ANDRE BURL / L’Observateur / November 9, 1998

LAPLACE – The smell of playoff time must have been the call of the wild for the St. Charles Catholic Comets because they left no doubt about theirdesire to enter post season play with a convincing 41-7 win over Ridgewood Friday night at Thomas Dupuy Stadium.

Both the Comets and Eagles must now wait until the playoff brackets are released Sunday afternoon to see if they will participate in postseason play as wildcard selections. The Comets finished the regular season witha 5-5 overall record and a 2-2 record in District 9-2A. Ridgewoodconcluded with a 5-4 overall record and a 1-3 mark in district.

The start of the game was like an explosion of dynamite because the Comets’ John Price took the kick off and ran untouched for an 80-yard touchdown before the fans had settle in their seats. The extra point wasgood and the Comets led 7-0 in the first quarter.

Ridgewood, not to be outdone, went 78 yards on their next possession for a touchdown, highlighted by a 59-yard pass to Matt Zimmerman. JonathanRuffin’s extra point tied the score at 7.

St. Charles Catholic was intercepted at its own 11-yard line on its nextpossession and Ridgewood looked to take the game over. But the Cometskept the Eagles from putting the ball into the end zone and Ridgewood was forced to kick a field goal from 24 yards out, making the score 10-7.

Now St. Charles Catholic needed their big guns to step up and that is whathappened as Wayne Stein took control and quickly took the Comets to pay dirt on a dazzling, dodging, twisting run of 77 yards for a touchdown at the 4:25 mark to put the Comets back into the lead to stay.

The Comets took over at Ridgewood 46-yard line with 5:45 left in the second quarter and again it was Stein who took control and quickly moved the ball to the Eagles’ 7-yard line. From there, he plowed in for atouchdown with several Eagles holding on for a ride. Christian Panquerne’sextra point made the score 21-10, Comets.

ut that was not the end of the Comets’ points explosion, because Nick Monica got into the groove and hooked up with Josh Schexnayder for a 72- yard touchdown pass. Panquerne’s extra point made it 28-10.With that pass completion, Monica surpassed the 1000-yard mark in passing. Stein also passed the 1,000 yard mark in rushing. From there it did not take long before Monica connected with Matt Weber from 14 yards out for the score. After the Eagles closed to within 34-17,the Comets put the nail in the coffin with a touchdown run by Julian Ward.

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