Kaplan runs over Loreauville

KAPLAN – The Kaplan Pirates used the legs of Wyatt Hebert, Daylon Landry, and Bradyn Bearb to cruise to a 40-18 homecoming-victory over the Loreauville Tigers at Ed Douglas Memorial Stadium Friday night.
 Kaplan (3-1) relied on its methodical running game to control the clock and keep the dangerous Tiger offense off the field.  The trio combined for 333 yards rushing and six touchdowns.
“That’s a team that can score any time they touch the ball,” said Kaplan head coach Stephen Lotief.  “They put together a couple of nice drives, but we answered with our offense.  They stayed on the field and did what they had to do.  Our defense did enough to win the game.”
Loreauville (0-4) matched the Pirates’ physicality in the trenches, forcing them to be fundamentally sound to put the game away.
“Our technique was bad,” Lotief said.  “We were a little selfish.  We started playing team ball and put the clamps on them in the second half.”
The Pirates landed the first blow, scoring twice in the first quarter to take a 16-0 lead.  Bearb capped the opening drive with a 14-yard touchdown run.  Landry did the honors from seven yards out on the second.
Loreauville regrouped and marched down the field behind bruising running back Thomas Carter and dual-threat quarterback Blake Delcambre.  Delcambre connected with Cole Delahoussaye for an eight-yard touchdown pass to put the Tigers on the board.  The two-point conversion failed to make the score 16-6 with 9:32 remaining in the first half.
The Kaplan offense answered with a four-minute drive.  Wyatt Hebert plunged over the goal line from two yards out to make it 22-6.
Loreauville answered again when Delcambre found Kylon Polk on third and 32 to set up first and goal from the Kaplan three.  Two plays later, Delcambre found Polk from five yards out to score 22-12 at the half.
The Pirates’ defense forced a three-and-out to open the second half.  On the fifth play of the ensuing Kaplan-drive, Landry turned the corner and raced 27 yards down the sideline for the touchdown.  The conversion failed, scoring 28-12 with 6:47 to play in the third quarter.
The Tigers found the endzone once more when Carter scored from 13 yards out.  Once again, the Kaplan defense stopped the conversion to keep the Pirates ahead by two scores at 28-18 with 54 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Kaplan iced the game in the fourth as Hebert scored from 10 yards out, and Landry broke free again for a 43-yard touchdown run to provide the final margin.
Landry led the Pirates with 183 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries.  He also added two receptions for 13 yards.  
Hebert finished with 96 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, while Bearb had 54 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.
Sabe David completed all three of his passes for 39 yards.  Gannon Smith had a 26-yard reception.
Kaplan travels to Patterson next week in search of its fourth-consecutive win.