LAPLACE, La. – It’s been 377 days since the St. Charles Catholic Comets fell 41-14 In the 2019 Division III title game to the Lafayette Christian Knights.
Comets Head Coach Frank Monica says that while the defending champs are listed as the 5 seed, they’re still playing like a 1 seed.
“The only difference is it looks like the same team out there. They might be faster than they were last year and they’re playing with a lot more sense of urgency,” says Monica.
A Knights offense that averaging 40 points per game jumped out to a 21-point lead in the first half against Newman a week ago.
“They’re going for the kill early and they are trying to put people away early. They’re big-playing people and they can do that with the speed that they have. So, you have to keep everything in front of you, you have to gang tackle. They’re so explosive and they rely on the explosive play and when they don’t get one they try to make one and create one. I think it’s important for us to keep the ball out of their hands the best we possibly can,” says St. Charles Catholic Head Football Coach Frank Monica.
“Turnovers missed tackles and explosive plays. That’s usually what wins games so if we can win those, we can win the game,” says St. Charles Catholic Quarterback Zack Vicknair.
That responsibility falls on the Comets offense and Quarterback Zach Vicknair whose 3 touchdown performance and physical brand of running boosted the Comets past Notre Dame.
“I think the team feeds off that kind of thing. The other guys see that and feed off of that and it becomes a frenzy on your football team. I think that they say if he can do it we can do it but That comes from intense workouts. He works out hard in the weight room. He’s 180 pounds but a 300-pound bencher. That says a lot about a guy that plays the quarterback position,” says Monica.
A tenacity in the weight room he takes to the football field.
“In order to play well, you’ve got to be strong. Whenever I go in the weight room I take it seriously because I know that if I’m not strong I won’t be able to perform on the field. If you’re strong you’ve already got an advantage over the people who haven’t been taking the weight room seriously,” says Vicknair.
Strong is what St Charles Catholic will need to be to end Lafayette’s Christian’s state title streak, a challenge Vicknair says his team will be ready for.
The St. Charles Catholic Comets will face the Lafayette Christian Academy Knights Monday, December 28th at 3:00 p.m.