In the fifth game of the RBHS football season, the Bruins hosted a loss against a well-oiled Helias Catholic High School (HCHS) football team Friday, Sept. 24. The game was hard-fought, but ultimately a chain of mistakes from the home team led to a 13-34 loss.
To kick off the game, RBHS won the coin toss and opted to receive the ball after the half. After a 25-yard runback by HCHS, the Crusaders decided to initiate the quarter by launching an onslaught of running plays and screen throws. As the offensive line paved the way, multiple backs got several carries, picking up two first downs until they soon approached the 50-yard line.
Over the next two plays HCHS was shut down, aided in large by a sack from senior defensive end Chandler Rennells, forcing the first third down of the drive and game. In response, HCHS lined up to attempt play-action to get a fresh set of downs, but as the ball was snapped and the pocket collapsed around the quarterback, nobody could secure a tackle and the ball was hurled twenty yards downfield for a first down. From there, HCHS was able to push through the Bruins’ defense for a touchdown to begin the game.
From that point on, the tone of the game was set. RBHS was right on the cusp of making a stop or pushing through for a touchdown, but a missed tackle or dropped pass would consistently end both their efforts and the first quarter with a score of 0-13.
Senior inside linebacker Aiden Alvis said the team didn’t perform their best on offense or defense.
“Both sides of the ball struggled in their own ways, so it’s hard to say which one struggled more than the other,” Alvis said. “Regardless, both have things to work on.”
After several defensive stops by RBHS, the Bruins were able to march downfield and connect with a receiver in the corner of the end zone to put RBHS on the board with four minutes and twelve seconds remaining in the first half.
HCHS responded quickly, however, kicking a field goal and fielding a pick-six with less than a minute left on the clock, forcing the score to 7-23 to end the second quarter.
Coming out of halftime, the game slowed significantly with both teams stopping each other from getting in range of scoring, until an HCHS touchdown and two-point conversion with four minutes and five seconds left in the third quarter.
Going into the fourth, RBHS trailed seven to thirty-one, with sophomore quarterback Sam Kaiser coming in to play in place of senior Nathan Dent. In the final minutes, a field goal kicked through by HCHS increased the score deficit by three points and solidified the score at 7-34.
Alvis said that even with the loss, the season is going well, but there is still room for growth and improvement.
“I feel that the season is going well, but could be going a lot better,” Alvis said. “With that in mind I think the team is growing and getting better as the season continues.”
How do you think the Bruins’ football season is going? Let us know in the comments below.
