Wildcats close winless season

On the score board this past Friday night, the Abbeville Wildcats lost to West St. Mary 24-0. But before the game was played, according to Abbeville High Principal Ivy Landry, West St. Mary agreed to forfeit the game against the Wildcats.

According to Landry,  West St. Mary Principal Dr. Derrick White informed the LHSAA that his school  would sanction itself for what happened at the end of the West St. Mary/Erath High football game two weeks ago.

Allegedly, two football players and one assistant coach from West St. Mary punched a referee with 12 seconds left at the end of the Erath game. 

Dr. Little told the LHSAA the two football players, who allegedly hit the referee, will not play in  Abbeville’s game and the assistant coach would also not be at the game.

Landry was also under the understating Dr. Little informed the LHSAA West St. Mary would forfeit  the Abbeville game, thus giving Abbeville its only win.

Abbeville head coach Chris Towery did not have a comment about the forfeit.

It was not how any head football coach, who  is trying to rebuild a football program, wanted to end his season.

The 2013 Abbeville Wildcats finished the year dropping a 24-0 game to the West St. Mary Wolf Pack in front of homecoming crowd.

While the score looked like it was one-sided, it was not the first two quarters.

Abbeville and West St. Mary were scoreless up  until 45 seconds left in the first half when the Wolf Pack scored thanks to a bad  snap by Abbeville.

In the first half, the Wildcats dominated on both sides of the football.

The Wildcats had 84 yards in total offense behind the passing arm of quarterback Bryce Melancon. The sophomore was six of eight for 74 yards in the first half.

On defense in the first half, the Wildcats held West St. Mary to only 20 yards of total offense. 

But while the Wildcats were moving the football through the air, what they did not know was that Melancon suffered a concussion in the first period but managed to still play the second  period.

At half time Melancon did not pass the concussion test, so he was done for the game.

Abbeville Head Coach Chris Towery liked how his team played in the first half  but then his offense stalled  in the second half.

“We were able to move the ball up and down the field in the first half and then we lost him (Melancon),” said Towery.  “When we lost him, it took a big part away of what we could do.”

Towery put in freshman  Demarcus Collins at quarterback to start the second half.   Unfortunately, Collins could not  move the football against West St. Mary.

Collins went down with an injury with 6:32 left in the game. Enter Tristan  Greene, who played QB at the start of the year, and he had some success moving the football.

He ran three times for 26 yards to lead AHS in rushing on Friday. He also completed 2 out of 6 passes for 28 yards. Before playing quarterback, he had a catch for 21 yards in the first period.

The only other running back with positive yards for AHS was Buck Morris, who had 10 yards on five carries.

Keyshawn Bessard led AHS with 14 totes but he finished with minus five yards.

In receiving, Travion Moore had three catches for 48 yards.  

Darrell Chambers had one reception for 20 yards for the Wildcats.

Playing in their final game as AHS seniors were Daylon Budreaux, Leo Melancon, Trevor Byron, Keyshawn Bessard, Darrell Chambers and Blake Bodin. 

Andy Bullard

Sports Editor