By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – As spring practice rolled along, St. Charles Catholic head football coach Frank Monica called his team together in the midst of an 11-on-11 drill Tuesday.

The veteran playcaller saw something that needed to be nipped in the bud, with no time to waste.  One of his young running backs nearly converted a first down on a third and one play, but lost the yard he had gain in an attempt to break a big play.

“We’re punting now,” Monica thundered. “We had a first down, and now we’re punting. That can never happen.”

The Comets resumed play after that, with the understanding reinforced that those types of mental errors will not be tolerated. St. Charles, under Monica, rarely beats itself. That all begins with the team’s attention to detail in the spring.

Over the last nine years, the Comets have a state championship victory, two state runner up finishes, two others in the state semifinals and another in the quarterfinals. Outside of a post-Hurricane Issac two game losing streak to begin last season, the list of teams that the Comets have lost to over the past four seasons is a short one: Notre Dame, John Curtis and Evangel. Each of those three teams went on to finish as at least a state runner-up after defeating SCC.

The names change; the results rarely do. This season, though, SCC finds itself in more flux than usual. The Comets will have to find replacements for much of a senior-laden starting lineup a year ago. Six of those seniors signed to play college football, while a seventh signed on a baseball scholarship.

“I’m not sure what we are right now,” said Monica. “We’ve got a lot of developing situations in terms of personnel. A lot of guys are moving around.”

“Usually by this time, you have five guys on each side or so that you can say, ‘That guy’s got a grip on the job,” said Monica. “It would be tough to knock him out of his position.’ I can’t say that about too many spots currently.”

Who mans quarterback will largely shape how St. Charles looks offensively this season. Austin Weber and Jemal Baptiste have each been taking reps there after splitting those duties for the majority of the 2012 season.

If Baptiste earns the job under center this fall, Weber will slide into his natural position of running back.

“In an ideal world, things would be easier with Jemal at quarterback, and we would keep Austin at running back. We’d like to have them both on the field,” said Monica. “We’re trying to get (Baptiste) squared away. He’s made a lot of improvement this spring.” 

Weber has saved the day on more than one occasion for St. Charles. The junior stepped in and provided a steady hand and a tremendous running threat at quarterback last season. As a freshman, he leapt into the starting lineup after a rash of injuries depleted the Comets’ tailback corps and helped propel SCC to the 2011 Class 3A championship.

“I’m happy to play wherever the team needs me,” said Weber. “No matter where I play, I want to provide leadership.

“That’s really important because we’ve got a lot of young guys that we’ll need to step up this year.”

Whether its Baptiste of Weber, the team’s receiving corps will need seasoning. But the Comets do have talent on the outside – Dane Authement and Brady Becker are among those who made some impressive plays during Tuesday’s practice. Jarrid Johnson has also stood out, and Monica noted Zach Maurin as one who is making headway at tight end.

Defensively, the Comets have boasted of the state’s elite units, especially over the past two seasons. 

The ‘D’ will also see a slew of new faces, players that will be counted on to carry the load for longtime defensive coordinator Wayne Stein.

Monica said he likes the depth of the team’s defensive line. Nose guard Sean McGraw has asserted himself in spring so far – he’ll be counted on to anchor against the run, with 2012 starting defensive tackles Taylor Cochran and David Bleakley moving on to college ball.

“All of the (offensive and defensive lineman) talk about it during school, all day, until you get to come out here,” said McGraw. “It gets to that point where you can’t wait to go at each other.”

McGraw said that he and his teammates won’t be using the Comets’ relative inexperience as an excuse.

“We’ve got a lot to improve on,” he said. “But everyone’s working hard. Everyone’s expecting the most out of themselves.

“We know we’re expected to win.”

Cornerback Jordan Favorite, safety Connor Western are among those returning starters who will be asked to anchor the secondary. Dylan Bourgeois will help McGraw anchor up front. And Monica is excited as well about linebackers Connor Smith and Sage Mulkey, among others.

One place SCC can likely expect to win more often than not is in the kicking game – The Comets’ special teams have been special, indeed, historically.

Patrick Juneau kicks, punts and plays center offensively for the Comets; his game-winning kick against Parkview Baptist in a 3A semifinal game propelled SCC into the state championship game.

He said the program’s consistent success starts in the spring, with the veterans setting the tone.

“It’s drilled into our heads, because it’s a way of life around here,” said Juneau. “Now, we’re out here as seniors teaching the younger kids how to do it.”