By Ron Brocato

Brother Martin’s next opponent, the Rummel Raiders, is the primary focal point for Brother Martin’s football team this week as the Crusaders work to get back onto the District 9-5A winning path.

But the Raiders, top –ranked by their division leading 16.0 power points, are not the only adversary on the minds of Head Coach Mark Bonis, his staff, or his players. The newly formed Tropical Storm Isaias, churning around in the warm waters of the gulf, makes this 59th annual meeting of the two Catholic League powers a tentative match.

The game is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff at Tad Gormley Stadium on Friday, Oct. 9. As the storm, which is expected to become a hurricane, makes its way toward the coast, where it is expected to make landfall towards the end of the week, players from both schools are keeping their fingers crossed that the game will take place on time.

According to Brother Martin Athletic Director Mark Wisniewski, the game is still on for its scheduled date and time. Officials from both schools and City Park, where the game is to be played, are cautiously optimistic that the storm’s projected path will continue to move to the east and bypass Southeast Louisiana parishes.

The game is important to the two schools. For Rummel, it’s an opportunity to shore up the No. 1 seed in the Select Division I playoffs with just five weeks remaining in the season. The Raiders, unbeaten in five games, are currently at the top of the division based on power points. They hold District 9-5A wins over Chalmette and John Curtis.

Brother Martin sees the game as an opportunity to rally from a 25-21 defeat to Karr that ended the Crusaders’ four-game win streak, and improve on their No. 4 seeding by power points. They are 1-1 in district play with a 24-22 victory over Jesuit and the four-point setback to Karr.

The current power rankings show that the top five teams are all from the Catholic League, led by the Raiders, and followed by No. 1 Karr and No. 3 St. Augustine. Brother Martin and Jesuit are tied at No. 4 with identical power ratings of 14.0.

The Louisiana Sports Writers Association Top 10 lists Karr (5-0) as the top team. Despite its setback, Brother Martin (4-1) is ranked No. 5. Rummel (5-0) is one spot higher at No. 4.

Bonis looks at the Raiders as perhaps the most formidable opponent his team will face.

“They were my pick early in the season to win the district,” he said.

“Not only is their quarterback (University High transfer Colton Nussmeier) good, but having him now allows them to move the player who was going to be their quarterback to a wide receiver position, which is his natural position. So they’ve multiplied the number of athletes on the field. Nussmeier is really good at extending plays, and their offensive line is massive.”

But the Crusaders see this game as an opportunity to make a profound statement after nearly upsetting a team that has won 32 consecutive games and has not experienced defeat since 2023.

The Crusaders had the reigning Division I state champion on the ropes until the 10:18 mark of the fourth period of their game last week in Hammond. Holding a 14-12 lead at halftime with an opportunity to stretch the margin to nine points, the Crusaders fell victim to two intercepted passes by Karr’s Ty Williams.

The first, for an 85-yard return, gave the Cougars the lead, and a second, with time expiring, solidified the comeback.

“The game was one of the physically toughest we’ve ever been part of. It showed us where we are and that we can play with the very best,” Bonis added. “The players were disappointed in the loss but expressed their excitement about the future. Most of them pointed out things they could have done better, and that speaks volumes.”