St. Charles and University High went to overtime in the postseason for the second time in three years, and St. Charles was able to prevail again.
U-High was trailing by St. Charles by 13 points at halftime on Friday during a Division II select semifinals matchup at Frank Monica Field in LaPlace but staged a second-half comeback to force overtime. St. Charles got the ball first in overtime and scored a touchdown, which was all it needed in a 34-27 overtime win.
St. Charles’ defense came up with a fourth-down stand in overtime to end U-High’s season and advance to the state championship game. Comets quarterback Landree LeBlanc found the end zone from 10 yards out in overtime, finishing with 121 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
“(The state championship game) is the standard here,” St. Charles coach Wayne Stein said. “Our kids know that’s the expectation, and they found a way to get it done. (U-High’s) offense kind of us got us playing on our heels, but then our defense really dug in.”
U-High quarterback Ethan McGlynn found wide receiver Lawson Dixon for a 47-yard touchdown with 1:30 to go in regulation to tie the game at 27. St. Charles blocked the extra point attempt, leading to overtime.
“We got back in it, but (St. Charles) blocked an extra point, which was big,” U-High coach Andy Martin said. “We would’ve probably taken the lead there and it would’ve been our first lead. It was a big point in the game there that I wish we would’ve had.”
LeBlanc set the tone with a 23-yard touchdown run on St. Charles’ first drive of the game to put the Comets up by seven early. St. Charles kicker Tyler Milioto was responsible for the next six points with field goals from 33 and 32 yards out to go up 13-0.
Evan Duffour caught a 3-yard pass from LeBlanc to put St. Charles up by 20. U-High cut the lead to 13 before halftime after quarterback Ethan McGlynn found the end zone from 17 yards out.
McGlynn completed 17 of 22 passes for 163 and a touchdown, and Dixon was U-High’s leading receiver with eight catches for 114 yards.
U-High scored the first points of the second half when Corbin Odell found the end zone on a 2-yard run. St. Charles quickly answered with a 39-yard touchdown run by LeBlanc, who completed 12 of 18 passes for 85 yards and played a part in all four Comets touchdowns.
Odell found the end zone again from 18 yards out to cut the St. Charles lead to six points. He finished with 36 rushing yards on nine carries, with Ingram finishing as U-High’s lead rusher with 105 yards on 18 carries.
Duffour was St. Charles’ lead receiver with 39 yards on three catches. Skyler Edwards finished with 64 rushing yards on 19 caries for the Comets along with five catches for 20 yards.
No. 1-seeded St. Charles (12-1) will face the defending state champion Shaw, the No. 7 seed in Division II select. It will be a rematch from the regular season, which St. Charles won 24-0.
No. 4-seeded U-High's season ends with a 10-3 record.
“Can’t say enough about this group,” Martin said. “The senior class was amazing.”
