Kaplan improves to 11-0 with playoff win

KAPLAN - The Kaplan Pirates made it look easy in the first round of the Class 3A Playoffs.
The Pirates used their control offense with their tough nose defense to destroy the No. 30 seed McMain Mustangs, 44-7.
Kaplan (11-0) will be home Friday to battle the No. 14 seed North Webster (18-0 winners over No. 19 Richwood).
Looking at the score, one would think it was a blowout for four quarters. But it was not.
At halftime, Kaplan only led 14-7 and had less than 100 yards of total offense.
The second half began and the Pirates pounded the ball down field and also took advantage of Mustang miscues.
Kaplan, who scored in three plays in its opening first quarter drive, came out of the second half and drove 70 yards for an important touchdown.
Mac Thibeaux, who finished with 102 yards in the game, had a 40-yard touchdown run at the 8:22 mark in the third period. Ridge Herpin made the two point run, making it 22-7, and it also began the blowout.
“We settled down in the second half,” said KHS head Stephen Lotief. “We played some good defense and our offense moved the ball.”
On McMain’s first drive of the second half, it coughed up the ball and Kaplan’s Payton Gaspard recovered it on Kaplan’s 41 yard line.
Behind the running of Thibeaux and Julius Johnson, Kaplan went down field in 11 plays for another touchdown.
From the 11, KHS quarterback Daniel Lotief connected with Johnson for an 11-yard touchdown pass. Logan Roy made the two -point conversion, making it 30-7.
One person who was almost in McMain’s backfield for three quarters was 6-foot-4, 240 pound sophomore Quintlan Cobb. The young defensive end had two quarterback sacks for minus 20 yards and he just missed another sack, but he did manage to hit the quarterback’s arm, slowing down his pass.
“I was just trying to make plays to help my team,” said Cobb. “We want to continue to win and I am playing as hard as I can to help.”
His head coach praised his play.
“Cobb is a player. He is getting better every day.”
The Pirates added late touchdowns on Johnson’s 45 yard touchdown run and a 22-yard TD run by Braylon Romero with 2:26 left in the game.
Sealing the game was when sophomore Drake Abshire picked off McMain’s quarterback at the 10 and ran it back to the McMain 40 with just under two minutes to play.
Johnson had 159 yards rushing on 22 carries and he scored twice.
Ridge Herpin had 8 totes for 30 yards and Romero added eight totes for 44 yards.
This is the second year in a row, Kaplan advances to the second round.