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Two men who previously pleaded guilty to vandalism at the Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School football stadium were sentenced Friday.

They each received five years deferred adjudicated probation.

As a condition of probation, they are required to pay the full amount of damages in restitution to the school district, which they did, Orange County Assistant District Attorney Bard Anderson said.

Ryan Bergeron and Johnney Davis, who were 18 at the time of the incident, each paid half of the total $6,345 in damages.

“In the event they successfully complete probation, they have a chance to become productive members of society without a felony conviction on their record,” Anderson said.

“However, if they don’t they could be convicted of a felony and face time in state jail.”

Anderson said both men responded positively to Judge Courtney Arkeen as she explained the sentence.

“We hope they take this time to grow from experience and become productive members of society; we don’t want to see them go down the path they were taking,” Anderson added.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office was contacted in October 2022 by LCM school administrators concerning vandalism, where spray paint was seen on several buildings and property, including the then newly installed turf on the football field, field house, signs and building on the baseball field.

The colors of paint used and the words referred to a Lumberton School, according to previous reporting. Investigators with the sheriff’s office identified two suspects early in the case and reportedly obtained a confession from one. The second suspect was located the following day and arrested on an unrelated charge.

Investigators were also able to obtain a confession from the second suspect later that day, authorities said.

“After gathering all available evidence and presenting it to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, felony warrants were issued by Judge Courtney Arkeen for the two suspects responsible for the vandalism,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a release at the time. “One suspect is currently a student attending LCM high school. The second suspect is currently enrolled at Nederland ISD, but until recently was also a student at LCM high school. “

Police believe the vandalism was committed in an attempt to stoke tensions and rivalry between LC-M and Lumberton prior to an upcoming football game.

— Written by Mary Meaux