The #4 seed Crusaders enjoyed a bye during the first round of the Division I Select School playoffs last week thanks to an 8-2 record in which the losses came at the hands of Rummel (the #1 seed) and Curtis (#3).
“Our goal during the bye week,” says Coach Mark Bonis, “was to correct mistakes that we made throughout the course of the season, work on fundamentals in all three phases – offense, defense, and special teams, and get everybody back to health. We made the most of that opportunity.”
The Crusaders now prepare for their round two matchup against #5 Scotlandville on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. at Tad Gormley Stadium. This marks the fourth straight season that Brother Martin has played the Hornets in the postseason. In 2016 at Scotlandville, the Crusaders lost a semifinal game 18-16 when a late two-point conversion attempt failed. Martin also had to travel the next season and lost again by two points, 35-33, on a kickoff return TD in the last minute of play. Last year, the Hornets came to Tad Gormley Stadium for a 30-0 licking by the Crusaders in the first round.
This year’s Scotlandville team has an 8-3 record following a 35-0 victory over McKinley last Friday. The three losses all came at the hands of quality teams – Walker, Central in Baton Rouge, and Zachary.
Coach Bonis and members of his staff scouted Scotlandville’s first round game last week. “They are as explosive as advertised. Offensively, they play two quarterbacks because one got hurt during the year. They’re both dual threat guys. The offensive line is big and physical. They do a good job in the run game and the passing game. They have two talented sophomore tailbacks. Their offense is diverse. They can pound the ball at you or line up in five wide and stretch the field vertically. They run multiple defenses. They play a three- or a four-man front. The secondary has the ability to play zone or man-to-man coverage, although they prefer to play man. They are well coached defensively. All the things they do are sound, and they have the athletes to be successful in what they do.”
“They have a new head football coach, Lester Ricard. They also brought back the offensive coordinator from when we played them at Scotlandville several years ago. The whole defensive staff returns from last year.”
Offensively, the Crusaders prepare for Scotlandville as they do for every game. “We tweak the offense from week to week. Our offense has options all the time. We decide which variations would work best against this particular team versus doing something entirely new. Since they are multiple on defense, what you run has to work against every front and every coverage they have. The goal is to never put ourselves in dead plays. It comes down to execution and how we read things.”
Remember: Friday night, 7:00 p.m., Tad Gormley Stadium!
Advance tickets will be on sale in Student Services until Friday at 12:30 p.m. Advance sale tickets are $9.00 for adults and $7.00 for students and children under 12. All tickets at the gate will be $10.00. Student IDs will not be honored for entry. Faculty and staff IDs will be honored.
