BY RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — St. Charles Catholic roared out to a 14-0 lead against East Ascension, just as it had a week earlier in a decisive win over East Jefferson. This time, however, the opposition had an answer.

The Spartans’ Kyron Irvin threw three touchdown passes and rushed for two more scores to lead the way in a 42-35 road victory for East Ascension at SCC.

The Comets had a chance to tie things up in the game’s closing moments, but an EA interception on a fourth-and-goal pass from the Spartans’ 3-yard line sealed the result.

“We didn’t play for four quarters,” St. Charles coach Frank Monica said. “Some of our kids didn’t perform up to expectations tonight. East Ascension was bigger and pushed us around, and we didn’t respond. We had our chances. We botched a couple of opportunities and turned it over in a couple of spots that really swung the momentum of the game in their direction.”

Irvin completed 10 of 21 passes for 203 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He rushed 11 times for 40 yards and two scores.

“He hurt us tonight,” Monica said. “When he got the ball out to his receivers, what I was most disappointed in was we didn’t tackle. We didn’t do a good job of it at all tonight.”

Kade Waguespack hauled in two receptions for 91 yards and a touchdowns. Joshua Walker led all rushers with nine carries for 117 yards and a touchdown.

For the Comets (2-1), Erron Lewis rushed 13 times for 82 yards and a touchdown. Austin Weber carried 13 times for 75 yards and two touchdowns, while completing 17 of 26 pass attempts for 149 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Brady Becker hauled in five receptions for 49 yards. Eric Lewis secured an interception.

Lewis and Weber each found paydirt in the first quarter, scoring from 13 and five yards, respectively. East Ascension (2-1) answered, Irvin connecting with Ira Washington on a 50-yard scoring pass to make it 14-6 after the opening quarter.

The Spartans tied the game on a 13-yard Irvin keeper and his two-point pass to Waguespack. Justin Loupe answered for St. Charles, scoring from 11-yards away to push SCC ahead by a touchdown. Walker tied things up again just before halftime when he caught a 14-yard pass from Irvin.

Weber’s 6-yard scoring run early in the third quarter again gave SCC the lead, but Walker answered with a 62-yard dash of his own. Irvin pushed East Ascension back ahead with a 1-yard keeper run following an interception and made it a two-score game after connecting with Waguespack for a 76-yard touchdown.

Weber found Dane Authement for a 10-yard score to pull SCC within a touchdown, but the Comets couldn’t push into the endzone on their final drive.

SCC dealt with a number of injuries late in the game, with Weber, Lewis and Loupe all exiting play before the final drive’s conclusion.

East Ascension was eight of 11 on third-down conversion opportunities. The school outgained SCC 423-375.

The Comets turned the ball over four times, the Spartans scoring off of three of those giveaways.

“I said all week, the team that flinches first is the one that will lose this one,” Monica said. “We flinched a couple of times tonight.”