By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

ST. JAMES — Despite sharing the moniker of “Wildcats,” East St. John and St. James have had contrasting starts to the 2010 prep campaign. The matchup between them on Friday night pits one team riding high against another trying to find its way — and a win.

East St. John (2-0) tweaked some things after a jamboree loss to St. Charles and has not yet looked back, trouncing Patterson and most recently blasting Istrouma 55-6 on Friday night. St. James, meanwhile, has struggled mightly offensively, accounting for one touchdown this season in losses to West St. John (20-6) and Westgate (6-0).

East St. John coach Larry Dauterive surely doesn’t take St. James lightly, however. Last season SJH visited Joe Keller Memorial Stadium carrying a 0-2 record and gave ESJ a major fight before ultimately falling 34-27.

“St. James is still St. James,” said Dauterive. “It’s always a battle. It’s a natural-made rivalry. We’re both the Wildcats, the kids all know one another with the proximity of the schools.

“We know they obviously need a win. They’re trying to find an identity. But they play good defense and can break out any time … they don’t lack the weapons, for sure.”

The game features two of the state’s top wide receivers in East St. John’s D’haquille Williams and St. James’ Alonzo Lewis.

Dauterive remembers Lewis well from a year ago.

“He caught a little hitch with them backed up and went 95 yards. So we’ve got to bottle him up,” said Dauterive.

Williams had five catches for 98 yards and a score in that game. He’ll come into this game on a tidal wave of momentum after shredding Istrouma for 269 yards and five touchdowns on seven receptions, all from Darion Monroe.

St. James coach Rick Gaille, meanwhile, said he saw improvement in his team’s play and perhaps more importantly, its demeanor last week against Westgate.

“We played a lot better. We were much more physical and it came against a team bigger and stronger than we were,” said St. James coach Rick Gaille. “We played with enthusiasm and intensity. With the exception of one drive, our defense held firm all night.”

But mistakes cost the Wildcats dearly. A fumble inside the Westgate 15 silenced one potential scoring drive. A failed fourth down conversion halted another.

“We have to be able to finish drives,” said Gaille. “If it’s a 10 play, 15 play, 20 play drive, it doesn’t matter. We have to keep the same level of energy through every play.”

But one area Gaille was happy with was how his team responded to each turnover.

“There wasn’t an emotional letdown,” he said. “Each time we went out and played just as enthusiastically. That’s something we’ve lacked at times, so I’m very pleased.”

St. James’ defense has been stout this season but has its stiffest test by far ahead of it. East St. John’s weapons are numerous and its offensive line — Jared Pryor, Dontarian Savoy, Dathan Thomas, Darren Davis and Chris Robinson — is gelling together.

East St. John’s defense has been on a roll as well after scrapping its zone-heavy preseason scheme and reinstituting its man-to-man, pressure heavy attack.

But, Dauterive said, St. James offers a unique challenge behind an attack led by a stable of running backs (Junior Champagne, Kenneth Armant, Lester Verrett, LaRohn Cambre).

“We’ll see if we can master that Wing-T in three days,” said Dauterive of the St. James offensive attack. “There is a lot of misdirection and you have to be disciplined and patient, and a lot of times we aren’t.”