VC freshman helps team beat Catholic High

When the game was over, classmates of VC freshman Kalix Broussard came up to him and congratulated him for how well he played against the bigger Catholic High Panthers.
One female classmate told him, “I did not know you play varsity.”
The crazy thing about that statement is that Broussard probably did not know he played varsity either until hours before the game.
Broussard, getting his first varsity start, ran for 66 yards on nine carries in VC’s 35-21 win over Class 2A Catholic High Panthers.
“I was really nervous before the game,” said Broussard. “It (Thursday) was the most nervous day of my life. I was not scared, I was just nervous. I had butterflies in my stomach.”
Those nerves finally vanished in the second half when Broussard began to help move the football on the ground.
VC head coach Russell Kuhns decided to do something different and run the football right up the gut of the Panthers. He put that duty into the hands of Broussard, who stands maybe five feet tall.
Kuhns was proud of how his freshman shined.
“ A little freshman named Kalix Broussard showed up,” Kunhs said.
Broussard’s first-ever varsity carry did not come until two minutes left in the third period. He ran for 11 yards. Broussard had two more carries on the drive for 19 yards.
With four minutes to play in the game, Kuhns put the ball in the freshman’s hands and he delivered on the final drive.
Broussard had carries of 4, 5 and his longest - a 12 yarder that kept VC’s drive alive.
After two straight carries, Broussard darted left and scored from 9 yards out to secure VC’s 35-21 win with two minutes left in the game.
“I just followed my offensive line,” Broussard said about the touchdown. “I did not want to fumble the football. I was squeezing the ball as hard as I could.”
He also led the Eagles in the rushing department. No other Eagle had more than 10 yards rushing.
VC had 343 yards of offense compared to Catholic High’s 269 yards.
The Eagles (1-0) completed for 265 yards passing. QB Hunter Frith was 19 of 38 for 265 yards and three TDs.
Behind the passing game, the Eagles jumped out a 13-0 lead in the first half.
On VC’s opening first quarter drive, Frith was on fire and completed three passes to three different receivers. From the 1, Andre Girouard scored and two point conversion failed.
On VC’s second drive, they scored again with the help of the passing game. Frith completed a 33-yard pass to Payton on a third down and 30 yards for a first down play.
Six plays later, Frith found Devron Constantine from the 7 for a score.
The Eagles had a convincing 20-7 lead but watched it fall. The Panthers’ scored two straight touchdowns and took the lead 21-20 at the 2:56 mark in the third period.
With 10 minutes left in the game, the Eagles got the break it needed when VC’s Andre Girouard fell on a fumble on Catholic High’s 20 yard line.
Four plays later, on a fourth down and 15 from the 25, Frith connected with Tyler Derouen on a touchdown in the corner of the end zone for 6 points. The two found each other again on the two-point conversion that put VC ahead for good, 28-21.
Payton Trahan had five receptions for 65 yards, and Constantine also had five for 47 yards.
Emile Trahan caught three for 79 yards, and Derouen pulled down four for 56 yards.
The Eagles are back home Friday against Class 3A Kaplan Pirates.