By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — The Class 4A state champions are coming to town Friday night, and St. Charles Catholic seeks to play a not-so-gracious host. 

East Jefferson has won 16 consecutive games, tied with Haynesville for the longest current winning streak in Louisiana, and if its 34-14 victory over Higgins in Week One was any indication, the Warriors are bent on making another run under first year coach Marc Martin.

“They’ve got a big nucleus of defensive players back,” St. Charles coach Frank Monica said. “They know how to win and they play extremely, extremely fast.”

Monica said the Warriors have defensive playmakers at every level posing threats to the Comets, especially a secondary boasting LSU-committed defensive back Deshawn Raymond.

“They have two great cornerbacks, and their free safety may be their best football player,” Monica said. “They’ve got a fast line and good linebackers. They’re real, real dangerous and they’re a team full of fast guys, several kids who run sub 4.5.”

EJHS linebacker Ronte Ladmirault recovered two fumbles during his team’s win over Higgins, returning one for a 33-yard score and setting up another touchdown on the second. Raymond intercepted a pass.

While East Jefferson quarterback Eugene Wells and tailback Ronald Green have graduated, the Warriors still look dangerous as ever running the triple option installed by former EJHS  head coach and current Hahnville leader Nick Saltaformaggio. 

East Jefferson scored all 34 of its points in the first half last week against Higgins, including a 54-yard touchdown run by Morris Sarah on the team’s first play from scrimmage this season. Sarah, a senior tailback, finished with 14 carries for 127 yards and three touchdowns, while Quincy Cummings added four carries for 75 yards and a score. 

“Preparing for the triple-option, and a lot of the things they do before the snap, is very hard with just three days of practice,” Monica said. “It does help that we have some guys who played them last season, who know what they do and remember that game. We had a number of turnovers and mistakes that cost us, and if we can clean those up, you may be able to get momentum on your side.”

Monica said East Jefferson isn’t a team that likes to throw much, but its no huddle style and use of the same personnel in multiple formations opens up chances for big plays nonetheless. 

“Again, that comes back to our defensive players being aware of what they’re doing at all times,” Monica said. 

Could the Comets end the streak?

“There’s a lot of enthusiasm, but maybe guarded enthusiasm,” Monica said. “We want the win, but we’ve got East Ascension and Miller McCoy right after. You can’t afford to put too much stock or make your whole season about any one game. Our focus is doing better than we did last week and playing good football. We’re gearing to get to a point where we’re playing our best football in Week 10.”

West St. John is set for its home opener Friday night as Bogalusa heads to town, and after the Rams’ thrilling 39-30 victory over St. James in last week’s “Railroad Classic,” WSJ coach Robert Valdez is guarding against a letdown.

The Rams defeated Bogalusa 45-6 last season in Week Two, and Valdez knows the St. James showdown came with a lot of on-field emotion and off-field hype, both potential drains on his team’s energy level.

“I know Bogalusa has an explosive quarterback and they have some playmakers,” Valdez said. “They’re coming here and all the motivation is on their side. We can’t get caught celebrating a win from last week.”

While the St. James victory was indeed an emotional one, it wasn’t without its flaws, the coach pointed out. A 29-0 Rams halftime lead was erased in just a quarter of play, and WSJ had to rally in the fourth quarter to reclaim the advantage. 

“We need to do a better job maintaining our aggressive approach,” Valdez said. “We cannot have the kind of lapses we had last Thursday night. We have to keep taking advantage of opportunities as they come, on offense, defense and special teams alike.”

Bogalusa fell to Kentwood in Week One, 24-6. 

One standout in Thursday’s game was sophomore safety Jamal Walters, who snagged two fourth quarter interceptions to turn back a St. James comeback attempt.

Walters, the brother of Rams’ wide receiver Jabari Walters and the son of WSJ defensive line coach Brandon Walters, is one Valdez and the Rams have high hopes for.

“Those are probably some interesting conversations on their rides home,” Valdez joked. “(Jamal) is a very athletic kid. He’s becoming a quarterback of our defense playing that position. He’s steady and has a big learning curve, but he’s making a quick adjustment. We’ve got a lot of young kids playing key roles for us, and he’s one of them.”

Likewise, running back Lamore Boudoin saw a lot of action in the opener and flashed expanded receiving skills.

“Our offense is predicated on having two talented running backs,” Valdez said. “One of the biggest things I asked him to do was to become more of a receiver, and he’s doing that. He scored a 23 on the ACT and he’s a 4.0 student. He has a lot going for him.”

And Morell Bartholomew’s three-touchdown performance was a true breakout from a wide receiver who began flashing a lot of ability late last season. The 6’4” basketball standout creates a mismatch when teams try single coverage. 

“A lot of corners are really hard pressed to stay with him, match up for four quarters,” Valdez said. “When we run the ball well and teams have to give us that matchup outside, it’s a big plus for us.”