An experienced St. Charles Catholic squad that took some lumps a year ago came out of the gates Thursday with a strong message that 2025 would look much different.
The Comets, highlighted by their hard-hitting defense and power running game, scored touchdowns just before half and then again to open the third and continued to lean on rival Isidore Newman the rest of the way to a 36-3 victory.
“I thought it was important that our offense came out and got a big touchdown, got a chance to double up and score the touchdown before half knowing we get the ball after half,” coach Wayne Stein said. “And then take the drive after half and grind it out and give our guys a chance to rest on defense. You know, old-fashioned St. Charles Catholic football, getting back to our roots.”
Points were difficult to come by for either side early thanks to a combination of stout defense and some early miscues.
But speedy St. Charles senior Chrisd’on McClain fielded a punt deep, took a few steps to the sideline, shook back past defenders to the middle of the field and then wove his way 97 yards to other end zone for a much-needed spark midway through the first quarter.
“Honestly, it’s my first time playing punt return, so I’m nervous to catch the ball, but I put all my nerves aside and trusted my abilities to get the ball and do what I have to do,” McClain said. “So I got the ball, I had to make the first guy miss and I saw an open lane, and I just took it. And to the touchdown we go.”
Isidore Newman responded with its most promising drive as Jake Randle, the Tulane-committed running back playing quarterback, flashed his arm downfield to fellow senior Collier Villere a couple times to complement his and the team’s run game.
The Greenies pushed their way down to the 5-yard line, but were forced to settle for a field goal.
“We punt the ball, they field it on the 5 and we give up a 95-yard punt return — that was bad,” said new Isidore Newman coach Aaron Vice. “Then we take the ball and we go down to the 5, and we end up settling for three. So then after that, we got bogged down — field position was a big deal — and then they were able to punch it in before half and then score it after half. And I think it’s like if you score before half and immediately following half, it’s some stupid percentage where you win the game. And that’s kind of when the wheels fell off for us.”
Senior linebacker Brooks Monica and the St. Charles defense got another of their many stops with just under three minutes remaining before halftime.
And junior quarterback Landree Leblanc led an efficient with a mixture of runs and well-executed connections to seniors Skyler Edwards and Walker Leblanc, the latter of whom hauled in the 10-yard touchdown to stretch the lead to 12-3.
Then Edwards got behind the Comets’ veteran offensive line and helped a 4 1/2-minute drive entirely on the ground all the way to his 10-yard score.
“It felt amazing,” Edwards said. “I was just putting my head down and getting them yards. They kept feeding me. I’m happy that coach kept feeding me, because I was doing my thing… It was just to show we ain’t doing what we did last year. This year we’re getting it.”
As the offense returned to the bench, Stein shouted praise and encouragement: “That’s what we do. That drive was St. Charles Catholic football.”
The fifth-year head coach of his alma mater explained postgame: “It was big for us to kind of just go pronounce our authority and just continue to run it. It’s nothing like whenever you’re running the football and somebody knows you’re running it, and you’re still able to gain yardage. We were able to get a couple checks, and Landree put us in the right play and made some good reads late. And I thought Skyler started to kind of feel it at the end. He started to finish runs and get extra, and that’s the kind of back he’s gonna have to be. I don’t know what he rushed for. I know it was over 100 (yards). But he’s got a chance to be a special back. And this is who we are.”
Senior kicker Tyler Milioto banked a 30-yard field goal off the left upright and through early in the fourth quarter, and Edwards and Leblanc each added rushing touchdowns as the Comets continued to wear on the Greenies down the stretch.
“It’s nice for us to kind of sense that someone’s on their breaking point and really kind of take it to the next level,” Stein said. “That’s something, a killer instinct, that I don’t know that we had a year ago. And that just came from experience… We lost 17 starters the year prior, and we return 14 (this year) — 15 counting Tyler Milioto — so we’re an experienced team. It’s a tough schedule: Lutcher next week and Dunham the week after, and the hits keep coming. So we’re gonna have to get better every week if we want to make a run in this thing.”
The Comets host Lutcher next Friday at Frank Monica Field at Thomas J. Dupuy Stadium before opening a stretch of three road games in a four-week span.
Isidore Newman will host its next four games against Riverside Academy, Sophie B. Wright, The Willow School and Riverdale before a Week 6 bye prior to district play.
“This won’t define us, this won’t define us,” Vice said of the message to the Greenies. “And in seven weeks, it won’t really matter. We’ll learn from it. There are some good things that you learn from.”
