Newman defense steals the show against St. Charles Catholic

The undefeated Newman Greenies topped St. Charles Catholic at home Friday night, 14-7, in both teams’ first district game of the season.

Senior cornerback Sterling Scott clinched Newman’s victory by intercepting a screen pass with 1:47 remaining in the fourth quarter. A few plays later, on fourth-down with six seconds remaining, Scott took the handoff and ran towards his own end zone to ensure the Greenies would run out the clock.

“We had to work every play,” said Newman head coach Nelson Stewart. “We knew it was going to be a fight. We expected a 14 to 21 point game. It’s an unbelievable feeling because we had to work so hard … We beat a phenomenal football team tonight. When you’re able to do that, you don’t take that moment for granted.”

Newman’s sophomore quarterback Arch Manning threw two first-quarter touchdown passes and did most of his aerial damage in the first half. Manning finished the game having completed 18 of 26 passes for 219 yards. He also rushed eight times for 35 yards. St. Charles Catholic did well to limit Manning by putting him under pressure, sacking him five times and intercepting him once.

“I can keep taking hits as long as we get the win,” Manning said after the game.

Despite Newman’s offense being littered with offensive stars, it was Newman’s defense which decided the contest. The Greenies held St. Charles Catholic to 162 rushing yards and just four passing yards. Almost half of the Comet’s offensive yards came on their sole touchdown drive at the beginning of the third quarter. Two interceptions and a batted-down fake field goal attempt kept St. Charles Catholic off the scoreboard in its other ventures inside the Newman 40 yard line.

St. Charles Catholic head coach Frank Monica was not happy with his team’s offensive performance after the game.

“Our gameplan was to try to keep their offense off the field,” Monica said, “but we didn’t get enough snaps, and the time of possession went drastically in the other way. That’s not how you win games. For us, we are a ball-control type of offense. We couldn’t get anything going in the passing game, and that really hurt us. I take full responsibility for that.”

The victory is Newman’s first over St. Charles Catholic since 1998. The two programs have played six times since then, and the Comets won last season’s contest 28-27.

“There is no program I respect more,” Stewart said.

All 14 of Newman’s points came in the first quarter as the Greenies scored on their first two offensive possessions. On the opening possession of the game, it looked like Newman would be forced off the field as they lined up to punt from their own eight yard line. The Comet defense bailed them out, however, by roughing the Newman punter and giving the Greenies a first down. Eight plays later, sophomore quarterback Arch Manning found senior receiver Pike Philibert across the middle of the field for a 21-yard touchdown pass.

After a defensive three-and-out, the Greenies drove 80 yards in eight plays via 29 and 30-yard passes from Manning to junior receiver AJ Johnson to extend their first-quarter lead. Manning ended the drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Will Randle.

St. Charles Catholic drove the ball well on its ensuing offensive possession. The Comets ate six minutes off the game clock, running the ball on 10 consecutive plays before a no-gain pass play set them up for a 30-yard field goal attempt. The Comets opted for a fake field goal, however, as the holder stood up to throw to his tight-end. The ball was batted down by the Greenies’ field goal block team, and possession changed hands to Newman.

Newman thought it had gained complete control of the game just a few moments later when Johnson broke multiple tackles en route to a 69-yard touchdown reception. The play was called back, however, due to an illegal receiver downfield. Just three plays later, Manning was intercepted by Logan Forsyth, ensuring the Comets would remain within striking distance. An interception on St. Charles Catholic’s subsequent drive sent them into the locker room at halftime scoreless.

On the opening drive of the second half, St. Charles Catholic drove 80 yards in 11 plays for a touchdown while also running almost six minutes off the clock. Senior running back Keenan Gauff powered the Comets down the field, rushing five times on the drive for 57 yards. Junior quarterback Zack Vicknair capped off the drive with an eight-yard touchdown run on a draw play.

The two teams traded three-and-outs for the remainder of the third quarter. With 4:42 remaining in the fourth quarter, Newman had a chance to extend its lead by capping off a five-minute drive with a 43-yard field goal. After a timeout to get the right personnel on the field, the Comets blocked the kick and returned it to their own 47 yard line. After a 10-yard Vicknair run sent the Comets into Newman territory, the drive stalled with three short rushes. On fourth-and-five, Vicknair’s screen pass was tipped in the air and intercepted by Sterling Scott. Scott then ran out the final 1:47 in the game from his tailback position.

Next Friday, Newman will continue its district schedule at home against Cohen, while St. Charles Catholic will travel for a district game against South Plaquemines.