Brother Martin traveled to the north shore last Friday for a solid victory over the Ponchatoula Green Wave, 45-17. The Crusaders stifled LSU commit T.J. Finley and his offense, holding them to 10 points before the second stringers saw action for both teams for most of the second half.
Coach Mark Bonis says, “Generally, we held Finley and his offense in check compared to what they’d been doing. We forced a turnover early. We wanted to disrupt his rhythm, but we didn’t want to bring extra pressure. We had to do it with the defensive line. Any time you can get to the quarterback with your front four, that allows you to play seven men in coverage. He didn’t have a lot of success, which is a tribute to our scheme and game plan and how Coach Norris prepared the defensive line. But we later allowed them to drive down the field and score. It’s important that we never be complacent.”
As his team prepares for the district opener Friday night against Jesuit, the head coach sees areas that need improvement. “We had some substitution errors on special teams. Offensively, our timing has gotten better, but we still left points out there with our first stringers. We had some busts on defense that must be cleaned up for us to win in this district. We treat every game the same, but because it’s a district game, our level of preparation and focus needs to intensify.”
The Blue Jays enter district play with a 2-1 record after beating Terrebonne 24-7 and Helen Cox 42-12 and losing to St. Paul’s 19-16. “Both their fronts are very good,” says Bonis. “The offensive line is a big unit that works very well together. The defensive line is very talented starting with 6’ 6”, 250 lb DE Ethan Branch (#49). He’s a very talented kid who plays with his hands very well. The other end, Sonny Hazard (#90), will be one of the best we’ll face this year. Their defensive front does a good job of making big plays for losses and keeping offensive linemen from getting to the linebackers. The secondary has done a remarkable job of preventing big plays against the athletic teams they’ve faced.”
The Jesuit offense will also challenge the Crusaders. The quarterback, senior Grant Jordan (#3), “is a natural born leader that they follow. He’s a good athlete who can keep plays alive with his feet. He’s also an accurate passer. They employ running back by committee, with three or four guys rotating in.” The two best receivers, Luke Besh (#5) and Luke LaForge (#11), “are both outstanding. They run great routes and have great hands.”
Coach’s keys to victory are the same every week. “We need to stay ahead of schedule on first down on both sides of the ball, protect the ball on offense and take the ball away on defense. We must make more explosion plays than the opponent, win the turnover battle, and win in the red zone.”
Be part of the enthusiastic crowd that will watch the 51st meeting between Brother Martin and Jesuit Friday night at 7:00 p.m. at Tad Gormley Stadium.