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LAPLACE — St. Charles Catholic has a new coach and brings back 12 players with varsity experience after another solid season.

  Wayne Stein takes the reins for Frank Monica, who was the Comets’ head coach for 21 years. Stein has been the defensive coordinator for the last 17 years and an assistant for the last 18 years. Stein just completed his ninth season as the school’s head baseball coach.

  “There’s nothing new to me as far as St. Charles Catholic,” Stein said. “I went to school here, and I’ve been an assistant coach for 18 years. I know where the bones are buried. The balance of being the head baseball coach, being the athletic director and head football coach, that’s the biggest thing that is new to me. My only goal is to continue the high standards. I think coach (Frank) Monica had very high expectations for everyone. I think this day in age, there is no greater gift than high expectations from the boss. I think that carried into his assistants and his players and for the teachers and administration in the school, and I think by holding everybody to a high standard, winning took care of itself.”

  The Comets enter this year after a 5-2 regular season that saw them reach the Division III championship game as the No. 2 seed before coming up short to fifth-seeded Lafayette Christian, 12-7.

  Stein said St. Charles Catholic returns a large group.

  Senior Zack Vicknair was the quarterback and will move to running back. Stein said that the move was not because of a lack of ability, but because they have a lot of confidence in junior Ayden Authement.

  “He is a dual threat guy,” Stein said. “Zack was a primary runner. Ayden gives us another aspect of the offense. He stretches the field vertically. He is short, so we’ll have to move the pocket. It wasn’t a lack of what Zack could do, but more of we thought we could expand the offense with Ayden.”

  The top wide receiver is Dillon Brown.

  St. Charles returns three senior offensive linemen in guards Eric Cador and Jake Jeandron along with center Mo Nabut.

Stein said they return a lot of defensive players, but lost four three-year players.

Safety Bryce Bertucci, nose guard Moses Clark, defensive end Brock Donn and linebacker Caiden Jones are back. Jones moves from defensive end to linebacker.

  “Those are guys that are back for us on defense, but also played a lot as sophomores,” Stein said.

Stein said the team has two excellent cornerbacks in Redrick Hackett and Kaden Foster.

  Britten Dean may play both lines.

  St. Charles Catholic will begin the season on Sept. 3 with a road game against Archbishop Shaw.

BY CHRIS KINKAID

THE DAILY NEWS

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