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There are a lot of similarities between Westgate’s Jake Thibodeaux and New Iberia Senior High’s Marshal Moore.

For one, they’re both kickers for their respective football teams. Both are also exceptional players, attending national kicking camps alongside some of the top talent in the country, but the similarities don’t end there. The two kickers are also cousins, something that they didn’t realize until they began to play together in middle school.

Despite the numerous similarities, on Thursday night the two seniors will take the field on opposite sides of the annual Bayou Bowl game between the Tigers and Yellow Jackets. The game will mark the third and final time the two kickers will face off against one another, something both players are looking forward to.

“It’s special because we’re crosstown rivals,” explained Thibodeaux. “It’s going to be fun to watch him kick and he’s probably excited to see me kick. We’re going to close it out on a high note. The winner gets bragging rights.”

“This is our last one, so we’re both hoping that we can get some reps in and make memories,” Moore added.

The journey to become their respective team’s starting kicker began on the soccer fields. By the time they were sophomores, both players had become starters with the football team and began their journey towards the college ranks.

“Marshal and I have been kicking with each other for a long time. We both came from a soccer background and we started going to camps together, so we started training and competing with each other as well,’ Thibodeaux said. “We’re always competing with each other and trying to make each other better.”

“He used to send me videos of himself kicking and tell me that it was fun and encourage me to try it,” said Moore. “I tried out and one day during PE when I was just kicking for fun, coach Chad (Pourciau) saw me kicking and told me that I should come play football. Now I’m here.”

Both players have attracted attention from college coaches at camps across the country. While the focus at camp is always to develop your craft, having somebody by your side makes the time away a little easier for both.

“Those camps, especially the national ones, have hundreds of athletes there,” Moore explained. “It’s always good to have that one person you know that you can stretch with and spend time with outside of the camp. It’s truly a blessing.”

“It’s nice to have somebody that you know and we usually get to stay together during the camps, but there’s a lot of competition, too,” Thibodeaux said. “There are people from all over the nation there, so we’re all competing.”

While both kickers are very similar in performance, there are a few things that set them apart from each other.

“I think Marshall drives his kicks better than I do,” Thibodeaux said. “It may sound weird, but we’ve both been at the same talent level the whole time. We’re always going tit for tat. I have more height on Marshall, but that’s about it.”

“My form is probably better than his, if you were going to critique us,” Moore admitted. “His form is more suited for him. His kickoffs are better than mine, especially distance.”

Both players will be the first kickers on the depth chart and will also pull punting duty at times this season.

Moore and the Yellow Jackets will be looking to improve on last season’s 2-8 record when they kick off the regular season with a road trip to Pineville on Sept. 6.

Thibodeaux and the Tigers will have unfinished business to take care of in 2024 following a 6-4 regular season record and a second round playoff run last year. The Tigers will begin their 2024 campaign with a home contest against Lake Charles College Prep on Sept. 6. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Before either team can worry about Week 1 matchups, they’ll need to play in the annual Bayou Bowl. This year’s game is part of a three-game series on the first day of the Iberia Parish Jamboree held on Thursday, August 29 at NISH. Freshman and JV games will begin the night, with the varsity contest scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

Day 2 games between Loreauville and Highland and Jeanerette and Delcambre will be held on Friday, August 30 at Loreauville High School. The first game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.