Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Lori Lyons

At the halfway point of the 2023 high school football season, two St. John the Baptist Parish teams remain unbeaten along with three other New Orleans area schools.

Two-time defending Division III state champion St. Charles Catholic improved to 5-0 with a 30-13 victory over Vandebilt Catholic in LaPlace.  Just a short way up the road, East St. John held off a Hahnville rally to take a 42-37 homecoming win and remain unbeaten.

Elsewhere, Riverside Academy won its homecoming game against Country Day, 44-13, to improve to 3-1 on the season. West St. John traveled to Ascension Episcopal and took a 49-0 loss.

The Comets were solid on offense, gaining 339 yards, and defense, holding the Terriers to 187, but gave up a big play on special teams. Quarterback Brady St. Pierre was 11 of 17 for 165 yards and two touchdowns, one to Jackson Monica for 43 yards, and one to Jackson Doster for 16 yards. Monocle also ran for a score. Jeremiah Wills led the rushing game with 65 yards on 11 carries. Skylar Edwards rushed for 59 yards and one touchdown on nine carries. 

The defense held Vandebilt to eight first downs. Jaden Breaux recovered a fumble and Logan Barrios nabbed an interception. Kyle Cannon and Doster combined to block a punt for a Comets safety. 

St. Charles will host non-district opponent Abbeville Friday night at Thomas Dupuy Memorial Stadium in LaPlace. 

Hahnville tried to upset East St. John’s homecoming and spoil its unblemished record but the Wildcats held on for the District 7-5A win at Joe Keller Stadium.

Kairian Smith started for the Wildcats at quarterback and finished with 93 yards and two touchdowns. Lorenzo Zeno threw for 150 yards and two touchdowns.

East St. John led 42-22 before the Tigers put together a late 15-point rally. Entering the fourth quarter, Hahnville had a fourth-and-1 in the red zone, but the Wildcats stopped the attempt behind the line of scrimmage to get to the ball back on downs. Hahnville got one more touchdown on a scoop-and-score, but never got the ball back on offense. 

The Wildcats will travel to H.L. Bourgeois for Friday night’s District 7-5A contest.

Riverside spotted Country Day a 7-point lead before putting together a solid offensive performance. Dedric Lastie, who entered Friday night’s game as the 13th leading rusher in the state with 714 yards and 11 touchdowns, added to his total with 115 yards and two scores on 20 carries. Eighth grader Kenric Johnson rushed for 59 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. The Rebels also blocked a punt for a safety.

Quarterback Brock Bourgeois completed 9 of 16 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns, one to Brennan Maus for 5 yards and one to Mason Smith for 69 yards. 

The Rebels will face District 10-1A foe St. Martin’s Friday night in a showdown between Lastie and the state’s proclaimed top running back, Harlem Berry.