CCHS to play for a share of district crown Friday

Central Catholic will look to clinch a share of the District 7-1A championship Friday when it travels to take on Division IV’s top-ranked team, Ascension Episcopal.
Central Catholic, Division IV’s No. 14-ranked team, has won five straight since a 1-3 start to the season. The Eagles are 5-1 in district.
Meanwhile, Ascension Episcopal is 9-0 this season and 6-0 in league play.
The Blue Gators feature an explosive spread offense, averaging 44.9 points a contest.
“They’re very good offensively,” Central Catholic coach Tommy Minton said. “They’ve put up big points for about four or five weeks in a row now.”
The squad has scored no less than 34 points in every game this season and has topped seven times this season. In last week’s 66-48 win against Lafayette Christian, the Blue Gators posted a season-high for points.
Minton said that offensive success is attributed to both the play of wide receivers Ronald LeBlanc and Zach Ronquillo and then quarterback Jake Vascocu
“Whenever you have to defend the quarterback in the passing game and the running game, it makes it difficult for your defense, so that’s the biggest task for us right there,” Minton said.
Defensively, Ascension Episcopal is surrendering just 17.2 points a game.
“Defensively, they play a zone behind a four-man front that they’ll every now and then bring a linebacker up and make it a five-man front,” Minton said. “Against us, as much as we run the ball, they’ll be in a five-man front. They play zone behind it. They don’t play a ton of man.”
Central Catholic comes into Friday’s contest averaging 35.2 points a game and giving up 20.7 a contest.
The Eagles’ defense has been stingy as of late and is giving up on average, 214.6 yards per contest.
Offensively, the Eagles are averaging 322.6 yards per game.
Central Catholic is led offensively by its run game.
Running back Chris Singleton has rushed 119 times for 787 yards and 16 touchdowns, while teammate Bailey Badeaux had 95 carries for 648 yards and nine scores.
Quarterback Blake Byrne also has rushed 39 times for 174 yards and three touchdowns.
Through the air, Byrne has completed 51 of 100 passes for 925 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions.
His top receivers are Samarick Paul, who has 29 catches for 496 yards and four touchdowns, and Gregory Leger, who has hauled in eight passes for 262 yards and three scores.