Jim Brown
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Jeff Crouere
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Miss Jasmine Devoltz and Mr. Tyler Mouton
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Devoltz of Kaplan, LA are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Miss Jasmine Devoltz of Kaplan, LA to Mr. Tyler Mouton of Kaplan, LA. The wedding ceremony will take place on Saturday, December 7, 2024 at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Abbeville, LA.
Jasmine is a 2015 graduate of Kaplan High School. Jasmine earned her Associate of Science degree in Nursing from Louisiana State University at Eunice in May 2024. She is currently employed by Ochsner Lafayette General Orthopedic Hospital.
Tyler the son of Ms. Deanie David of Erath, LA is a 2015 graduate of Kaplan High School. Tyler is currently employed by American Eagle Logistics.
Frederick Washington
An Abbeville man faces charges for his alleged connection to a drive-by shooting that occurred last month.
According to Vermilion Parish Sheriff Eddie Langlinais, on Nov. 19, at approximately 12:41 a.m., the Vermilion Parish Sheriff's Office responded to a 911 call in reference to a shooting that took place on La. Highway 695.
Upon the arrival of Patrol Deputies, it was learned that an unknown subject shot several rounds from the highway and into a residence occupied by the homeowner and a guest.
Upon the arrival of Detectives, a thorough investigation began which led to the collection of enough evidence to obtain an arrest warrant for Frederick Washington, 52, of Abbeville, for the felony charge of Assault by Drive-by Shooting.
Washington was later located on Hawthorne Street in Abbeville. A Search Warrant was obtained, and detectives arrived to search the residence where the incident took place. With the assistance of the Vermilion Parish SWAT Team and Officers of the Abbeville Police Department, Washington was placed under arrest at approximately 4:56 PM without any further incident.
Washington has since been booked into the Vermilion Parish Correctional Center on the charge of Assault by Drive-by Shooting, with a bond set at $100,000.
Sheriff Eddie Langlinais would like to commend the Abbeville Police Department and the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office’s Patrol Deputies, Detectives, and SWAT Team for their combined efforts in bringing this case to a swift and safe conclusion.
The last time VC played Kentwood was in 2003 in the Class A finals. VC head coach Broc Prejean was a player on that team. Also, Kentwood's head coach was a player in that 2003 state championship game.
VC head football coach Broc Prejean and first-year Kentwood head football coach Corneloius Blount have something in common.
They both played against one another in the 2003 Class 1A state finals in the Louisiana Superdome.
Prejean was a senior on the VC football team in 2003, and Blount was a junior who earned all-state honors.
Prejean wore jersey No. 9 and played strong safety, and Blount played outside linebacker and wore No. 11.
Prejean and the Eagles beat Kentwood 10-6 to win VC’s first two state titles.
Now head coaches, the two men will face one another on the football field this Friday.
The No. 1 Eagles (12-0) battle No. 12 Kentwood in the semifinals of the Select Division IV playoffs.
Saturday morning, Coach Prejean learned that Coach Blount was a member of the 2003 team.
“If he coaches the way he played, we got our work cut out for us,” Coach Prejean said. “Twenty-plus years later, and I still have nothing but respect for who those guys were, and now even more respect knowing they are leading their alma maters.”
Coach Blount has not forgotten the loss.
“Oh, yeah, I remember losing to them (VC),” said Blount. “We did not give up a touchdown all year; we gave one up to VC. I will never forget that game.”
Before being named the head coach, Blount was the offensive coordinator at Kentwood.
He expressed excitement when the brackets were announced, noticing a chance to play VC.
“Playing VC is more personal to me and my assistant coach Jeremy Brown, who was also on the 2003 team,” said coach Blount. “But I am excited to play them. They have a great program. That No. 1 (Jonathan Dartez) is a beast.”
The winner of Friday’s game will play the winner of No. 2 Ascension Catholic/No. 11 Ouachita Christian winner on Thursday in the Superdome.
Last year, Kentwood reached the Division IV Non-Select semifinals and lost to Oak Grove 48-20 in overtime.
This season, Kentwood was put into Division IV Select by the LHSAA.
Coach Blount said has no clue as to why the LHSAA made Kentwood a select team.
VC's Allen McLain III makes a shoulder catch for VC.
VC's Jonathan Dartez gets around St Ed's defender.
The No. 1 Vermilion Catholic Eagles crushed the No. 8 St. Edmund Blue Jays 60-20 in the quarterfinals of the Select Division IV playoffs Friday night in Eagle Stadium.
It is the first time VC scored 60 points in a game since 2020, when it scored 64.
The Eagles (12-0) fell behind early but answered with a 34-point second quarter to put the game out of reach. Quarterback Jonathan Dartez accounted for 307 total yards of offense and six touchdowns.
“I don’t think it’s a secret that if you’re going to beat us, you’re going to have to beat him first,” said VC head coach Broc Prejean. “We have answers for when that happens, but tonight he had a great game.”
St. Ed’s took the opening kickoff and marched 78 yards in 16 plays. The drive ate 8:51 of the clock and ended when quarterback Kane West connected with receiver Blake Moran for a six-yard touchdown pass to give the Blue Jays a 6-0 lead with 3:09 remaining in the first quarter.
“They had a great first drive,” Prejean said. “What was encouraging for us was how hard it was for them to get in the end zone. That let our defense know they were going to be okay once they got their feet wet and settled in.”
VC took all of 19 seconds to answer.
On the first play of the ensuing drive, quarterback Jonathan Dartez scooted left, cut back right, and raced 58 yards for the touchdown. The extra point made it 7-6 with 2:50 left in the first.
“That was the difference between the teams,” Dartez said. “It took them nine minutes to score a touchdown. We scored on the first play. It opened their eyes to who they were playing. It was a statement run by our team.”
The Eagles’ defense responded as they forced a three-and-out. Junior defensive lineman Seth Boudreaux had a big sack on third down that forced the Blue Jays to punt from their end zone.
After the punt, the VC offense went right back to work. This time, Dartez punched it in from nine yards out to make it 14-6 with 9:42 left in the first half.
After a quick three-and-out, Dartez found the end zone for the third time. This time, he scored from 17 yards out, carrying two Blue Jay defenders across the goal line with him to make it 20-6 with 7:02 remaining in the half.
On the ensuing St. Ed’s drive, cornerback Trevin Hebert jumped the route and intercepted West’s pass. The freshman raced 38-yards to the end zone. The pick-six scored 27-6 with 5:26 to go in the half.
On the second play of their next drive, the Blue Jays fumbled, and VC recovered. The Eagles took over at the St. Ed’s 35-yard-line. On the first play, Dartez dropped back to pass and found Allen McLain III running up the seam for the touchdown and the 34-6 lead with 4:33 still to go in the half.
St. Ed’s tried to go deep on its next drive after picking up a first down. Defensive back Jyrin Bessard intercepted the pass and returned it 76 yards. Prejean praised the play of his secondary and their preparation by defensive coordinator Brett Blakey and secondary coach Shannon Cormier.
“That’s a product of Brett Blakey and Shannon Cormier having those guys ready,” Prejean said. “There were moments tonight where the guys were very confident in what they were about to see. When you can do that, you can make breaks on balls and make big plays. We took advantage of those opportunities tonight.”
On third down, Dartez scored his fourth rushing touchdown from two yards out to put VC ahead 41-6 with 15 seconds left in the half.
The Eagles scored three more times in the second half. Luke McLain had a four-yard touchdown run to open the second-half scoring. Also in the third, Dartez hit Matthew Mollere in stride for a 32-yard touchdown pass. Senior Joe Langlinais scored the Eagles final touchdown of the night when he plunged in from the four-yard-line with 6:45 to go in the game.
Dartez finished with 176 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 22 attempts. He also went five of seven through the air for 131 yards and two touchdowns.
Langlinais added 10 yards and a touchdown on two carries, while Luke McLain had eight yards and a touchdown on three carries.
Bessard caught two passes for 59 yards to lead the receiving corps. Allen McLain III caught one pass for 35 yards and a touchdown. Mollere also had one reception for 32 yards and a touchdown, while Hudson Hebert caught one pass for five yards.
VC will play Kentwood in the semifinals on Friday.
While Kentwood is most famous for being Britney Spears’s hometown, it’s also a football powerhouse, having won nine state championships and finished runner-up seven times.
“I have to get some film on Kentwood,” Prejean said after Friday night’s football game. “I don’t know anything about the Kangaroos.
“I know they’re a traditional powerhouse, and I’m thankful we’re playing here and not under the water tower. It’s going to be a challenge. We’ll get to work on it tomorrow (Saturday) morning.”
Teaming up to make the VC tackle are Will Simon (8), Luke McLain (25), Alen McLain III (16) and Joe Langlinais (20) on left.
VC's Ben Constentin brings down a St. Edmund's runner.
The number 78 was special for the Vermilion Catholic defense on Friday. Throughout the week before the game, they kept seeing the number 78 all over social media. But rather than intimidating them, it seemed to fuel their fire even more.
By game time, the VC defense had one goal: to prevent the St. Edmund’s offense from doing what it did against St. Martin’s in the second round of the playoffs. St. Edmund’s won 78-32. Many thought the 78 was a statement for their next opponent.
With eight minutes left in the game and VC leading 47-6, the Blue Jays scored two late touchdowns, bringing the final score to 60-20.
Twenty points was the least scored this season by St. Ed’s.
At the end of the third period, St. Ed’s quarterback had minus 20 yards of offense by himself.
St. Ed’s QB Kane West had minus yards because of defensive line Gabe Boudreaux. Boudreaux was in the backfield for three periods and gave West fits.
“I was thinking about how they put up 78 points against St. Martin’s,” said Boudreaux. “Yeah, the 78 points was my main motivation. Their offense was pretty good, and they thought they would beat us.”
Well, that did not happen.
However, the Blue Jays did look like they would give the Eagles a game. On its opening drive, St. Edmund marched 78 yards in 16 plays for a touchdown. With three minutes left in the first period, the score was 6-0.
The VC defense kept St. Ed’s from doing anything offensively in the first half. After the opening drive for a touchdown, St. Ed’s punted in its next three possessions, and VC scored on its next three possessions for 20-6 lead in the first quarter,
Seth Boudreaux and Jackson Trahan teamed up in the first quarter to sack the quarterback.
VC freshman Trevin Hebert, who plays cornerback, came up big for the defense. On third down and seven on St. Ed’s 34-yard line, Hebert stepped in front of a pass for an interception that he converted into a 34-yard touchdown after outrunning the defender. His TD made the score 27-6.
“As soon as I saw him (St. Ed QB) wind up, I threw it, and I came up and jumped in front of it,” said Hebert. “It was an amazing feeling.”
That was Hebert’s first varsity interception. Hebert said he did not care what St. Ed’s did the week before.
“They have to come to our house and play our defense,” he said. “We do not believe anyone can come here and dominate us like that. Especially in our house.”
The Eagles defense got a big interception, which resulted in VC scoring another touchdown to make the score 60-12. Jyrin Bessard had the interception on the VC 10-yard line, and he ran it back 76 yards to set up another VC touchdown.
St. Ed’s had just over 250 yards of total offense and scored two touchdowns in the game’s final eight minutes.
VC’s defense will face a significant challenge next week in the semifinals. The Kangaroos (10-3) come into the game averaging 47 points during the playoffs and 34 points in the regular season.
May 6, 1943
~
November 26, 2024
ABBEVILLE- A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1:00 PM, Saturday, November 30, 2024, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Leroy, Louisiana, honoring the life of Loretta Brousard Davidson, 81, who passed away on November 26, 2024, at Woodbriar Assisted Living in Maurice, Louisiana.
Reverend Paul Bienvenu will officiate at the funeral mass. Burial will follow at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Mausoleum. Lectors for the mass will be Marcy Lege and Gina Davidson. Pallbearers will be Brandon Lege, Bryce Lege, Russell Langston, and Cameron R. Davidson.
A visitation will take place at Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville on Saturday, November 30, 2024, from 9:00 AM until 12:30 PM when the procession will depart for church. A rosary will be prayed at 10:30 AM on Saturday.
Loretta was born on May 6, 1943, in Abbeville. She lived with her parents in Cow Island and graduated from E. Broussard High School. She married her sweetheart, Raymond Davidson. Together, they raised their two sons while living in Kaplan and later moving to Abbeville. Later in life, Loretta and Raymond lived in the communities of Rose Hill and Leroy. Loretta worked as an administrative assistant at Sears, for Dr. Howard Alleman, Eastridge Nursing Home in Abbeville and Vermilion Health Care in Nunez. Anyone who knew Loretta, knew how talented she was in the kitchen. Loretta loved fixing her grandchildren’s favorite meals. Her rice and gravy, stew, or gumbo was always a reason for a family gathering.
She is survived by her son, John O. Davidson (Gina); two sisters, Jackie B. Melancon (Russell) and Pauline B. Vincent (Percy); and two grandchildren, Cameron R. Davidson and Camille D. Langston (Russell).
She is preceded in death by her husband, Raymond L. Davidson; parents, Otis P. Broussard and Esther Kimball Broussard; son, Patrick R. Davidson; grandson, Barret J. Davidson; and two sisters, Davevene B. Gallet and Carol B. Trahan.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Vincent Funeral Home – 209 S. Saint Charles St. Abbeville, LA (337) 893-4661.
A Mass and Christian Burial officiated by Reverend Suresh Mathangi will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, November 30, 2024, at St. Anne Catholic Church in Cow Island honoring the life of Lester J. David, 91, who passed away on November 25, 2024, at his home in Cow Island.
A formal visitation will be held at St. Anne Catholic Church on Saturday, November 30, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a Rosary being prayed at 11.30 AM. The burial will follow at St. Anne Cemetery.
He was a devoted Patrol Sergeant in the Louisiana State Police, bringing honor and integrity to his profession. He also served his country in the U. S. Army, Hq. Btry 496th AAA Bn, Special Training Regiment 101, Airborne Division. He loved being a farmer, cattleman, crawfish farming and hunting. He was proud to be a member of The American Legion for 45 years, a member of the Knights of Columbus and a Cursillista from Cursillo #66. His faith was always in the forefront of his life.
He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Barbara LeMaire David, one daughter, Kim D. Verret (Greg), two sons, Hal Lester David (Angie) and Mitchell Todd David (Vickie) of Cow Island, 11 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Otis David and the former Euland Breaux, one son, James (Jim) David, one brother Wendell R. David and one great granddaughter, Kennedy Stelly.
Pallbearers will be Heith David, Buck Verret, Blake Verret, Andrew Cook, Jedd David, Jacob David, Cody Verret and Gabriel Verret. Honorary pallbearers will be Finn Kiddy, Keegan David, Evangeline Verret, and Henri Verret.
The family would like to extend special thanks to Connie Romero, Bonnie Benoit, Janet Broussard, and Lisa Laviolette for the loving care they extended to us in our time of need. Also, a special thanks to Traditions Hospice nurses and caregivers for everything they did for us.
Kaplan Coy Terro upends the Pine ball carrier. (Photo by Rosco Harrington)
Kaplan defensive back Kodi Clement tries to bring down Pine receiver DJ Garrett. Garrett had a big night against Kaplan. He had seven catches for 182 yards. (photo by Rosco Harrington)
KAPLAN – The No. 8 Kaplan Pirates football season came to an abrupt halt Friday night as they lost in the second round of the 2024 Division III Non-Select playoffs to the No. 9 Pine Raiders 21-6 at Ed Douglas Memorial Stadium.
Kaplan (8-3) had no answer for Pine wider receiver DJ Garrett. The senior caught seven passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns.
Pirates’ head coach Stephen Lotief gave credit to Pine for their execution, but it just wasn’t Kaplan’s night.
“He’s a good player,” Lotief said. “They threw it up to him and he did his job. The quarterback threw it well. Their line protected well. They were better than us tonight.
“We didn’t play hard enough. We didn’t play with enough energy. If we played the whole game like we came out in the second half, we might have had a chance.”
Garrett first made his presence known at the 4:44 mark of the first quarter when he caught a 35-yard pass from quarterback Trey Knight down to the Kaplan one-yard-line. Knight dove across the goal line to give Pine the 7-0 lead with 3:13 remaining in the opening frame.
The score remained 7-0 until late in the first half. Kaplan senior defensive end Remy Broussard sacked Knight on fourth down to give the Pirates first-and-ten at their own 38-yard line.
Kaplan then fumbled the football, and the Raiders recovered, giving them the ball back in Pirates’ territory. On the second play of the ensuing drive, Knight found Garrett from 30-yards out for the touchdown and the 14-0 lead with 1:01 remaining before halftime.
Garrett struck again early in the fourth quarter. This time Knight found him from 29-yards out for another touchdown and a 21-0 lead with 11:51 left in the contest.
Kaplan finally found the end zone with nine seconds left on the clock when Bradyn Bearb ran it in from 14-yards out to provide the final margin.
Bearb finished with 28 yards rushing and the touchdown on six carries. Wyatt Hebert had a game-high 73 yards on 19 carries while Daylon Landry was right behind with 70 yards on 16 carries.
Sabe David completed four passes on 15 attempts for 34 yards with three interceptions. Jacob Devoltz caught two passes for 25 yards while Landry caught two balls for nine yards.
The Pirates are disappointed their season is over, but Lotief is proud of what they accomplished this year.
“Too bad, too sad,” Lotief said. “It’s a football game. Bounce back and work harder. That’s life.
“It’s better to set your goals high and not reach them than to set them low and reach them. We won a playoff game. We aspired to go further, but we had injuries, we had this and that, and we didn’t play well. It happens.”
318 N. Main St.
Abbeville, LA 70510
Phone: 337-893-4223
Fax: 337-898-9022
219 North Cushing Avenue
Kaplan, LA 70548