Interview: St. Charles Catholic coach Frank Monica determined to see his team play in 2020

Frank Monica is one of the most accomplished coaches in Louisiana prep football history.

Despite spending several years (two stints) as an assistant coach at Tulane, Monica ranks 11th in Louisiana prep football history with 277 victories in 29 seasons.

The current St. Charles Catholic head coach won the 2011 Class 3A state championship and reached the state championship game in 2005, 2006, 2016 and most recently, in 2019.

Monica previously coached teams to a state championship at both Lutcher and Riverside Academy, winning at Lutcher in 1978 and at Riverside in 1983. He also served as the head coach at Jesuit.

Monica was inducted into the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.

Speaking on 106.1 FM on The Three Tailgaters Show Saturday morning, Monica expressed his frustration with what is taking place right now with the uncertainty of everything due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The coaches have the kids take their jerseys home, they can’t go inside to dress, you can’t have a team meeting,” Monica said. “It’s like coaching Pop Warner. You get a little bit done. Right now, my offensive line hasn’t missed a block because they’re blocking air. I am totally frustrated. I was hoping we would give it an earlier start than October 9. If they stop us, they stop us. Coaches want to coach and players want to play.”

Monica sees some irony in the protocols prescribed for if and when football takes place.

“I think we will have football but it’s really going to be modified with the restrictions,” Monica said. “You can go tackle somebody on the football field, an opponent, but yet when you go to the sidelines, with your teammates again, you have to stand six feet apart with a mask on. That’s going to be hard to regulate that.”

Has St. Charles Catholic had any positive tests in its football program?

“We’ve had two kids and one of them was our fine linebacker who’s already back on the team and one is being quarantined right now. The good thing is we haven’t had any other situations like that. Hopefully, we will stay at that number. Our school will open up Monday with only 12 in each classroom. We’ve taken tremendous precautions.”

Monica feels there is a huge difference between a high school athlete losing his or her season and a professional or college player losing a season.

“If you’re a pro player, you have the rest of your career of five to 10 years,” Monica said. “If you’re a college player, the NCAA has granted an extra year of eligibility. For high school, this is it. If you are a high school senior, you don’t get that extra year of eligibility. That’s huge and that’s something that needs to be taken into consideration. If they don’t want to play, I’m fine with that.”

Not always on the same page with other LHSAA member schools or the organization as a whole, Monica is appreciative of the efforts of the LHSAA to possibly allow football to be played this fall.

“Mr. (Eddie) Bonine has been very, very aggressive about he wants to play but yet, the governor (John Bel Edwards) has the trump card,” Monica said. “We’re playing Bourre’ here and he has the ace to trump. It doesn’t matter what you and I say, he’s going to control this from that standpoint. Who has the right answers? No one knows. It’s an invisible enemy.”

High school athletes did compete frequently and successfully this summer.

“We’re getting some mixed messages and inconsistency,” Monica said. “Travel baseball is running rampant all summer long with no restrictions, whatsoever with hundreds of teams playing baseball. You’ve never heard anything about whether it’s contagious or not. That was a great test balloon for it. There was not a better illustration. We need to give it a shot.”

There is a difference in perception among different sports.

“We’re held to a different standard in football, we always have been,” Monica said. “You know the promise about this? I am not hearing another protocol on concussions. My kids, I can control them when they come to practice six feet apart. It’s silly the way we’re practicing out there. How can I control them when they leave my campus and they go home and they socialize with one another? They sleep at one another’s house.”

Monica feels football is important on many levels.

“There’s nothing like being in class, there’s nothing like Friday night football,” Monica said. “There’s nothing like those cheerleaders and star-steppers and homecoming. The atmosphere in a school on Friday, you hear a buzz in the cafeteria. You can’t put that in a can of Campbell soup. It’s the value system that football gives kids and in general your whole student body and the community, itself. The tailgating, the quarterback club meetings.”

If the Comets get on the field in 2020, they will be good, as usual, led by one superb player.

“We have an excellent coaching staff,” Monica said. “We have a linebacker, Mandel Eugene, who has already committed to Tulane. I don’t know how many stars he has next to his name but whoever puts the stars there, I don’t know who they are, a desk-jockey of some kind but this kid is one of the best linebackers I’ve ever coached on any level. He’s a throw-back player. He can run, he can hit and he’s a fantastic leader, a tremendous player.”

Monica singled out several others who should shine this season.

“Cade Pregeant is a little mighty-mite at safety,” Monica said. “He’s only about five-foot-seven. He’ll strike a blow on you. We feel pretty good about our defense. We have Moses Clark who has to trim down a little bit at nose guard. Casey Jones is another defensive tackle for us. Kamren Campbell, we expect big things from him as a corner. All these guys have played for us and have experience.”

While the defense is strong, there is one issue with offense.

“Our demise is going to be the inexperience on our offensive line,” Monica said. “We’ve had to take some retreads and move them over there. It’s totally new to them. We’ve had to rebuild the line. Rustin West is the only one returning with experience. We have a fine, fine tight end in Brock Clement. I think he’s going to be real good for us. I’ve got a real good running back named Keenan Gauff. He’s a home run hitter. He’ll return punts and kicks.”

With regard to the passing game, Monica feels there is talent on hand.

We have a few of receivers in Kendell Harris , Joe Nuccio and Dillon Brown,” Monica said. “We’re expecting big things from them. They are returning seniors. The quarterback situation, I’ve got Zack Vicknair, who is more of a runner, wildcat guy. Behind him we’ve got Reid Landeche is pushing for a starting job. Logan Forsythe is a good athlete who plays anywhere I need him.”

With a Hall of Fame coach, you can rest assured that St. Charles Catholic will be squarely in the mix in Division III, if football is played, in 2020. What else would you expect from the Comets?