Erath, North Vermilion battle for playoff spot

The final game of the regular season comes down to a battle for a playoff spot in Class 3A when Erath hosts North Vermilion tonight.
Erath (4-5, 2-2) is currently ranked No. 29 in the Class 3A power rankings, and North Vermilion (3-6, 2-2) is on the outside looking in of the 32-team playoff field at No. 34.
With the stakes of a playoff berth on the line, both teams may feel the pressure of the win-or-go-home scenario, but Erath head coach David Comeaux said his team is prepared for the challenge.
“Considering the magnitude of this game, practice has been great this week,” he said. “The guys have been focused, and they’ve been flying around.”
The Bobcats are coming off of a dominating 47-12 performance against winless West St. Mary. Erath offense racked up 420 yards of offense, including 243 yards rushing by Elijah Mitchell.
Quarterback Ben LeBlanc threw for 168 yards and three scores, and Ross Granger was the leading receiver, hauling in five receptions 109 yards for two touchdowns.
On the season, LeBlanc is second in the area with 1,151 yards passing and 15 touchdowns.
Mitchell leads Vermilion Parish with 958 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. Granger leads the team with 31 catches for 611 yards and 9 scores.
The Patriots enter the game after a 42-7 loss against district-leader Notre Dame. North Vermilion has become more of a balanced team throughout the season, something that Comeaux acknowledged.
“They are similar to us,” he said. “They can run and pass, so we have to be sound defensively and fly around the field to make stops.”
Ty Desormeaux is at the helm of Patriot offense. He has thrown for 1,015 yards and nine touchdowns with seven interceptions.
Abshire leads the team with 483 yards rushing and four touchdowns on the year. Seth Patin is the leading receiver for the Patriots with 276 yards on 19 receptions, followed by Dade Dieterich with 259 yards on 23 catches.
It will be interesting to see two teams with similar rosters athletically do battle with a shot at the playoffs on the line. Kickoff is set for 7 in Erath.