November 16, 2023
Chat with Coach Bonis #10: St. Augustine Review, Alexandria Preview
by Brother Neal Golden, S.C. (CJ ’57)
"The Crusaders did what they had to do November 3 when they defeated St. Augustine 24-6 to earn the #4 seed and a first round bye in the LHSAA Division I Select playoffs.
Brother Martin struck first on a 17 yard pass from junior QB Seth Dazet to sophomore WR Rex LeBlanc to culminate a 67 yard, eight-play drive. 7-0 Brother Martin.
After St. Augustine scored a touchdown but missed the extra point, the Crusaders widened their lead on a screen pass from Dazet to senior RB Jordan West from the 28 to make it 14-6 Brother Martin at the half.
Coach Mark Bonis: “We missed an opportunity on a dropped pass on the last play of the first half. We got the matchup we liked but didn’t execute.”
West’s 13 yard touchdown run increased the lead to 21-6 in the third quarter.
Junior Grayson Smith’s 22 yard field goal in the final period capped off the 24-6 victory.
“Our defense played very well, especially holding those guys to six points. We were also pretty efficient on special teams. Offensively, our running game still lacked explosions. West ran 17 times for 56 yards, and Sidney Harris carried 11 times for 22 yards. That’s not very explosive. We were 8 for 11 passing for 96 yards, and we had no fumbles.
“St. Augustine didn’t execute on offense like they can. That says a lot about how our defense has played throughout the year.”
The Crusaders practiced just three times last week. “I’m not a fan of a week off, but we needed it. We used our time wisely. Our coaches did a good job of keeping the players interested and keeping them focused. Our kids showed maturity in handling that.”
Last Saturday started the typical game week to prepare to host #13 Alexandria High School, which pounded Bonnabel 58-9 in the first round last Friday.
“They are a very talented team, as talented as any team we’ve played this year. They have a very talented quarterback and an outstanding running back. Their receiving corps will be one of the fastest we’ve seen. They’re a fast tempo team. At times, they snap the ball within eight seconds from when the ball was blown dead.
“They have four losses, but they were all to top teams: Carencro, St. Thomas More, Ruston, and West Monroe. They were in every one of those games. We will have our hands full, but it’s exciting playing a team from a different part of the state. Coach Thomas Bachman’s dad was the head coach at Evangel from 2007-10. Coach Bachman played receiver in college, and he’s melded his experience with his dad’s into a very good philosophy. They finished the season 6-4 but could easily have been 8-2 or 9-1.
“Their offensive line is not the biggest we’ve faced. Defensively, they play a 3-4 base with three really stout linemen. A couple of guys play both ways because they’re exceptional athletes. Everywhere you look, they’ve got some good-looking football players.”
The Crusaders will need our full support at Joe Yenni Stadium Friday night as they try to win a playoff game for the seventh year in a row."
