SCC Boys’ Basketball Team prepares for Regionals

Published 1:51 pm Saturday, February 25, 2023

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The Boy’s Basketball playoffs are underway and St. Charles Catholic will be competing for the Regional Title on Tuesday. The# 7 Comets will take on #10 Catholic N.I., from New Iberia, in the Division III Select. SCC’s # 7 ranking earned them a bye week for the first round of play last week.

“When Tuesday Night comes around we will have not played a game in 13 days so finding the right balance of how to handle practice has been a challenge, ” Coach  Zach Weber said.

“We were able to get back to some basics during this bye week that we desperately needed and our kids embraced it. We challenged our players to transfer those fundamental periods into our play in our scrimmage periods and we hope to see that play out on the court Tuesday night,” Weber said.

The game is certain be exciting as these top 10 schools meet on the court.  SCC will have  to rely on its defense to move forward in the playoffs.

Catholic New Iberia averages 52 points per game. They are lead by their two leading scorers Jaiden Mitchell and Tristan Lewis who are very good quick guards who can shoot it and drive it. They will also rely on Joab Trosclair who is a 6-foot-8 freshman and  has a good presence around the rim. Chris Green will be a very physical guard who guards defensively and crashes the boards on the offensive glass.

This season the Comets have only given up 38 points per game. Weber said, “We take pride in that. A ton of our offensive success comes off of our defense. Our playoff slogan is ‘RunAsOne’ because if we will make a run we will have to do it together”

A controlled discipline style of basketball will have to be played for SCC to make a run. Weber said, “Our division is one of the best divisions in the state in all classifications that has plenty of talent and we will have to separate ourselves by doing all the right things on the court each night. We aren’t going to change what we’ve done to this point but the understanding of every possession mattering will be a constant focus of ours”

The coach continued, “After being 15-15 last season and eliminated in the first round of the playoffs we set goals for our program moving forward into the second year. Our first one was to win 15+ games to keep our program consistent and we did. The second goal was to host a playoff game and we will Friday night. Our third goal was to be a top 8 seed and we accomplished it. The next goal is to win a playoff game and I know our players will compete and be up for that challenge to accomplish that goal as well. I couldn’t be prouder to be the Basketball Coach at St Charles Catholic and see the steps our program has taken in two years. I look forward to seeing our players compete in our home gym Tuesday in what we expect to be great game with a great crowd.”

When asked the players guiding the team to a successful run, the coach replied, “I couldn’t have asked for a better group of seniors who are so selfless and team oriented guys who have bought into our vision from day one of last season when I took over. We will rely heavy on our five leading scorers offensively in Davon Stirgus(14 PPG),Kenneth Hall(10 PPG)Austin Catalano (8 PPG),and Brady Burns(7 PPG), Daniel Joseph (6 PPG).”

Defensively the Comets will rely on  Reshawn Hilaire, Samare Scott, and Matthew Lemmon who have taken pride on their defensive skills since the beginning of the season.  Whether that was to stop someone’s best player, or be physical on the defensive boards or taking charges or getting on the ground for loose balls.

The Comets will play Catholic New Iberia on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in Comet Gym located at 100 Dominican Drive in LaPlace.