Kaplan Pirates will face five new teams during 2026 football season

Earlier this month, Kaplan High football coach John Thompson released the Pirates’ 2026 football schedule, and it contains five different teams from 2025.
Gone are Berwick, North Vermilion, Patterson, Southern Lab and Breaux Bridge. What do all five of those teams have in common?
The Pirates beat them, but they also had losing seasons in 2025, not giving the Pirates many power points despite the win.
The Pirates landed in the playoffs at No. 20 and upset No. 13 Pine on the roads.
Thompson seeks to improve on that No. 20 power point ranking and the only way to do that is to play better competition in 2026.
However, finding seven non-district games proved to be challenging for the second-year head coach.
Thompson called around and got a lot of “no” answers from coaches.
He did get a yes from Class A Ascension Episcopal (9-1) in Week 1, a team Kaplan lost to last year, and Class 2A Loreauville.
The five new teams on the schedule are Class 5A Comeaux High (Week 2, Away), Class 2A Catholic High of New Iberia (Week 3, Home), St Louis Catholic in Lake Charles (Week 5, Home), University Lab (Week 6, Home) and Parkview Baptist (Week 7, Away).
“I am very excited by our schedule,” said Thompson. “Every game matters and will have to prepare for. There is not going to be any gimmies on the schedule.”