September 22, 2023
Chat with Coach Bonis #4: St. Thomas More Review; Ouachita Preview
by Brother Neal Golden, S.C. (CJ ’57)
"Brother Martin traveled to Lafayette for the second year in a row to play the St. Thomas More Cougars in a battle of teams that played for state championships last year.
STM started fast, scoring a quick touchdown on a 24 yard run by senior RB Hutch Swilley, then following that with another 37 seconds later off a recovered onside kick.
The Cougars added a field goal for a 17-0 lead later in the opening period.
The Crusaders had an excellent opportunity to get back into the game when Kaeden Goodman intercepted a pass and ran it back to the STM 9. But two plays later, a bobbled handoff ended the threat.
The Cougars extended their margin to 27-0 at halftime and added another touchdown early in the second half.
The Crusaders avoided a shutout when they drove 80 yards to pay dirt, with RB Sidney Harris gaining the final 12 yards to make it 41-7 with 2:40 left in the third period.
Neither team scored the rest of the way.
“We didn’t get off to a really good start,” says Coach Mark Bonis. “We were down by three scores just six minutes into the game. It’s the same thing we talked about after the previous two games. We made some silly mistakes early on, and they capitalized on the mistakes. Hopefully it will be a learning lesson. It comes back to the thing we’ve talked about all year – preparation. The mistakes that happened Friday night happened during the week of practice. You play like you practice.
“We had a chance to get back in the game but did not capitalize. We’ve struggled with red zone production this year.”
What did you say to the team at halftime?
“I’m not a scoreboard mentality guy. The message is the same whether we’re winning or losing. They didn’t do anything we didn’t expect offensively or defensively. We expect the opponent to attack us every play. We want each of our guys to win the play that’s in front of you. Win or lose on that play, flush it and reset. Teams that focus every play 60-70 times a game will have success.”
Continuing the same schedule as last season, the Crusaders make the long trip to the Monroe area Friday night to play Ouachita Parish, whom they beat last year 38-20.
“Last year, they lost to Rummel by two scores. This year they beat Rummel. They also went toe-to-toe with Neville and lost 19-15.
“They return a lot of guys. Up front, they have two interior linemen who weigh 280 and 330. They’re very athletic in the back end of their 4-2-5 defense.
“They’ve got a tight end who’s one of the best players I’ve seen. He’s 6’7” and blocks really well and is obviously a passing threat.
“Their quarterback and running backs are very good, and they’re stout up front. Once again, we’ll be tested.
“Ouachita has two distinct offenses. They can line up with two tight ends and run right at you or run an option. They also run a spread-style offense. They do a good job in both groups.
“What I did not like last week was how we responded on the trip. That disappointed me more than anything. I didn’t like our level of focus. We’ve never had that problem before. I didn’t think we treated the trip business-like at times. We want to handle this week’s trip better. If we’re able to move into the playoffs, it’s very important how we handle our trip.”
The only player who is out of action for this week is RB Alex Diaz. “He played last week, but he had surgery on his hand and is out for a good while. That was a big loss for us. He was a skilled offensive and special teams player. We have to have some of the younger guys step up.
“We had a much better week of practice. We had some guys step up, but we’re not where we need to be. I’m all about preparation, and the players are probably tired of hearing this.
“We’ll see Friday night. This is a very big game for our team and for our program just before we start district play next week. We got hit in the mouth. The ‘Men Who Never Say Die’ are resilient in the face of adversity.
“We’re challenging our players with the same schedule as last year. They’re at a fork in the road where they’ve got to make some decisions. How special do they want to be? What do they want this season to be like? This is a critical point in our season."
