By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — Last year, St. Charles Catholic running back Erron Lewis put together a career rushing night against Miller McCoy. This time around, the Lions were determined to make anyone but Lewis beat them.

Enter Austin Weber — and a career night of his own.

The senior quarterback accounted for six total touchdowns to lead St. Charles (3-1) to a 49-6 non-district victory Friday.

Weber rushed for 160 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries, while completing 11 of 15 pass attempts for 138 yards and three more scores.

“He made a few really big runs,” said St. Charles coach Frank Monica. “He did it on designed runs and also on scrambles. (McCoy) set out to make us pass the ball and we had to throw it more than we normally do, but we were able to take advantage. (Weber) played really, really well.”

Dane Authement hauled in two of those touchdowns, leading SCC with five receptions for 102 yards. Brady Becker, playing defensive back for the first time this season, intercepted two passes.

Lewis gained a season-low 38 yards on nine carries, but his teammates more than took advantage of the loaded box McCoy presented to stop him.

Melvin Johnson competed 8 of 15 passes for 163 yards and two interceptions for McCoy (1-3).

Kobi Dennis caught Weber’s first touchdown pass of the night midway through the first quarter from eight yards out, making it 7-0 after the first quarter.

Weber scored on a 1-yard keeper to push it to 14-0. McCoy responded with a big play, Johnson’s 63-yard pass setting up a 4-yard touchdown run by Gerald Edwards. The Comets fumbled away their next possession — mirroring a sequence in last week’s loss to East Ascension — but this time, the defense held.

Weber added another touchdown run to round out the first half scoring for SCC, which led 21-6 at halftime.

“We weren’t playing very well in the first half,” Monica said. “We didn’t block well enough and it was too sloppy on our part. I wasn’t very happy. Give McCoy credit.”

The Comets scored on their first possession of the second half, capping things with a 9-yard Weber to Authement scoring pass. The Comets scored twice more before the third quarter was through, first on a 37-yard Weber run and then a 65-yard Weber to Authement touchdown connection. Tajh Smith closed out the Comet scoring with a 6-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

A week after SCC’s defense struggled to get off the field on third down against East Ascension, the Comets allowed just two third down conversions Friday.

SCC’s average starting field position was at midfield.

“We took advantage of playing on a short field most of the night,” Monica said. “Special teams were in our favor.”