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LAPLACE — The St. Charles Catholic boy’s basketball team traveled to Isidore Newman ready to fight for the District championship on Valentine’s Day weekend. Equipped with a No. 2 ranking, the Comets had little trouble besting Fisher 78-23 and Morris Jeff 75-50 in the single elimination tournament.

No. 1 ranked Isidore Newman proved insurmountable Saturday night, eliminating St. Charles Catholic 48-36. Despite the hard-fought lost, the Comets are still building momentum and hoping for a ticket straight to the second round of playoffs.

The team is flying high with a 22-11 record for the season, and the boys find out next week whether the first stop on their playoff journey will be the bi-district or regional round.

Seniors Justin Dumas, Owen Bourgeois and Christian Montz have been the backbone of the season, according to head coach Jeff Montz.

Coach Montz spent five years as principal of St. Joan of Arc Catholic School before retiring in summer 2019 and taking over the SCC boys basketball team in the fall.

His son, Christian, had an incredible weekend, scoring a whopping 27 points against Fisher and 25 points against Morris Jeff. Cameron Campbell was the leading scorer in the championship game with 15 points against Isidore Newman.

Bourgeois and Dumas have been defensive weapons, according to Montz.

“They are usually matched up against the two top scorers, and they’ve been doing a really good job in those roles,” Montz said.

The dynamic duo has also performed well offensively and secured baskets in most games. Bourgeois has averaged between 10 and 12 points per game over the course of the season.

The Comets have had to step up to fill the role of injured senior Tyler DeLaneuville.

“Tyler started off the year tremendously,” Montz said. “He’s been hurt for quite a few games now, so he hasn’t returned again full-speed. Prior to his injury, he was one of the top scorers.”

The regular season is winding to a close, and the Comets have one final challenge against Ascension Catholic before the playoffs come into focus. The game will commence at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Comets gymnasium.

The last meeting between the two teams ended in a 70-54 loss for St. Charles Catholic, and the Comets will be looking for redemption.

“It’s going to be a real good match-up for us because they’re going to be a playoff team in their class,” Montz said. “We played them once, and it was a very good game. It will be good prep for the playoffs for both teams.”

Playoffs are expected to begin the first week of March. Montz hopes to see a sizeable crowd turn out in support of the Comets. He said their effort this season has made them worthy of recognition.

“They’ve worked hard, and it would be great to have our community behind them,” Montz said. “I’m very proud of the way they have stuck together. We have a team of unity and selflessness. They’ve been together all year, and that’s been a key to our success.”