Kaplan sophomore has coming out party against North Vermilion

KAPLAN - When the season started, Kaplan sophomore McCaylon Thibeaux was pencilled in as the third string tailback.
Six games into the season, Thibeaux is now the starting tailback after two upper classmen went down with with injuries over the last two weeks.
In his first ever varsity start, Thibeaux, the younger brother KHS graduate Daylon Thibeaux, sparked the Pirates in their 46-20 win over the North Vermilion Patriots on Friday.
In his starting debut, he had 13 carries for 91 yards and scored three touchdowns.
He caught a 14-yard TD pass from Jade Herpin in the second period.
On the first play of the second half Thibeaux took the kickoff and ran it down the left sideline for an 83-yard touchdown to put Kaplan up 22-6.
Later in the third quarter, Thibdeaux had a 14-yard touchdown run that gave the Pirates a convincing 36-14 lead.
Thibeaux, only 15 years old, gave credit where credit was due after the game
“I want to first of all thank my brother Daylon because he prepared me for games like this,” said Thibeaux. “Also, Julius has been encouraging me. I can’t forget the offensive line who made the holes for me to run through”
Thibeaux said he learned on Wednesday he was getting the start and then the nerves set in. They never stopped until the game was over, he said.
One person who was not surprised by how well he did was junior fullback Julius Johnson. Johnson carried the pigskin 28 times and finished the night with 202 yards. He also had touchdown runs of 5 yards, 17 yards and 31 yards.
Johnson is a year older than Thibeaux. He recognized his talent when the two were in middle school.
‘For the longest time I have been waiting for Mac (Thibeaux) to shock the world,” said Johnson. “I have been watching him play running back since middle school. I remember thinking if he keeps going like he was doing, he was going to be good.”
Johnson said Friday night’s game was Thibeaux’s coming out party. “I love watching him play,”Johnson added.
The Pirates, who ended a three-game losing streak, made the game interesting from the very start.
Kaplan kicker Adam Gaspard did a short, high kick to open the game. Somehow, the Pirates recovered the ball.
The Pirates marched 60 yards and took five minutes off the clock en route to their first touchdown of the night.
Johnson did most of the leg work, carrying it five times on the drive. He also scored the two-point conversion.
North Vermilion had to settle for a 38-yard field goal by Connor Dupuy on the Patriots’ opening drive.
Ahead 8-3, Kaplan took its next possession and marched 70 yards for another score. Kaplan quarterback Jade Herpin was back under the center after missing a game. On his second pass attempt, he found Thibeaux for a 14-yard touchdown reception for a 16-3 game.
Right before halftime, Dupuy nailed a 39-yard field that kept the Patriots in the game, 16-6.
North Vermilion cut the lead to 22-14 on quarterback Dade Dieterich’s 11-yard TD-run four minutes into the third frame
But back came the Pirates and they marched down field and scored on Johnson’s 11 yard run..
Dieterich paced North Vermilion in the rushing the department. He had 9 carries for 64 yards.
He also had a pretty good night passing, mostly coming in the second half.
Dupuy had five catches for 39 yards.
Tyler Galley had four catches for 79 yards and a touchdown.
Kaplan goes on the road Friday with a district game against Berwick.
North Vermilion is at home against Franklin