At first, it seemed that it would be a long night after we saw the Lockland Panthers take the opening kickoff, return it into Crusader territory and then drive down the field for an opening score in the first minutes of this game. The Crusaders found themselves on their heels and seemingly stymied by Lockland's feisty running back who seemed to run at will around the Crusader flanks.
In years past, one might expect a collective sigh from the crowd in attendance, but not one of disappointment but emphathizing with the players who had worked hard all summer and this fall to be competitive at the Varsity level. The quick score by Lockland, a much beefier team than the Crusaders, made some wonder...is it going to be a long night?
But there is something special about this Crusader team. What I observed on the sideline was an energy that had carried over from the previous week in which the coaches and players almost seemed to say "Ok...now wait until you see what we got!"
And see they did. The Crusaders put on a aerial show, with Josh Sinclair going 25-43 for 369 yards and 4 touchdowns. The no huddle offense that has been gelling over the past few weeks confused, frustrated and wore down the bigger Lockland players. By halftime, the Crusaders had a commanding lead, 28-13 and the Panthers went into halftime searching for answers to this new look from the Crusaders.
For those of you who remember last season's game, it was a battle in the trenches, with Lockland winning on a late score at their house. What a difference a season makes!
What is the most impressive with this team is the fact that they are becoming the example of preparation meeting opportunity. All of those two-a-days have paid off, as the Crusader defense swarmed to the ball and our offense lit up the skies and aired it out!
One parent overheard on the sideline quipped "I remember years when I'm not sure we scored 45 points all season, total!"
Nice job, guys! Next stop? The Sword Game at Kiski! !
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