By RYAN JONES

Friday was another week and another easy victory for St. Charles. The Comets (9-1, 5-1) dominated all facets of their game Friday against Lakeshore, scoring five first-half offensive touchdowns, two first-half defensive touchdowns and holding the Titans to seven total first half yards in a strong 48-0 victory.

“Coach Route’s kids played to the very end,” St. Charles head coach Frank Monica said. “They kept hitting and they kept competing, and that’s a tribute to his staff. We saw these guys on film, and they’re a very capable football team. They concerned us with their speed and their ability. They have some injuries. We didn’t see some of their guys that have been starting all year long, and that impacted the entire game.”

St. Charles scored all of their points in the first half and pulled the team’s starting lineup midway through the third quarter. The defensive first team briefly returned to action in the fourth quarter with the Titans threatening inside the Comets red zone.

Lakeshore’s opening drive concluded with a high snap over sophomore punter Ian Jones’ head, and the resulting 29-yard loss set St. Charles up with a first-and-goal on the Titans 7-yard line. Junior running back Marcus Hall took the ball into the end zone on the next play, and the Comets never looked back.

“We took advantage of some special teams mistakes, and we got the early momentum on them,” Monica said. “They’re a young football team.”

That was not the end of Lakeshore’s special team woes. On the team’s following possession, yet another punt flew over Jones’ head, and this time, senior defensive back Aaron Hampton covered the ball up in the end zone for another St. Charles score. Finally, the Titans (4-5) muffed the ensuing kickoff and Comets linebacker Dante Scarpero recovered.

Hall led St. Charles on the ground with six carries for 48 yards and two scores, part of a team rushing effort that posted 110 yards in the first half alone. He was joined by junior tailback Lazedrick Thomas, who received only two rushing attempts that went for touchdown runs of 20 and 17 yards respectively.

St. Charles junior quarterback Donnie Savoie completed only two passes on the night — both to senior tight end Harley Scioneaux. Scioneaux dropped a wide open touchdown grab near the end of the first quarter but snagged a 21-yard touchdown on the team’s next drive.

The Comets defense also turned in a solid performance against the second-year varsity program. St. Charles intercepted Lakeshore quarterback Michael Ball five times on the night, including one picked off by senior David Keating for a score following a 15-yard return.

Though the team’s victory against the Titans was not especially challenging, Monica believes that the Comets’ overall schedule has adequately prepared them for a deep run into the postseason.

“We played a rugged schedule,” Monica said. “To go through that and come out 9-1 is a tribute to the players. Now that we’re here, we’d like to make a little more noise. Hopefully, we can keep this momentum and make some noise in the playoffs.”

St. Charles begins its playoff run next Friday within Class 2A.