By ROBERT B. ROAN

LAPLACE – The E.D. White Catholic High School Cardinals, in horseracing parlance, rode their thoroughbred to victory on a muddy track Friday night in a hard-fought district contest over the St. Charles Catholic High School Comets.

Throughout the first half, the Comets stout defensive front and hard-hitting linebacking corps kept Cardinals senior running back Jeffrey Reulet bottled up and generally within two to three yards of the line of scrimmage. It was in the final minutes of the third quarter when Reulet, a downhill runner, began to exploit the soggy field and steadily ground out yardage.

With a little over a minute left in the district opener for both teams, Reulet punched it in on a dive right to put the Cardinals ahead to stay, 13-6, and avenge the regular-season loss to the Comets in 2001.

The Comets offense flashed signs of brilliance on numerous occasions, especially in the passing game led by southpaw junior quarterback Jeremy Catoire, but untimely penalties and mental miscues eventually led to the home team’s first loss of the season.

“We played hard for one half,” SCC head coach Frank Monica told his players after the game. “We did not compete to get the momentum back.

“We let one get away and now we’ve got to work hard and get it back.”

In the first half Catoire connected on several short to mid-length play action pass plays with senior wide receivers Bryan Huber and Jamall Singleton, senior tight end Travis Trepagnier, and junior wide receiver Chase Grob, but it was the hard-nosed defensive plays made by senior defensive ends Alton Alexander and Chris Cancienne, along with junior linebacker Jonathan Schexnayder, which kept the Comets in the hunt.

Slogging through the storm-ravaged track, the teams generally moved the ball around the mid-field area until with 7:47 to go until halftime, Catoire rolled left from the seven-yard line and bulled his way into the endzone for a touchdown. In what was a sign to come, the kick sailed into the line and the PAT was no good. One aspect of the Comets kicking game shined throughout the contest as punter/defensive lineman Daniel LeBlanc routinely pinned the Cardinals with poor field position.

As the second half began, the Cardinals’ Wing-T offense began to click and Reulet, along with junior running back Blake Naquin, found holes which were closed in the game’s opening quarters.

The Comets sustained three turnovers, two interceptions and one fumble, during the second half and EDW took advantage of the miscues. With 8:18 to go in the third quarter, the Comets dropped the ball on their own nine-yard line and three plays later senior running back Steven Gros took it in on an off-tackle trap. The PAT was good and the Cardinals led 7-6.

A packed house witnessed two fine prep programs slug it out for the remaining minutes with Cardinals junior defensive back Rene Ritchie almost singlehandedly shutting down the passing lanes with a pair of timely interceptions.