By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Since his team first hit the field for spring practice, St. Charles Catholic football coach Frank Monica has praised the moxie of his football team, complimenting the players as his kind of bunch.
That said, the veteran coach is realistic about the team’s level of experience. With 13 starters graduated from last year’s team, Monica said that raising the overall football IQ of the roster is the top priority before his team’s season opening game against University High.
“We’ll see on August 1 how far we’ve progressed in our knowledge of the game,” said Monica, noting the date of the start of the team’s summer practice schedule. “The biggest question I have right now is where we are in that area. We lost a lot of knowledge with the departure of last year’s senior class.”
Monica said that the team’s 7-on-7 work in the annual LaPlace passing league was extremely beneficial, the Comets coming together in a big way down its stretch run. It’s a positive sign for an offense that struggled a bit in its spring game and undergoing heavy turnover among its pass receivers.
One spot that has been stabilized, however, is the quarterback position. Austin Weber is slated to enter the season as quarterback, after splitting time a season ago after converting from running back.
Weber, who will be a junior, completed 48 of 80 pass attempts for 661 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions last season. Weber also rushed for 700 yards and 14 touchdowns on 113 carries, and was especially dangerous out of the team’s “Comet” formation, SCC’s version of the Wildcat.
He closed 7-on-7 play by tossing four touchdowns against St. Augustine in the final league game, propelling he and his offense into August with some momentum.
“I think he had a really good summer,” said Monica. “We understand his strengths, and the key for us will be to highlight those and hide his weaknesses. The big thing with him is that he’s a winner. He’s not afraid of the big stage.”
Monica said Weber will still shift to tailback in certain sets. He’ll be part of a talented backfield, with Mario Young and Erron Lewis both returning after producing well last season. Eian Mitchell will lead the way as the fullback.
“The backfield is a strength,” said Monica. “Mario Young will be back, as well as Erron Lewis. Erron needs to touch the ball a little more than he did a year ago. Eian Mitchell is a very intelligent player.”
Wide receiver, tight end and offensive line will see a slew of new faces competing for time. The line, in particular, will be under Monica’s watch plenty during the upcoming practices, as line play is one thing that can’t be evaluated during 7-on-7.
Patrick Juneau is a returning, experienced starter who can play all positions across the line. He will also return as the team’s kicker and punter, skills that have him on the radar as a collegiate prospect.
“We’re expecting big things from him,” said Monica.
Jordan Hitt is another he noted as a potential standout this season. Hitt will double between center and guard, and Monica calls him the “strongest player on the team.”
Defensively, linebacker appears to be the team’s strength, headed by the trio of Sage Mulkey, Connor Smith and Gregory Vicknair.
Monica said that the team still has to solidify one more starter in the secondary. Jordan Favorite and Connor Western each bring a lot of experience and playmaking to the table, each a starter of at least two years already. Eric Lewis will man safety along with Western – Monica said he likes the athleticism Lewis will bring.
On the line Christian Bailey and Sean McGraw are expected to create a wall in the middle of the SCC defensive line at the tackle spots. Defensive end, though, is the biggest question mark on the roster, said Monica. The team must replace the pass rushing of Luke Jackson, who will be moving on to Tulane.
For now,  Monica said that the starting lineup is still a fluid situation.
“Right now, we don’t have our top 11 solidified on either side,” said Monica. “Does that mean you don’t have anyone, or that you go two deep? … For us, we rotate a lot of people anyway. It’s a good thing, because it means there shouldn’t be anyone who looks like a deer caught in the headlights if we need someone to step up.”