CCHS looking to clinch share of District 7-1A title

Friday’s matchup between Central Catholic and Ascension Episcopal is really quite simple.
If Ascension Episcopal wins, they clinch the District 7-1A title outright, while if Central Catholic wins, they get a piece of the district title along with Ascension Episcopal and possibly Vermilion Catholic if they win as well.
But before anyone can celebrate, both Central Catholic (8-1 overall, 5-1 in district) and Ascension Episcopal (9-0, 6-0) must focus on stopping the other’s potent offenses when they meet on the gridiron Friday in Morgan City in a week 10 matchup.
“They’re a good football team,” Central Catholic coach Tommy Minton said. “They’re 9-0. They control their own destiny as far as winning the district. We control our own destiny as far as winning a share of it, so it’s a big game.”
Ascension Episcopal, ranked No. 1 in the latest Louisiana High School Athletic Association Class 1A power rankings and No. 2 in the latest Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 1A poll, comes into Friday’s game averaging 44.9 points per game and more than 400 yards of offense.
Meanwhile, Central Catholic, ranked No. 5 in the latest power rankings and No. 7 in the most recent 1A poll, is averaging 51.1 points per game and more than 400 yards of offense per game, too.
“It’s most definitely a big game,” Ascension Episcopal Coach Michael Desormeaux said. “Anytime you’re playing week 10 with something to play for, I think it’s a big deal, and district championship is on the line. You know Central Catholic wants a share of it, so you know you’re going to get their best, which you expect to get anyway with those guys, but we’re excited about it. It’s going to be a heck of a challenge. We know we’re going see a really, really good football team, and we’re going to work our tails off, put our best foot forward and try to go after it.”
Ascension Episcopal is led on offense this season by Jake Arceneaux at quarterback and Ja’Ceiry Linzer at running back.
Arceneaux has completed 102 of 162 passes for 1,698 yards with 21 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also has rushed 36 times for 289 yards and three touchdowns.
Linzer has rushed 95 times for 850 yards and 14 scores.
“From their standpoint, offensively, (their) quarterback and they’re running back, very, very good football players,” Minton said. “Quarterback’s committed to go to UL and the running back’s being recruited by a bunch of different schools so that’s where it starts stopping those two guys.”
The Eagles’ defense also will have to contend with Ronald LeBlanc, who Minton estimated is about 6-feet, 4-inches. He has caught 34 passes for 697 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.
Ascension Episcopal also features Zack Ronquillo, who has caught 31 passes for 437 yards and five touchdowns.
“LeBlanc is the big-play threat where Ronquillo’s more a possession-type guy,” Minton said.
Central Catholic’s offensive leaders are running back Stefano Guarisco, quarterback Blake Byrne and wide receiver Greg Leger.
Guarisco has rushed 219 times for 1,994 yards and 32 touchdowns. He has caught 11 passes for 266 yards and four scores. Guarisco is third in the state in rushing and first in scoring with 282 points (38 total touchdowns and 27 two-point conversions).
Byrne has completed 39 of 71 passes for 804 yards with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Leger has caught 11 passes for 370 yards and four touchdowns.
“Central Catholic, it doesn’t matter what names are on the field or what numbers, they are going to play as hard as they possibly can every single time you play them and you know that,” Desormeaux said. “You know that’s the type of kids they have. … I have a ton of respect for the way they play the game, how they do it and the success that they’ve had, so for us … we know it’s going to be a dogfight.
“We talk about a 48-minute football game and there’s no doubt that this is going to be one of those games that you gotta kick, and scratch and claw your way to get a win in the end, and our kids know that,” Desormeaux said. “We talked about it. We’re prepared to go out there and go play a good football team that’s going to give us their best shot, and hopefully we’re up to the task, and hopefully, we can get the job done.”
Friday’s game will begin at 7 p.m.