The Strake Jesuit Fighting Crusaders are headed back to the UIL Playoffs for a fourth consecutive season. A 37-0 victory over Alief Elsik last Thursday night clinched Jesuit the last playoff spot in District 23-6A, putting themselves two games ahead of Hastings in the district standings.
Jesuit has played through a tough schedule this season where their hopes ofmaking the playoffs weren't always bright. They started out with a 1-4 record, taking losses from C.E. King and talented district opponents Pearland, Shadow Creek, and Dawson. A three game win streak that evened out their record would follow, as the Crusaders beat teams like Alief Taylor, Alvin, and Alief Elsik.
Thursday night's matchup featured a stand-out rushing performance by Maurice May and Joel Crawford. They combined for 217 yards and two touchdowns. As for the passing game, senior quarterback and first-year starter Connor O'Hara was playing in his prime-season form. He completed twelve passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns, while also recording a 63% completion percentage. In a postgame interview with VYPE U Ambassador Robert Gonsoulin, O'Hara expressed his excitement on what it meant to have led his team to the playoffs.
"I got a great surround cast, so it makes my job a lot easier. We're all happy. We're all celebrating. It means the world."
O'Hara and the rest of the team are currently on a bye week, but in a week after, they will be playing Ridge Point before they face off against someone from District 24 in the playoffs. As for now, the Crusaders are focused on staying where they want to be and maintaining their momentum.
Three games into their season, Strake Jesuit's football team has begun to settle in comfortably after picking up their first win over Alief Hastings. The Crusaders dominated the Bears by a score of 45-7 and were led by senior quarterback Connor O'Hara, who threw for three touchdown passes and ran for one rushing touchdown.
O'Hara has been utilizing his offensive weapons to the best of his ability, having completed 40 passes to 11 different receivers and recording a 56.3 completion percentage through the first three games. Standing out among O'Hara's offensive arsenal has been senior receiver Robert Smith, who accumulated an impressive stat sheet of seven receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown in the game.
Receivers like Smith have been key to helping the Crusaders find their rhythm, especially in the passing game. Entering into this week's matchup versus the reigning 5A Division I State Champions, Shadow Creek, the Crusaders offense averages 12 yards per catch. When O'Hara was asked in a postgame interview how the team will transition from a huge win over Hastings into their toughest matchup of the season thus far, he responded with "We gotta be confident in ourselves and our ability, stay humble, and take one day at a time."
Despite being 0-2, Shadow Creek yields admirable talent on both sides of the football, notably in their backfield. The Sharks' senior quarterback Kyron Drones is committed to Baylor, while junior running back Kelvon Brown has rushed for 145 yards off of 20 carries, which includes an 81 yard rushing touchdown. Both players were a part of the Championship team in 2019. Strake Jesuit's defensive line, however, has been performing well against the run game and on third downs. Led by Harvard commit Jacob Psyk and inside linebacker Jayce Bordelon, the Crusaders' defense has caused at least one turnover in all three of their games, which has led to more scoring opportunities for their offense.
With a solid core in the running and passing game and a gritty defense that refuses to let up, Strake Jesuit plans to open up against Shadow Creek riding off of lots of momentum and high intensity. The matchup will take place at Strake Jesuit's Clay Stadium on Friday at 7:00 PM.
