By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — There was no homecoming hangover for St. Charles Catholic.

The Comets dominated visiting Grace King en route to a 42-0 homecoming game victory in the regular season finale for both teams, SCC clinching a first-round bye in the upcoming Division II playoffs.

“I think we took care of business,” St. Charles coach Frank Monica said. “We were a little concerned about having a sluggish start and the emotional level we’d play at, but I was proud of the way our kids responded. They took it to them from the very beginning. It was a nice shutout performance by our defense and our offense was opportunistic.”

Erron Lewis scored three times to pace the SCC offensive attack, which received more than a bit of help from the Comet defense. Jonathan Scarpero scored on a “pick six” while Eric Lewis recorded an interception and blocked a field goal attempt on a night the defense allowed no offensive points for the second consecutive week.

Justin Loupe and Jeffrey Millet rushed for Comet touchdowns in the victory.

St. Charles moved to 8-2 with the win and has won four straight games.

The Comets led 28-0 at halftime.

Monica said he expects the Comets to be seeded second or third when the official final power point rankings are released, adding “probably third.” SCC’s ranking is pending the result of today’s game between Shaw and Holy Cross.

Monica said in the week leading up to the game that gaining a bye week in the very competitive Division II bracket was a high priority, and SCC now can benefit from a week off.

“It can help a team in a number of ways,” Monica said. “It’s a chance to get better from an extra week of practice and a chance to let some of your bumps and bruises heal. It gives us a chance to do a little scouting as coaches.”