October 20, 2022
Chat with Coach Bonis #7: Holy Cross Review, Rummel Preview
by Brother Neal Golden, S.C. (CJ ’57)
"The Crusaders played another low-scoring game last Friday as they edged the Holy Cross Tigers 14-7.
Senior RB Torey Lambert was again the workhorse, carrying the ball 31 times for 197 yards. He scored Martin’s first touchdown on a 3-yard run with 5:23 left in the first half for a 7-0 lead.
Following its game plan of running the ball to keep the Crusader offense off the field, Holy Cross tied the score just before halftime when sophomore RB Kayden Andoh finished a long drive with a 1-yard plunge.
The Tigers’ chances were hurt when QB Cole Canatella left the game early in the third quarter with a broken collarbone.
After a scoreless third quarter, the winning touchdown came early in the final period on a play that was a consistent gainer for the Crusaders last year but has rarely been effective this season. QB Clayton Lonardo hit TE Nicolas Malek slanting over the middle. Malek caught the pass in stride and raced past the Tiger secondary to complete the 34-yard touchdown. Jacob Zimmer’s second extra point of the evening made it 14-7.
The Crusaders had a chance to cement the victory when they drove inside the Holy Cross five with just 1:35 left in the game. But Zimmer missed the 19-yard field goal.
Still, it would take a miracle for Holy Cross to travel 80 yards in a minute and a half with WR Koby Young at quarterback. After all, the Crusaders had held the Tigers to just three first downs in the second half. But as the clock ticked down, the Tigers’ Hail Mary prayer was answered when WR Finn Martin outleaped two Crusaders to snag a long pass and fall down at the five with three seconds on the clock. To make matters worse, the clock was stopped because the Crusaders were penalized half the distance to the goal for roughing the passer.
When play resumed, Young tried to spike the ball to stop the clock for one more play, but he fumbled the snap, and DL Brenden LeBlanc recovered to seal the victory.
The Crusaders now have five wins against two losses.
Coach Mark Bonis says, “The defense played very well. The offense showed a tremendous amount of improvement from the previous week. But you hear me saying it every week. Not finishing drives is going to catch up with us. Lacking explosiveness, we’re having to put together 10-12-14 play drives. If you’re not explosive, you have to finish those drives.”
Asked why passes like the one to Malek are not as frequent this year, Coach Bonis replied, “It’s just been covered very well this year. It’s part of our RPO (run-pass option) offense. This year, it’s usually a give (to the running back). We’ve run it several times, but it’s just been covered. Teams are staying off of us this year and keeping everything in front of them. 90% of our runs have a pass tied to them. The quarterback makes a decision like a point guard. Defenses are playing split-field coverages, giving you eight-to-ten different looks in the same formation. It’s tough.”
The Crusaders return to action Friday night against Archbishop Rummel at Strawberry Stadium on the campus of Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. The Saders defeated the Raiders twice last year, 45-14 in the regular season and 38-16 in the first round of the playoffs.
“Rummel returns pretty much their whole roster from last year, including the whole offensive line. Senior QB Casey Avrard has really stepped up his game. Their top running back was hurt earlier in the year. So they started running Avrard a good bit. Their top receiver, Ruben Ramirez (#14), is the fastest guy we’ve seen all year.
“From a defensive standpoint, their secondary is the strong spot. CB Ashton Stamps is a four-star LSU recruit. They have a much bigger front than last year. It’s going to be a challenge.
“They’re 4-and-3 against a tough schedule. Their losses are to Scotlandville, Curtis, and St. Aug., all of whom are in the top six in the Division I power ratings.”
Make the trip to the Northshore Friday to root the Crusaders to victory over the Raiders."
Be sure to join us in support of the Brother Martin football team vs. Rummel at Southeastern on Friday, October 21st at 7 PM!
