MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / August 30, 2000

RESERVE – What better way to kick off a prep season than with a great rivalry? And when it comes to rivalries in the area, there are few hotter than Riverside-St. Charles Catholic.The Rebels and Comets get the season started a day early this year, kicking off Thursday in Reserve at 7 p.m.The teams are coming off different results in the River Parishes Jamboree last week. Riverside rallied to defeat St. James, 13-12, while St. CharlesCatholic fell to East St. John, 17-7.Riverside did most of its damage on the ground, rushing for 109 yards on 24 carries. Britt Waguespack led the way with 32 yards and a touchdownon eight attempts. Jared St. Amant ran four times for 23 yards, scoringthe game winner from two yards out with 31 seconds left. BrandonDelaneuville added 22 yards on five carries.

Quarterback Damian Melancon added 30 yards on four carries while passing for 66 yards. Michael Schoen added another 26 yards through the air.The Rebels defense allowed 279 yards in offense to St. James but didforce two turnovers, both interceptions by Bradley Hodges.

St. Charles Catholic was held to 103 yards, minus three on the ground.Jason Waguespack completed 12 of his 22 passes for 106 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown to Philip Hoffman in the second half. The Cometsdefense allowed 261 yards, 139 coming on the ground.

St. Charles Catholic came back from a rough first half to improve on thosestats. Sixty-three of the Comets’ offensive yards came in the second half.The Comets also held the Wildcats to 98 yards in the second half after allowing 163 in the first. But what hurt the Comets was three fumbleslost to the Wildcats, the first setting up the first score of the game.

“We didn’t execute,” St. Charles Catholic head coach Frank Monica said.”We had too many turnovers. We need to execute better. We just have to doa better job of executing and not giving up the big plays.”Monica knows his team will have to execute better this week to have a chance against a Riverside team that won, 46-7, in 1999. In that game, theRebels out-gained the Comets, 416-143.

At the time, the Rebels were the second-ranked team in Class 2A and Monica said they should again be one of the top teams in the state this year.

“They are very sound,” Monica said. “They don’t make many mistakes. Youhave to go out and really execute. They are physical, well-coached andwell-organized. They have it all in place right now, a good offense, a gooddefense and solid special teams, and they are playing with poise.

“They are one of the better 2A teams in the state. We’re playing on theroad and it’s the first game of the season. It’s all the things that will helpthis team down the road.”Riverside hosts L.B. Landry next Friday while St. Charles Catholic returnshome to play Grace King.

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