By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

“Finally!” exclaimed one longtime St. Charles supporter, arms raised in triumph on the sideline of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Saturday.

The Comets had been in two state championship games and two state semifinals since 2005, but had never taken home the big prize. But Saturday was different. While St. Charles’ explosive offense was largely corralled, the Comets’ showed how complete a team they were, relying on an incredible performance by their defense and special teams en route to a 9-8 win over the Amite Warriors in the Class 3A championship game.

“It feels really good,” said St. Charles coach Frank Monica. “This is why we all work so hard. When people come up to you and ask why we do what we do, why we put in that kind of work, you can always point to that beautiful trophy.

“They say the sweat on the weight room floor turns to gold, and this validates that.”

Running back Marcus Hall took MVP honors, finishing with a game-high 112 all-purpose yards.

The Comets finished the 2011 season a perfect 15-0. The championship victory was the first in the history of the school.

It was the latest in a season of dominant defensive efforts, and one that harkened back to a previous championship victory Monica hauled in as a coach: he coached the Lutcher Bulldogs to the state crown in 1978, a game his team won 12-7.

“Our defensive coaches were relentless in preparing our players,” said Monica. “We felt we had to take away their quarterback, and I felt we did that tonight.”

St. Charles led 9-0 in the fourth quarter, but Amite (12-2) turned it into a nailbiter when Amite’s Reginald Porter scored on a 5-yard touchdown with 8:46 remaining. Porter would also find James Oden for a 2-point conversion pass to cut the SCC lead to one.

But St. Charles’ special teams came up big on the ensuing kickoff, as Jeffrey Hall returned it 31 yards to the Comets 48.

St. Charles called upon its “Comet” formation, a variation of the single-wing or “Wildcat” for the first time on its ensuing possession, and put together a drive to the Amite 22 with Marcus Hall at quarterback.

“We needed a spark there and we were able to move the ball,” said Marcus Hall. “I love that formation, I like to play quarterback.”

But penalties stalled the drive; Donnie Savoie would throw a pass to the endzone for Chad McNeil on fourth and 16 from the 28, but it was intercepted by Christian Cotton at the Amite 5; a break, as it turned out, for SCC as it was essentially a punt, Cotton going out at the 5.

“If I were (St. Charles’) offensive coach, I’d take that too. It was like a punt,” said Amite coach Alden Foster.

With 4:19 left, Amite had a chance to drive and win, but SCC would not even allow a first down. Porter rushed for a yard, then threw an incompletion before Taylor Cochran came up with a pass deflection on third down. Amite punted from its own endzone, but Marcus Hall returned a line drive punt 12 yards to the Amite 20.

“We love being in those tough situations,” said Cochran. “Coach Wayne (Stein) counts on us to come up big. We told one another that we wouldn’t let them score.”

SCC would face fourth and 1 from the Amite 11 with just under two minutes left; Lazedrick Thompson took a handoff and powered through for three yards.

Thompson was not 100 percent in the game, playing for only the second time since injuring his knee in the regular season finale. He said he could not move laterally, but he was more than up to the task on fourth down.

“Coach huddled us up and I told him, ‘give it to me, give it to me,’” Thompson said. “I felt like, ‘Forget about the knee. I don’t even care. This is the state championship and my team needs me.’”

It all but ended the game; Savoie would take knees and the celebration was on.

Naturally for the Comets, a key special teams play in the game’s very early moments resulted in the day’s most key points.

After Conner Western hit Amite’s Jermaine Jolla Jr. for a loss on a third and two play on Amite’s first possession, Taylor Cochran blocked Amite’s punt and set SCC up on the Warriors’ 33.

An 18-yard run by Marcus Hall a few plays later would set the Comets up on the 3, and Brandon Zimmer ran it in on the next possession to make it 6-0 SCC. The point after attempt was no good.

Monica said that it was the first time this season that the 300 pound Cochran was in on the block unit.

“We saw something on film, and we went after that one. And that was the only one,” said Monica.

“We put something in, designed it specifically for (Cochran). But it was his fanatical effort, more than the scheme.”

Said Cochran, “I told coach that I’d go get it. Luke (Jackson) and Nick (Montagut) took their guys out, and it was just me with the (personal protector) in the way. I tried to go over him.”

On Amite’s second possession, SCC’s defense came up big when Ross Authement picked off Reginald Porter on a pass along the sideline. He returned to the Amite 8.

The Warriors’ defense held SCC, but the Comets scored on Patrick Juneau’s 29-yard field goal on fourth and one, making it 9-0.

Monica said he gave thought to going for it, but he relented to a voice of reason.

“I was ready to go for it. But Coach Ty (Monica) said, ‘No, no, kick it.’ I don’t usually listen to him,” I tell him to go away,: Monica said with a laugh. “But thank God listened this time.”

From there, both teams would rely on their defenses. St. Charles had opportunities to add to its lead in the first half, driving into Amite territory on each of their next three possessions.

The first stalled on the 45; the second after Lazedrick Thompson was stopped behind the line on a fourth and 1 at the 23; and the third after SCC took over at the Amite 50 after a defensive stop on a Warriors’ fourth and 8 attempt..

St. Charles began the third quarter with a three and out, but Jeffrey Hall forced a fumble on a punt return and Macky Cortez recovered at the Amite 43.

“We turn around, force a punt, then they get it right back and flip field position on us,” said Foster.

SCC drove to the 25, but stalled when Donnie Savoie threw incomplete on fourth and seven.

Then Amite had its next best chance to draw close, driving from its own 25 to the SCC 11, thanks largely to Porter’s 31 yard pass to Jolla and a 17 yarder to Joshua Gibson.

But on second down, Luke Jackson hit Porter behind the line on an attempted bootleg, forcing a third and long try with goal to go.

Porter went for it all, but Western came up with an interception in the middle of the endzone to halt the drive.

Like Thompson, Hall also was freshly returning from an injury. While Hall had played three weeks earlier on defense with a soft cast on the wrist he broke in Week Seven against Port Allen, it was only his second game back at running back and first with significant playing time. .

Savoie finished his SCC career 27-4 as a starter.

“I call him Mr. Clutch,” said Hall.

Monica called the win “the best Christmas gift” his coaches and players could give the Comet community.

“It’s good to be the state champion,” said Monica, who won his third state championship in six attempts. “I wanted them, before the good Lord takes me, to experience this and to see what it’s like.”