Pirates fall to Farmers

FARMERVILLE - The 2013 Kaplan Pirates have had one of the best seasons in Kaplan history. It was the first Kaplan team to make it to the quarterfinals of the state championship tournament since 1985.

Unfortunately for the Pirates, the 2013 season has come to an end against the Union Parish Farmers, falling 14-0.

“Hell yeah, I’m disappointed,” Kaplan Head Coach Stephen Lotief said. “Until we go all the way I’m going to be disappointed. The effort was there tonight, and I’m proud of all those boys. The simple fact is the better team won tonight.”

It was a defensive battle from the beginning of the game.

The Pirates received the opening kickoff, then proceeded to go three and out, on the first drive of the game.

As Union Parish was driving, Kaplan linebacker Laine Broussard recovered a fumble to stop the Farmers from driving.

The game would go back and forth with both offenses stalling until the second quarter.

With 10 minutes left in the second quarter, defensive back Dezian Wilson of Union Parish would pick off Kaplan’s quarterback Devonte Davis.

On the subsequent drive, the Farmers would go on a 10-play, four-and-a-half-minute drive that ended with running back Jacemmio Nute, scampering into the end zone for a five-yard touchdown run, leaving the Farmers up 7-0.

On the kickoff following the touchdown, Union Parish recovered the surprise onside kick.

After coach Lotief was flagged for a personal foul penalty, the Farmers found themselves on the door step to another touchdown.

However, a penalty and strong defensive effort by the Pirates would leave the Farmers with a third and 13 from the Kaplan 14 yard line.

Union Parish quarterback Jamarius Williams would drop back and heave a pass up into the end zone and at the very last second, Davis, playing both ways, jumped up and swatted the ball away, leaving the Farmers with a
31-yard-field goal attempt.

After the field goal was missed, Kaplan would go three and out giving the ball right back to the Farmers.

The Farmers ran four plays and found themselves right back in the spot of the missed field goal, it was fourth down.

As the quarterback for Union Parish dropped back and was hit by Kaplan defensive end Jalen Bates, thus, ending the Farmers hopes at scoring before half time.

Kaplan ran one play and the half was over with Union Parish leading 7-0.

On the opening kickoff of the second half Kaplan got revenge for the on-side kick Union had attempted earlier. They successfully kicked one it its own.

As the Pirates were driving after the successful on-side kick, Davis threw his second interception of the night to the Farmers.

On the following drive after already having converted on a fourth down earlier in the drive, Union Parish found itself with a third-and-seven and quarterback Williams broke off a 38-yard run that was called back due to
offensive holding.

The Farmers attempted to go for it on fourth down and yet again were stopped by the Kaplan defense.

The best chance the Kaplan offense had to score came after Matthew Miller had a sack fumble that was recovered by Kaplan’s Slade Boullion, and returned to the Union Parish 35-yard-line.

A defensive holding penalty on third down kept the Pirate offense on the field, but on the very next play, Kaplan would fumble the ball and it was recovered by the Farmers.

The last score of the game came late in the fourth quarter with the Farmers going on an 11-play, 95-yard drive that ended with quarterback Chase Spatafora connecting with tight end Bobby Holly for a 19-yard touchdown pass.

“Our defense played really well tonight,” Lotief said. “Its just they (Union Parish) did the same thing we do to people. They kept our defense out there and got them tired. Our defense played really well though. I’m proud of that.”

The Farmers had entered the game average almost 39 points a contest, but the Pirates were able to hold them to just 14.

The offense was the biggest concern for the Pirates all night.

“We knew they were going to play us tough,” running back Tyson Broussard said. “They just keyed into our ground game and we just couldn’t figure it out. I feel bad for our defense. They played one hell of a game and we
just couldn’t help them offensively.”

Broussard led the way for the Pirates offensively with 39 yards on 14 carries.

Kaylon Rudd added 18 yards on eight carries and Davis had seven rushing yards on two carries.

The Pirate offense was only able to gain a total of 81 yards all night.

Union Parish ate up most of the clock and in the process racked up 312 yards of total offense - 226 came from the ground game. Dezien Williams led the way for the Farmers with 131 rushing yards on 21 carries.

Shamar Turner was behind Williams in rushing yards with 52 on nine carries.

“That’s (Union Parish) a good team over there,” Lotief said. “They beat us and that’s all there is to it. Now we just have to try and start getting ready for next season.”

As emotions were flowing after the game some players could only echo what there coach’s have told them all season long

“It’s really hard to get this far and know you could have won,” Broussard said. “It’s a tough loss, but if it wasn’t hard to accept defeat then we wasted all of our time in practice.”

Broussard went on to say that this being his last high school game is something that is going to be hard to bear in the upcoming weeks.

“It’s going to be tough,” Broussard said. “I have been playing this sport since I was four. I have given up a lot to play the sport I love and then all of a sudden it’s over.”

Even though the season is over for the Kaplan Pirates, they can still hang their hat on a great season.

Only eight teams make it to the quarterfinals every year, and to be counted among them is no feat that should taken lightly.

They can also hold their heads high knowing they have done something no other Kaplan team has done since 1985.

Andy Bullard
Sports Editor