Kaplan High's Thibeaux, Menard MVPs; Gueydan Head Coach Moy named Coach of the Year

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