CCHS to open season today at St. John

With a rough jamboree performance behind them, the Central Catholic Eagles will begin their season today when they travel to Plaquemine to face St. John in a 7 p.m. contest.
In a matchup of Eagles tonight, Central Catholic enters the game after being dominated by Catholic High-New Iberia, the Division III state runner-up in 2014, 21-0 a week ago at the Kiwanis Clubs of Opelousas and Lafayette 2nd Annual Gridiron Football Jamboree.
The Eagles were limited to minus four yards total offense in the contest, while Catholic High-New Iberia has 182 — all on the ground.
“After a jamboree performance (like that), you basically can’t wait to get back out on the field and prove yourself, and that’s what we talked about all week. (It’s) zero and zero. It’s the first regular season game. We need to start new this week and get on track.”
Additionally, one of Central Catholic’s starting wide receivers, junior Samarick Paul, was injured in the game, and Central Catholic coach Tommy Minton said today that the injury ended his season.
Minton said Paul, one of the team’s better receivers and a first-team all-district selection a year ago, would be replaced by different players, depending on the formation package the team is running.
As for St. John, they enter tonight’s contest after defeating False River Academy 34-6 in jamboree action last week.
In St. John, Central Catholic will face its third straight Wing T team after scrimmaging Covenant Christian two weeks ago and facing Catholic High last week.
“That’s one of the good things about the preseason schedule we’ve played,” Minton said. “It’s prepared us for this offense, and that kind of was the plan coming in with scrimmaging Covenant (Christian) and all getting ready for the Wing T. The big thing is hopefully we can take what we’ve learned the last two weeks and get better.”
Offensively, players that Central Catholic will have to keep in-check, senior Gavin Landry, a 5-foot, 8-inch, 175-pound running back and senior tight end Collin Crockett, who stands at 6 feet, 3 inches and weighs 200 pounds.
“The running back, (Landry), is an excellent football player,” Minton said. “Him and the tight end, (Crockett) are keys to their offense. That’s two guys we got to control.”
On defense, St. John runs a 3-3 stack and likes to blitz often.
“We’re going to need to upfront play really well so we can give our (skill) guys a chance to make some plays,” Minton said.
Today’s game will be played at Plaquemine High School.
By GEOFF STOUTE
gstoute@daily-review.com