October 27, 2022
Chat with Coach Bonis #8: Rummel Review, John Curtis Preview
by Brother Neal Golden, S.C. (CJ ’57)
"Last Friday night at Strawberry Stadium in Hammond, Brother Martin and Rummel staged an old-fashioned rock ‘em, sock ‘em defensive battle that would have made two legendary coaches from the two schools, Bob Conlin and Jay Roth, proud.
The Raiders won 3-0 in a game that turned on two plays early in the third quarter.
After a scoreless first half, the Crusaders got a break on the third play from scrimmage when LB Jadon Weber hit Rummel QB Casey Avrard as he tried to pass, and DL Dakota Berns recovered the fumble on the Rummel 38. Runs by Jordan West and Sidney Harris moved the ball inside the 20 – the first time either team had been in the opponent’s red zone all evening. After three more runs, the Crusaders faced fourth and two at the 11. Coach Mark Bonis decided to go for it on fourth down, but Harris was stuffed for a 2 yard loss.
Three snaps later, Avrard faded back and threw the ball as far as he could down the middle of the field. The pigskin landed in the hands of speedy WR Ruben Ramirez, who caught the ball on the dead run at midfield. DB Adam Delaune made up 10 yards of ground and tackled Ramirez at the 17 after a gain of 65 yards.
Three pass plays gained nothing against the sturdy Crusader defense. So K Chris Wallace booted a 34 yard field goal to give the Raiders a 3-0 lead with 4:05 left in the third quarter.
Brother Martin had three more offensive possessions but could advance no further than the Rummel 40 the rest of the game. The district win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Raiders.
West led the Crusader rushers with 67 yards. Kai Brown, moved from the defensive line, gained 51 yards in his first extended action as a running back with starter Torey Lambert out of action due to illness.
Coach Bonis says, “It was a very frustrating game. Our young men played hard in all three phases. Our defense played another outstanding game. Offensively, we moved the football but shot ourselves in the foot. Hidden lost yardage did not help our cause. Things we’ve worked on all season have continued to plague us. But if the defense continues to play the way they do, they give us a chance in all our games.
“We have to keep improving. Our most important goal is playing our best football at the end of the season. We’ve got two weeks to figure everything out and play our best football. Our kids have worked their tails off all year and exhibited mental toughness. They’ve put together another good week of work. I’m optimistic about how good a team we can still be.”
Mark was asked about the fourth-and-two call in the third quarter. Did he go for it because the starting kicker was out with an injury or because he saw that we had momentum on the drive?
“It was a combination of both. It was fourth and a yard and a half, and our analytics said it was a go up to fourth and three. We were moving the football, and I felt strongly that we needed a touchdown. The alternative was putting a brand new kicker out there who had never attempted a field goal in a game. All the factors led to us going for it. It didn’t work out, but I still stand by the decision. We have to execute better.”
Concerning the 65-yard pass that set up the field goal, Mark said, “Our defense played great all night. They did a great job of holding Rummel to a field goal after that play. That’s the way things happen at times. A couple of events can turn the momentum of a football game.
“The key turning point for me came when we were moving the ball in the second quarter. We ran a zone read option play and threw the ball behind the receiver. That led to a fumble. Also, we had an opportunity before the half to hit a screen for a big play and set up at least a field goal. It was wide open, and we dropped the ball. We have way too many drops offensively. Our offense did some really good things. So to come away with zero points is very frustrating.”
Asked about using DL/OLB Kai Brown on offense, Mark replied, “We were missing our starting running back due to the flu. We had been working Kai at running back all year. He took a couple of snaps in the Ouachita game. Kai is very athletic and has a bright future at the next level. It’s a matter of him learning everything he’s got to for three positions. Being from the defensive side of the ball, he’s very limited in what he knows, but he’s such a great athlete that he gives us opportunities to create some explosions on offense.”
The Crusaders now prepare for the #3 team in the Select Division I power rankings, the 7-1 John Curtis Patriots.
“They’re very good on defense, very athletic on the back end and big on the front. They have a transfer from Florida who weighs about 350lbs. LB Justin Horne (#10) is the fastest hurdler in the state. He’s one of the best players we’ll see this year.
“Offensively, Curtis is as good and efficient as they’ve ever been. QB Jordan Smith does a good job of getting the ball to the perimeter. He’s athletic and runs the offense very well. They have a physical offensive line and a very physical fullback (#34 Aaron Johnson) who’s a key blocker for them. They have a bunch of receivers that are very good. Curtis has no weakness. They’re as good as any team we’ve played this year, including Karr.
“We’ve had another good week of practice and are excited to play the #3 team in the state two weeks before the playoffs begin. We get to see where we are. I believe we’re getting better in certain spots offensively, and our defense plays lights out. We want to play the best. That makes you that much better.”
Be at Tulane’s Yulman Stadium Friday night for another exciting district clash!"
Be sure to join us in support of the Brother Martin football team vs. John Curtis at Yulman Stadium on Friday, October 28th at 7 PM! If you can't make it to the game in person, be sure to watch it live (co-commentated by Mr. Kristian Garic of WWL) at CSPN.live!
