The homecoming football game looked a little different this year. There was no big pep rally to hype up the school and no court to watch walk across the field, but the football game was still one of the biggest of the season as the boys were all in the entire game with all the changes.

The Crusaders played Fox, who is number two in St. Louis and two classes bigger than us. It wasn’t an easy game for the boys, but they played tougher than ever. Fox scored a touchdown almost instantly, but senior Knoll Hirtz had an amazing block to keep the Warriors from putting another point on the board with a field goal.

Soon the Crusaders were near the end zone, and senior Jack Heinrich kicked for a 3 point field goal making this score 6-3 with 4 minutes left in the first quarter.

“I just had to do what I had to do for the team. It felt good to get the first points on the board, but I was more worried about the game than I was myself,” Heinrich said.

The boys played with heart and looked after one another more than they did themselves. Hirtz, who is an outside linebacker on defense, had 9 tackles on Friday night, but gave all his credit to his fellow football brothers.

“When I get an important tackle, I try to look at my teammates and celebrate the moment. The best feeling is being proud of what the team accomplished because we work so hard,” Hirtz said.

As the game carried on, the Warriors continued to put more points on the board, but the Crusaders never backed down. With 11:19 left in the game, Quarterback and senior Gabriel Serri made a stellar 39 yard pass to junior Matthew Willenbrink, and then Heinrich scored again with an extra pound to push it up to 10 on the scoreboard.

“It was good to finally get a TD as a team, because we had been battling those guys all night. It gave us some relief and helped us finish the game as a team,” Willenbrink said.

Sadly, the Crusaders fell short to the Warriors with a score of 41-10.  Even though the game didn’t go the boys way, it taught them a lot and gave them loads of experience.

“They showed us what it’s like to be physically outsized in every position, but we kept fighting. I learned we can stand a chance against teams like that, as long as we trust each other,” Hirtz said.

Yes, this year’s homecoming game was out of the ordinary, but the energy from the crowd and the team was the exact same. The love of being a Crusader is always in the air. Next week, be sure to keep that love and energy coming as Dominic takes on Lutheran St. Charles at home at 7pm!