By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

LAPLACE — Though it’s been there through four weeks of play, one might say that the target on the back of defending Class 3A state champion St. Charles Catholic grows even larger this week as the Comets prepare to enter District 7-3A play.

A season ago, that district proved to be among the most competitive in the classification, with five of the six 7-3A competitors reached the postseason.

But the top to bottom quality of the district was overshadowed by the dominance of its best team. The Comets not only captured the state crown, but St. Charles won its five district games by a combined score of 245-8, including a 49-8 victory over their opponent this Friday night, Donaldsonville.

Donaldsonville went 5-6 last season and lost in the first round of the playoffs to Marksville. This season, the Tigers are off to a tough 1-4 start, though their five predistrict contests were a tough slate in Assumption, Dutchtown, Dunham, Block and McDonogh No. 35.

The Tigers suffered a tough loss Friday night, letting a fourth quarter lead slip away to Block, which captured a 23-18 win on the back of a game-winning 83-yard drive that saw the Bears run 15 straight times, culminating in fullback William Cummings’ 3-yard game-winning touchdown.

Donaldsonville nearly rallied for the win on the back of quarterback Leandre James, but their two-minute drill came up short when James was tackled on a quarterback draw with nine seconds left at the Block 5-yard line; Donaldsonville was out of timeouts and the stop ended the game.

James, who triggers the Tigers’ spread offense, passed for 123 yards and rushed for 43 yards, scoring a touchdown in each of those two phases.

Block ran for 306 yards in that game, which suggests that St. Charles (2-2) has a chance to have another strong performance in the rushing department after besting Jeanerette 55-0 Friday in a game the Comets did not attempt a pass in.