Abbeville wins district title

The Abbeville Wildcats marked a number of high spots with a come-from-behind 18-14 win over the Kaplan Pirates on Friday.
The Wildcats held onto the Peter Russo Memorial Trophy for the third straight season after having lost the previous 15 games against Kaplan.
Abbeville also solidified a home spot in the Non-Select Division II football playoffs after entering the game as the No. 14 team in the unofficial power rankings.
Perhaps biggest on the list was the District 5-3A championship that the ’Cats captured. It’s the first outright district title for Abbeville since the 1997 season.
It’s been a satisfying journey for head coach Roderick Moy and the seniors, who were freshmen in his first year as head coach.
“These seniors really banded together,” Moy said. “A lot of people told me a lot of things these kids wouldn’t be able to do. Fast forward four years, they’re the district champs and we’re holding the Russo (Trophy) for the third year in a row. I think they’ve done pretty damn good, if I do say so myself.”
Moy noted how long it’s been since Abbeville last won a district crown outright.
“Nineteen ninety-seven,” he said. “I’m 42 years old, and in 1997 I was still in high school.
“I’m so happy for our city. And hopefully, across town, VC sealed the deal and went 10-0. We’re 8-2 and going to host a playoff game next week. Both of us district champions. I can’t speak to how much this means for our city, and to see those people so happy at the end of the night.”
Kaplan made a big return this year after going 4-6 in 2022 and just missing the playoffs. The Pirates probably were a year ahead of schedule in vying for a district title with only five seniors on the roster.
“Credit to them,” Kaplan coach Cory Brodie said. “A lot of seniors on that team. We just didn’t make plays when we needed to.”
Moy said his team’s senior leadership was “completely evident.”
“They echoed the sentiments of the coaches — stay together, stay together,” he said. “Kaplan was making some plays, put together some nice drives. We did not bend, we did not break. We stayed with each other. And when we started to get going with that veer, we’re tough to stop.”
Paced by a big first half, Kaplan outgained Abbeville 212 total yards to 206. The teams were nearly identical with 157 rushing yards for the Pirates and 156 for the Wildcats.
“Hats off to Kaplan,” Moy said. “The first half they played — my God, they took it to us. I don’t know if we ran 12 plays in the first half.”
The Wildcats actually ran 16 plays, not counting punts, to Kaplan’s 31 offensive plays.
“We knew what this ballgame was going to be,” Moy said. “(That’s a) great ballclub over there, well-coached. But at the end of the day our guys were a little bit tougher and made a few less mistakes.”
That offensive dominance by Kaplan included a 13 play drive that ended in a turnover on downs and a 14-play scoring drive capped by Jed Devoltz’s two-yard touchdown run with 3:27 left in the first half, giving the Pirates a 6-0 lead.
Abbeville answered with its only sustained drive of the half, going 54 yards in 10 plays to knot the game up at 6 apiece on a 12-yard quarterback keeper by Tahj Judge with 24.3 seconds remaining.
Kaplan nearly recovered an onside kick to start the second half, then got the ball on Abbeville’s second snap of the half when a pass toward the sideline went backwards and was recovered by the Pirates at their own 46.
Two snaps later, KHS quarterback Sabe David hooked up with Brayden Bearb for a 57-yard touchdown pass. The 2-point conversion run by Devoltz made it 14-6.
Devoltz led Kaplan with 60 yards on 20 carries. Daylon Landry added 45 yards on 10 carries with Dane Frick (6 yards) and Bearb (18) also getting carries.
Abbeville came back with its longest drive of the night to that point on the next series, going 62 yards in 13 plays, with QB Da’Zavien Maze passing over the middle to Chayson Gray for a 12-yard touchdown at the 3:30 mark of the third period. The 2-point try failed and Abbeville trailed 14-12.
“Big play down there,” Moy said. “Sophomore quarterback hits our freshman tight end in the back of the end zone, and gave us life.”
Kaplan then lost the ball on a fumble recovered by Abbeville’s Brian Gordon and an interception by Joseph Davis on its next two possessions, and the Wildcats went 86 yards in 12 plays, with fullback Zaylun Williams powering in from three yards out at the 2:58 mark to give AHS its first lead at 18-14.
“We have to make sure in games like this that we get off the ground and hand the ball to the referee,” Brodie said.
Maze led Abbeville with 45 yards on six carries. Williams added 32 yards on six runs and Justin Montgomery had 6 yards on eight carries.
Judge had one run for 12 yards and one reception for 38 yards.
“I’m so proud of our quarterback Da’Zavien Maze, and so proud of Tahj Judge coming in and being ready when called,” Moy said.
Kaplan was stopped on downs on its final series and the Wildcats ran out the final 1:12 to seal the big win.
The LHSAA announced playoff pairings on Sunday with both teams set to reach the postseason.
“The goal is going to be to go on the road and handle our business,” Brodie said. “After a game like this, we’ve got to remind the guys that it’s not over. The season’s not over. I’m sure it feels gloom and doom right now but we’re going to get back to work Monday.”