Celebration will be held for Joseph Fleet Harris, Jr. 86, will be held Saturday, December 23, 2017 at 11:00 A.M. at Mt. Triumph Baptist Church with Rev. E. I. Sullivan, officiating.
He will await the resurrection in Mt. Triumph Baptist Church Cemetery in Grosse Isle, LA.
Visitation will be held on Saturday at the church and commence at 8:00 A.M. until time of service.
A resident of Grosse Isle, LA, he passed at 8:17 A.M. on Sunday, December 10, 2017 at his residence.
He was a faithful member of Mt. Triumph Baptist Church.
He leaves to cherish his fond memory, his wife of 33 years, Willie Mae Comeaux Harris of Abbeville, LA; one son, Kenneth Allen Campbell (Lisa) of Giddings, TX; two daughters: Mary Harris of Fredericksburg, VA and Millie C. Landry of Abbeville, LA; two nephews: Berne Harris, Jr. of MD and Robert Harris of Washington, DC; two nieces: Barbara Harris of Alexandria, VA and Patricia Harris of Heathsville, VA; 9 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and a host of great-great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, numerous relatives and friends.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Joseph Fleet Harris, Sr. and Helen Harris; one son, Charles Harris and one brother, Berne Harris, Sr.
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Fletcher Funeral Home 1116 Greene Street Abbeville, LA 70510.
Condolences may be expressed at www.fletcherfuneralhomes.org.