Kaplan's Johnson, Erath's Mitchell meet in football showdown

Thursday night’s Erath Bobcats/ Kaplan Pirates football game will feature the two top running backs in Vermilion Parish.
The Pirates (5-3, 3-2) travel to Erath to play the Bobcats (5-3, 3-1) in a District 8-3A showdown.
The two teams run similar offenses because they both like to keep the football on the ground. The Pirates run out of the Wing-T, while Erath uses the Veer Offense.
Because of the successful ground game for Kaplan and Erath, two players are having a great seasons rushing the football.
Kaplan’s Julius Johnson is a junior running back who averages 30 carries a game. He has rushed for 1,287 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. He is on pace to rush for 1,600 yards like he did his sophomore season.
Mitchell, also a junior, has 1,415 yards rushing and scored an amazing 23 touchdowns, either on kick off punts, rushing or receiving. He is averaging 11 yards a carry and 199 yards a game.
Both young men have known each other since they were freshmen. They have watched each other play over the last three years.
“I have been watching film on Elijah since he was a freshman,” said Johnson, who also plays linebacker for Kaplan. “He is a great running back, with good breakaway speed. He is hard to bring down. If you try and tackle him high, it is next to impossible. You have to go low. If you go high, good luck.”
Mitchell describe’s Johnson’s running style.
“He hits the hole hard,” said Mitchell. “He is not afraid to hit anyone.”
Mitchell said Johnson is the type of runner who would rather run you over, then go around you, like Mitchell.
“He likes to hit people. I try to avoid being hit by spinning around the defender,” said Mitchell. I try for less contact than him.”
Johnson agrees with Mitchell.
“I don’t really run as fast as Elijah, but I run hard,” said Johnson. “I fight for extra yards. Sometimes there is no hole when I hit it, but then it opens up. I fight for my yards.”
Johnson, playing the fullback position, also enjoys blocking for other running backs, he said.
Mitchell, on the other hand, loves to run outside where he can show-off his speed and his cuts.
The key to stopping Mitchell, Johnson said, is not to let him get around the corner and head up field.
Mitchell is coming into Thursday’s game bruised.
In the second half against Patterson, where he rushed for 234 yards in the game, he bruised his tibia bone in his lower leg. He has been walking in a medical boot since Saturday and sat out of practice this week.
He said he hopes to play on Thursday, depending on how he feels.
One player who will not be playing for Erath Thursday is tailback Scott Moore. Moore suffered a concussion in the first half against Patterson last week. Moore is second on the team in rushing with 725 yards on 78 carries.
Coy LeBlanc, a sophomore, is expected to take Moore’s place.