By Ron Brocato
The football schedule doesn’t get any easier for the undefeated and No. 5-ranked Brother Martin Crusaders as they travel to Southeastern Louisiana University to meet Edna Karr on Oct. 2.
The 4-0 Crusaders, fresh from a 24-22 victory over District 9-5A rival Jesuit on Sept. 25, has four upcoming games against the Catholic League’s highest ranked opponents, beginning with Karr’s Cougars. The game is supposed to be Brother Martin’s home game, but it will be played 58 miles away from the Crusaders’ usual home turf at Tad Gormley Stadium.
Coach Mark Bonis’ charges will take on No. 4-ranked Rummel on Oct. 9 in a 3:30 p.m. match, followed by No, 6 John Curtis on Oct. 16 then St. Augustine, the No. 3-ranked team in Class 5A, on Oct. 23. The final two district games will be against unranked Chalmette and Holy Cross the following weeks.
Although the schedule maker was not kind to the Crusaders by matching them against four teams with a combined 14-2 record, Bonis sees this as an opportunity for his athletes to shine, beginning with the top-ranked Cougars who have not lost a game since the 2023 state semifinal playoff round to Acadiana. They have since won 31 consecutive, including one over Ruston, considered being the top team in the Cass 5A non-select division.
Karr has graduated a lot of talent from last year’s 4-0 squad that scored 595 points in winning all 14 of its games. But Bonis doesn’t see a drop off of talent from his team’s next opponent.
“Sure, Karr graduated 24 guys who are playing college football this year. But to beat a good team like Ruston (21-14), they are still talented having won so many games in a row,” he observed. “And until proven otherwise, they’re the best team in the state. And what a good opportunity this is for us."
“We’re undefeated, and I think we’re playing some good football. So this will be an opportunity to see where we are in the middle of the season.”
There is an additional incentive for the Crusaders to perform at a high level, the coach added. “There will be a lot of college coaches out there, so for any of our guys who have aspirations of playing at the next level, there will be a whole lot of opportunities for them to showcase their abilities.”
They certainly have done so over the first four weeks of the season in victories over Southside, St. Paul’s, Warren Easton, and Jesuit to attain their high ranking by the Louisiana Sportswriters Association. And as it was a year ago, the victory over Jesuit was hard earned. And history repeated itself.
In winning 17-15, placekicker Maximo Barrios was true on all his extra point attempts. And in the Crusaders’ 24-22 Homecoming victory last week, Barrios was true on three PATs and a 45-yard field goal that put his team ahead, 17-0.
But in the midst of a furious Jesuit rally, the Jays missed an extra point that made it necessary for them to attempt a two-point pass when they trailed late in the game. The strong Crusader pass rush forced an incomplete pass to seal the victory.
Bonis had been saving five-star wide receiver Easton Royal through the early games to preserve his effectiveness, but he had to turn the talented senior loose to stave off Jesuit’s rally. In a time-killing move, Royal moved into the backfield and contributed victory clinching bursts of speed that kept the clock and chains moving. The coup-de-grace came when the senior standout broke loose on a 16-yard run for a first down that enabled the 'Saders to end it with three kneel downs.
The runs were crucial with running back Jeremiah Burton, who had rushed for a game-high 77 yards on 19 carries, out with leg cramps. Burton and Royal each scored a touchdown. Royal scored a second on a pass reception.
