By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur
LAPLACE – Neither St. Charles coach Frank Monica nor Riverside coach Bill Stubbs completely discounted the rivalry effect on the upcoming jamboree exhibition between the schools Friday night.
But while each acknowledged the excitement and positive attention the first meeting between the teams since 2010 creates in their respective school communities, the veteran coaches also cautioned that getting swept up in it is a mistake they’re not willing to make.
“It’s very good in a way,” said Monica, “but everyone needs to understand that this is to prepare both teams for the real games the next week. We need to look at the big picture, and a win Friday gets you no power points or anything like that.”
Said Stubbs, “It’s probably more significant (than usual), especially for the kids on the teams that know one another. At the same time, we have to be wise and careful to not overemphasize the results here. There are a lot of things we need to sort out for our team regardless of the scoreboard, and this is our dress rehearsal. It’s our last chance to do it.”
While the coaches focus on that “dress rehearsal” aspect, it seems unlikely that the showdown won’t be a hotly contested affair. The Comets have a long standing run of success against their neighborhood rivals, one the Rebels would certainly like to reverse as they enter a season of high-expectations—and as they approach an opening week matchup against Evangel.
“They’re the big dogs in the neighborhood,” said Stubbs. “They’re two years removed from winning a state championship. Their program carries a great reputation and a great history.”
Monica wasn’t pleased with the Comets’ performance against University in last week’s scrimmage, noting that St. Charles failed at stopping the big play, a task they specifically set for themselves. Against the high-powered Rebel offense, led by Riverside quarterback Deuce Wallace, that needs to change, said Monica.
“Even though we haven’t played them in a few years, you can see how explosive they are,” said Monica. “They looked it against St. Thomas Aquinas (in last week’s scrimmage). They’ve got a real good quarterback with a big time arm. He’s throwing to some quality wide receivers and they’ve got some outstanding running backs. They can hurt you quickly if you let them. It’s important to not give up big plays.”
Stubbs said he’s looking for more intensity out of his players.
“I’m going on record to challenge our kids to be much more aggressive,” he said. “I’ve honestly been a bit vexed so far. We’ve made some strides, but we’ve still got a ways to go in that department.’
“We’ve got to set the tempo. You’ve got to be the one to set the temperature of a game, to have your finger on the thermostat. At this point, we’re still trying to find the thermostat.”
Monica said that keeping the offense on schedule was an issue against University, and staying “in front of the chains” was the primary focus this week.
“We’ve got to keep it to third and medium, not third and long,” said Monica. “At third and long, you can let the alumni call the plays. We had too many of those situations last week.”
Just as Monica praised Wallace, Stubbs said that Comets quarterback Austin Weber presents numerous problems for a defense.
“(Monica) has taken Weber and put the ball in his hands every snap. To me, that’s a very, very wise choice,” said Stubbs.
“When you’ve got an athlete like that on the trigger, you’re always very concerned. He gives them a lot of options.”
For both coaches, seeing a big step forward in level of execution was a major point of emphasis. Stubbs said that it’s an area that St. Charles excels in, and that if the Rebels don’t match it, the Comets “can expose you in a hurry.”
For Monica, the jamboree represents a chance to see a marked improvement, and quickly.
“They claim a team improves the most between the first and second game than in the rest of the year. I hope that’s true,” said Monica. “I expect to see our guys play with a sense of urgency. It’s our last chance to take a major step forward before the games start to count.”