By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Nobody knew what to expect from East St. John’s D’haquille Williams before this season, not when the junior receiver had never before played football at the high school level.

Expectations were pretty much set for St. Charles’ Nick Reine, whose steady play on the interior of the Comets defensive line was counted on to surface once again in 2009.

But both exceeded whatever expectations were set upon them. And the two have one other thing in common two: they each receive honors as gridiron MVPs.

L’Observateur has selected Williams as St. John Parish’s Offensive Most Valuable Player this season, while Reine is tabbed as the area’s best defensive presence.

Williams, a junior, was the talk of the River Parishes in 2009 after transferring to East St. John from Liberty Christian Academy, which isn’t a part of the LHSAA and has no football program.

He didn’t participate in the school’s spring program, and ESJ coach Larry Dauterive had no idea what to expect once he had Williams in the fold.

What he found was, in his words, “the find of the century.”

“He’s like having Ryan Perrilloux again, only at wide receiver,” said Dauterive. “I wasn’t sure we’d win a game this season. We struggled big time offensively in the spring, only two starters returning team wide.

“I just don’t know where we’d have been without him,” said Dauterive, who saw his team finish 7-4 this season.

Williams caught 39 passes for 1,014 yards in 11 games and scored 17 touchdowns through the air – three of those came against St. Augustine and nationally top rated cornerback Tyrann Mathieu in the Purple Knights close playoff win over ESJ in the first round.

He also scored twice on runs and once on a return.

“I’m not afraid to give him the ball in any situation,” said Dauterive. “He’s so big and athletic. He makes things happen.”

Reine was the anchor of a St. Charles defense that shutout four teams and allowed over 20 points only once all season – in the state semifinals against John Curtis.

A senior defensive tackle, Reine made contributions off the field that were just as important as those on it, says SCC coach Frank Monica.

“He was just such a good leader for us,” said Monica. “You need a strong leadership presence in the clubhouse, and Nick has been one of those strong character guys for us.”

Reine totaled 72 tackles, 15.5 for loss. He sacked opposing quarterbacks 6.5 times and forced a fumble.

“He’s been one of the best technicians we’ve ever had on the defensive line,” said Monica. “We wouldn’t have been the same defense without him in the middle.”

His play helped spur the Comets to a 12-2 season and a near upset of John Curtis for the district title – in one of his team’s best defensive performance of the season, the Comets held the Patriots to 19 points in a game SCC led with under a minute left.