Comets take show on road; East St. John, Riverside & West St. John tackle Week 3
Published 12:05 am Wednesday, September 13, 2017
- SCC coach Frank Monica set the intensity tone last week for his Comets, getting into an animated discussion with the lead official before the game’s first play from scrimmage.
LAPLACE — St. Charles Catholic is hitting the road this week, taking on a relative unknown in the Wilkinson County High Wildcats out of Mississippi.
The Wildcats (1-2) are coming off a tough 34-0 loss to Heidelberg.
The Comets, on the other hand, are looking strong after defeating 5A power Destrehan High School 24-8 last week in LaPlace.
Veteran SCC coach Frank Monica said his coaches and players aren’t exactly sure what to expect with the Wildcats, adding his players need to put last week’s victory behind them and focus on the task at hand.
“The kids need to learn to play the same each week, not read the jersey and pick and choose when they will bring their level of play,” Monica said. “Good football teams play the same throughout the year. If you pick and choose when you are going to play harder, you will get yourself in trouble.”
Comets running back Narquez Jones is coming off a 178-yard, two-touchdown rushing performance, a lot of that damage coming from direct snaps at the quarterback position.
St. Charles piled up 227 yards on the ground last week. Phillip Tran added 40 yards rushing.
Monica said his offensive line played well last week but still has room to improve; however, he was quick to note that effort began at halftime against Destrehan and showed with a strong second half performance.
“The kids looked at tape Saturday morning and saw there was a lot of room for improvement,” Monica said. “Not every team is the same, and every week has a different emotion. They saw exactly where they could play a lot better.”
As a unit, the St. Charles Catholic defense is leading the way, having allowed 0 and 8 points, respectively, in the season’s first two games.
The Comets forced five turnovers last week (three came on special teams) and held Destrehan to 161 yards of total offense.
Monica said his Comets defenders are playing extremely hard and tackling well in space.
“The coaches did a phenomenal job of getting them in position to make plays,” Monica said. “After that, it is up to (the players) to make the play. Our preparation last week was really extensive and it’s a credit to the coaches and kids for executing the game plan.”
West St. John at Bonnabel High
After dominating their home turf last week in a 34-0 win over South Plaquemines, West St. John hits the road this week for the Rams’ first away contest of the season against the Bruins (0-2)
After two intense home games, Rams coach Brandon Walters is ready for a road show.
“Sometimes, the away games are a bit of a break as far as preparation,” Walters said. “There is so much that goes into putting on the home games. We have a pretty good show. For me, going on the road is a welcomed event. I think our guys are ready to play, regardless of where we are. They understand the challenges each week.”
Walters said the Rams’ chief challenge would be maintaining consistency.
“We don’t want to take this opponent lightly,” Walters said. “We need to come out prepared and ready to execute. We have to make sure the kids come out fighting and aggressive so we can capitalize in all phases of the game.”
Following a tough Week 1 loss to rival St. James High, WSJH showed plenty of resolve in bouncing back for last week’s victory.
Walters said concerns over tired players, cramps and lack of execution late in Week 1 were nowhere to be found in Week 2.
Quarterback D’Andre Gaudia (157 yards passing, two touchdowns) remains a Rams bright spot.
Riverside at Rummel
For the first time in a year, the Riverside Rebels (1-1) are preparing for a game following a loss.
RA fell to a strong Barbe squad last week (45-28) and things don’t get any easier this week with a Saturday contest awaiting at Rummel in Metairie.
The Rebels were down 17-14 after the first quarter last week and couldn’t stop the bleeding defensively, as Barbe scored in every quarter.
Luke Richard had his way with the Rebels defense, passing for 224 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 38 yards and another touchdown.
If Riverside can get its defense in check, there remains plenty of firepower in the Rebels offense.
Jeremy Gibson is coming off a 101-yard, one-touchdown showing, while Jordan Loving finished with 254 yards passing.
Pass catchers Kash Foley, Jeremiah Bigham and Jalen Banks each totaled more than 60 yards receiving.
Archbishop Rummel, (2-0) fresh off a 21-0 road victory against Covington, sports a win streak of 24 in a row over in-state, regular season opponents.
The Raiders have plus players in the passing and rushing games while trotting out a defense that shut out the Lions last week and scored a touchdown of its own.
East St. John vs. McDonogh 35
The Wildcats (1-1) picked up their first win of the season last week, coming out victorious over West Jefferson in impressive fashion, 33-14
Shelvin Keller looks to continue his strong play against the McDonogh 35 Roneagles following his three-touchdown performance last week.
McDonogh was downright scary last week in topping L.W. Higgins 76-0.
East St. John High standouts Cameron Grant, Calvin Gardner and Howard Joseph will be counted on heavily to turn last week’s Wildcats victory into a winning streak.
The Wildcats host the game Friday night in St. John Parish.