Kaplan cruises past Abbeville

In the first half, the Abbeville Wildcats outplayed the Kaplan Pirates but were losing 16-0 at halftime
The tide turned for the Pirates in the second half and they cruised to a 32-6 win.
In the first half, Abbeville dominated, except on the scoreboard. The Wildcats ran 44 plays to Kaplan’s 16. Kaplan had only one first down in the first half.
Kaplan had 93 total yards in the first half. Abbeville had 161.
“Our kids kept their spirits up and they stayed positive,” said Abbeville defensive coordinator Kevin Kern. “I have to give them credit.”
Kaplan head coach Stephen Lotief said his team did what it had to do to win.
“We did everything we had to do,” said Lotief. “We kept them out of the endzone in the first half. Abbeville was an explosive team and we stopped them.”
Two big plays helped put the Pirates ahead in the first half.
Abbeville marched down to Kaplan’s 26-yard line on its opening drive. Abbeville quarterback Demarcus Collins went to pitch the football and the pitchman did not see the football. An alert Logan Roy for Kaplan picked up the bouncing ball and darted 65 yards for the touchdown at the 8:18 mark in the first period. Julius Johnson ran the two point conversion to make it an 8-0 game.
The Abbeville defense held for all of the first period and most of the second period. With five minutes left in the first half, Kaplan put together a scoring drive that began at its own 34 yard line.
The big play in the drive was a 45-yard run by Julius Johnson. He was tackled five yards away from the end zone. On the next play, Rhett Manuel scooted four yards for the score to make it 16-0.
The Pirates put the game away in the second half, scoring on a 34-yard touchdown run by Johnson and back up quarterback Trae Case ran 3 yards for the score in the fourth period.
Lotief encouraged his team to step it up a notch because Abbeville was here to play.
“We were in a battle,” said Lotief. “I told our offense we needed to stay on the field.”
Johnson finished the game with 124 yards on 17 carries. Mac Thibeaux had 55 yards on three totes. Quarterback Daniel Lotief had three carries for 6 yards.
Kaplan is at home this Friday against the 0-1 Vermilion Catholic Eagles.
Abbeville is on the road against Berwick.
Collins led Abbeville in rushing in 89 yards on 19 carries. In the passing department, he completed six out of 16 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown.
Late in the fourth quarter, Collins connected with Jose Pedroza up the middle for a 34 yard line TD pass. It was Pedroza’s only catch of the night.
Other AHS receivers with catches were Dominic Nunez (2-25), Braeden Williams (1-25) and Allen Arclies (2-40).
This makes the 11th straight year Kaplan beats Abbeville, keeping the Russo Trophy in Kaplan.