Coaching characters abound as prep football begins

    It was the middle of a blazing hot summer when I knew the high school football season was just around the corner.
    St. Charles Catholic’s Frank Monica, head coach of the defending 3A state champions, tried to convince me that his Comets would be lucky to make a first down in 2012.
    I look forward to another season of high school football because it means walking on to the practice field at Archbishop Rummel. I get to read many of head coach Jay Roth’s inspirational signs that hang near the entrance.
    One of my personal favorites is, “You have to wake up with determination to go to bed with satisfaction.”
    Each season, I promise myself that I will get a good solid eight hours of sleep every night. It never happens. But, it’s worth it. I get to call Lutcher head coach Tim Detillier and ask him, “What’s on fire?” First, it was the field house, then the stadium.
    It’s worth it to go to Hahnville and get some pearls of wisdom from head coach Lou Valdin. After one memorable Hahnville vs. East St. John game, Valdin was asked about the spectacular performance of Wildcat running back Derron Thomas. Said Lou, “It wasn’t our goal to let him run for a half a mile and wear himself out.”
    This fall, Lou’s daughter, Amanda, will work for us on our Friday Night Football show. That is a sure sign that the years are going by quickly.
    But, I never get tired of hanging around with J.T. Curtis. It amazes me the energy he possesses. He’s at school all day on a Friday, coaches a game, and then hustles into the studio to co-host our program.
    Every week, we talk football. And, every week, I learn something. For 21 consecutive seasons.
    The 2012 season promises to be exciting. But it will be different. Bob Becnel will not be on the sidelines at Belle Chasse. Same for Mickey Roussel at Riverside.
    But Destrehan coach Stephen Robicheaux is back. And trust me, that is bad news for the rest of Class 5A. Robicheaux is hard working and disciplined. And, after a two-year hiatus, he looks hungry for victory.
    Bill Stubbs, out of the game for 10 years, is back, coaching Riverside. Stubbs, who won three state crowns at Salmen, looks eager.
    Cyril Crutchfield is back in the limelight at St. Aug. Crutchfield won three Class 1A titles at Port Sulphur/South Plaquemines. I can’t wait to see if he can come close to that success at one of the most high-profile schools in Louisiana.
    Ryan Manale, a really good young football coach, is ready to prove it at De La Salle.
    Each season I have the privilege of talking most weeks with McDonogh 35 head coach Wayne Reese. And I can usually reach St. Martin’s coach Frank Cazeaux midday on Thursday. I call, he answers, as he works on his field.
    And, when I go to Mandeville High School on Friday night, I get to see head coach Guy Lecompte in the zone. He might as well be on Mars.
    Every season in early September, I check my pulse about high school football. I usually ask myself, “Do I still enjoy it?”
    This fall, I won’t even ask. I already know the answer.
    Ed Daniels is sports director at ABC26 WGNO. He can be reached at edaniels@clarionherald.org.