MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / August 30, 1999

LAPLACE – Three River Parishes schools that made the state tournament in 1998 season got their 1999 seasons underway at the St. CharlesCatholic Jamboree Thursday afternoon.

Host St. Charles Catholic advanced to the Division IV semifinals lastseason before falling to Newman. Hahnville made it to the regionals forthe first time before being eliminated by Thibodaux. Central Catholic-Morgan City defeated Reserve Christian in the Division V bi-district playoffs in the Eagles’ first year in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association.

All three teams are looking for a return trip this season.

St. Charles Catholic has made the move up to Division III and will play inDistrict 6-III which also includes Lutcher, E.D. White and St. James.”It’s a lot more talented this year than last year,” St. Charles Catholiccoach Michelle Dearmitt said of district play. “It’s very competitive indistrict.”The Lady Comets got off to a good start Thursday, sweeping past Reserve Christian (10-3), St. Martin’s (10-8) and Hahnville (10-9). Against ReserveChristian, Cristin Clement had two kills, Marci Martin added one and Sarah Weber had an ace.

“Our strong point is that were are jelling together to play as a team,” Dearmitt said. “We are team-oriented. But if our offensive breaks down,it’s not going to be looking very well.”The Lady Comets will start four seniors, a sophomore and a freshman.

Dearmitt said the team will be looking toward the seniors for leadership but that it’s going to take the entire team for the Lady Comets to get back to last year’s point.

“We have a very good group of seniors,” Dearmitt said. “They worktogether well and are very helpful for the young kids. It’s fun playing withthem and coaching them.”Reserve Christian will also have a young team with one senior, two juniors and three sophomores starting. Only two players return from theEagles’ district champions of a year ago.

“We’re young,” Reserve Christian coach Mike Marix said. “We’reinexperienced from a standpoint of not having the luxury of playing together for a long period of time.”The Eagles will be facing a more competitive schedule than the one they had last season with games against St. John, St. Martin’s, West St. Johnand East St. John, and a longer one with 30 games as compared to the 17they played in 1998. Reserve Christian will play in District 8-V alongwith Faith Christian and Lynn Oaks.

“I feel like you can do just so much in practice,” Marix said. “I want tokeep them hungry and with more competition and better competition, we will come out better in the long run.”The goal for the season is to advance past the first round of the playoffs in the team’s second season.

“We are just trying to stay at the level of last year but also top that,” Marix said. “If we have a much better showing in the playoffs, than wewould have accomplished our goal.”Reserve Christian started that goal Thursday, falling to St. CharlesCatholic and St. Martin’s but defeating Hahnville, 10-8.

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