By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Marc Picciola and Courtney Western each were given St. Charles’ highest athletic honor Sunday, as the senior duo was named Mr. Comet and Miss Comet respectively at St. Charles’ annual athletic banquet.

Picciola, a Louisiana Tech signee, finished his Comets baseball career with a bang. He was named the MVP of District 9-2A and put together a season where he led the team in home runs (10) and RBIs (39) to go along with the team’s second highest batting average (.456). The second baseman also went 4-2 as a pitcher with a 2.80 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 30.1 innings.

He’s been a standout on the team since his freshman season, where he was named an All-State performer.

Picciola also played for the football team through his junior year, a season in which he started at quarterback for the Comets. He suffered a season-ending knee injury but rehabbed and returned for baseball season later that year, before deciding to concentrate his efforts on solely baseball as a senior.

Western is arguably the most decorated softball player in Comets history. She is a three-time L’Observateur All-Parish Most Valuable Player, most recently earning those honors after a senior year in which she put up a 0.78 ERA and a 0.82 WHIP and struck out 144 batters in 99 innings.

Also an accomplished batter, she hit .543 from the Comets’ leadoff spot and scored 40 runs with three home runs, 34 RBIs and 17 steals.

Like Picciola, she also saw a season compromised by injury — this season appeared to be cut short at the end of the regular season after she suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in her knee. But she’s return for Sulphur to play with a brace, producing again from the leadoff position.