The Crusaders turned the tables on Petal last Friday night. Last year, the Panthers jumped out to a 14-0 lead on their first two possessions on their way to a 40-13 romp at Tad Gormley Stadium. This year, the Crusaders scored on their first two possessions, then added another TD before halftime to make it 21-0. The lead reached 28-0 before the home team scored two TDs. Then, a sustained fourth-quarter drive clinched the victory, 35-14.

QB Drew Martin, the Crusader version of Doug Flutie, had an outstanding night. According to the Hattiesburg newspaper, he completed 16 of 24 passes for 237 yards and threw for three TDs. He also gained almost 100 yards rushing.

Coach Mark Bonis categorized the offense as “very efficient. We were very close to executing the game plan the way we wanted to. A big part of it starts with the quarterback reading what the defense gives us. Also, our young offensive line did some good things that allowed us to stay ahead of the chains.”

Bonis praised the defense as well. “In their previous games, Petal had prolonged drives, but we were able to get off the field on third downs.”

Saturday afternoon brings another opportunity for the Crusaders to reverse one of last year’s outcomes when they take on Warren Easton at 2:00 p.m. at Tad Gormley Stadium. Last year, The Eagles won 29-0 and are formidable again as evidenced by their #2 state ranking in Class 4A.  They again are led by QB Lance Legendre, who passed for 359 yards in last year’s meeting. He also burned the defense multiple times with scrambles when his pocket collapsed. “On third and long, he makes plays with his feet,” says Coach Bonis. Legendre has multiple college offers but hasn’t committed yet.

“They also have a big back who runs hard. They’re a little more balanced this year, passing and running. They’re well-coached and don’t make many mistakes. I’m excited about facing them and so are our players. With everything going on this week (with the loss of two school days to the storm), we made the most out of our practice time That’s a credit to our coaches and players. The kids found a way to overcome the adverse circumstances.”

Come out and support your Crusaders as they take on Warren Easton at Tad Gormley with kick-off at 2:00 p.m.

Article written by Bro. Neal Golden S.C.