MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / October 6, 1999

LUTCHER – Lutcher opens District 9-3A play Friday night by welcoming back a familiar face.

St. Charles Catholic head coach Frank Monica returns to the place where hecoached in the late 1970s, leading the Bulldogs to the 1978 state championship.

“It’s been a long time but it’s going to be different,” Monica said. “I’venever saw it from that side of the field. Like I told the players, theatmosphere will be as good as you will see in high school. To top it off,the team is awfully good. But that’s why you play football, to get to playin a game like that. We have to get better, that’s what we are trying todo.”One of the coaches on Monica’s staff in 1978 was Tim Detillier, now the head coach at Lutcher. Detillier, who coached at St. Charles Catholic in the1980s, leading the Comets to the semifinals in 1989, is looking forward to playing his old team and mentor.

“I’ve had a lot of coaches have an influence on me,” Detillier said. “Butwhen I’m asked whose had the most impact, I say it’s been Frank. But I’mnot playing this game against him. It’s between St. Charles and Lutcher,his kids versus my kids.”This will be the first time that Monica and Detillier have coached against each other. It will also be the first time the two teams have met indistrict. The teams last met in the regular season in 1994 although theyplayed each other in the River Parishes Jamboree from 1995-98.

“It’s been a good series,” Detillier said.

The game is the District 9-3A opener for both teams. Both the Bulldogs(4-1) and Comets (1-4) are also coming off losses in non-district play.

Lutcher had what Detillier called a “coulda, shoulda, woulda” game against Assumption at home, losing to the Mustangs, 31-7. Lutcher took a7-0 lead in the second quarter on a 11-yard touchdown pass from Thomas Ricks to Risely St. Germain. The Mustangs would close to within 7-6 athalftime as Herb Washington found Brandon Jacobs from 11 yards out.

The key play of the game came in the third quarter as Assumption faced third down at the Lutcher 27. The Bulldogs appeared to have sackedWashington but as he was going down, he flipped as pass to Brandon Jacobs. Jacobs took it the rest of the way for the score, giving theMustangs a 12-7 lead. Jacobs then took over in the fourth quarter, scoringon runs of 1 and 53 yards. Rudy August added a 11-yard run for the finalscore.

Jacobs finished the game with 212 yards on 14 carries.

“They didn’t play like a 1-3 team,” Detillier said of Assumption. “You haveto give them credit. We have played against some good running backs andteams but none like him (Jacobs).”Ricks finished the game with 212 yards passing on 15 completions in 25 attempts. The Bulldogs gained 304 yards in offense but turned the ballover four times.

“Hopefully, we can use it as a wake-up call,” Detillier said of the loss.

St. Charles Catholic was also done in by a stellar rushing performance.Parkview Baptist quarterback Josh Son had 164 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game in the third quarter with a neck injury, helping the Eagles to a 37-6 victory.

Nick Monica led the Comets with 74 yards passing, including a 30-yard touchdown pass to Phil Hoffman in the second quarter, but was intercepted four times. The Comets were also held to five yards rushing.”We had too many turnovers,” Frank Monica said. “We didn’t help ourselvesenough to help the defense and we didn’t do enough to defend the quarterback. Against the option, you have to defend the quarterback. “We have to get back to fundamentals. We are struggling for an identity.But we are young and we will keep trying to do the right thing.”Despite the Comets’ 1-4 record, Detillier knows his team cannot afford to overlook a team that hung with East St. John in the River ParishesJamboree and with Newman two weeks ago.

“We are not looking past anybody,” Detillier said. “We are both undefeatedin district. We are both 0-0. In District 9-3A, there is no off weeks. Youbetter play every week. At least for a week, whoever wins will be in firstplace.”

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