Chaminade (6-2) Vs. Lutheran North (8-0)

The Red Devils’ Senior Night matchup this year was an attendance event against the undefeated Lutheran North Crusaders. Along with it being Senior Night, this game was also the last game before the playoffs. It was very apparent that this would be one of the most important games of the year for the football team. The Red Army was in full force, the team was looking iced out in their alternate uniforms and white helmets, and the stage was set for a big game.

The Crusaders, coached by the notorious twitter junkie Terry Reed, had a lot of talent on the defensive side of the ball, but a JFL (Pee-Wee Football) style offense. Chaminade’s defense needed to do what they do best and make big defense plays and stops, and let Mizzou-Commit Brady Cook work his magic.

Game Recap

FIRST QUARTER

The first quarter was a defensive showdown, featuring a combined sack by Senior Julian McBride and Junior Carson Gylnn.

McBride and Gylnn worked together and pummeled the Crusaders’ quarterback.

After a quarter of play the score was 8-0 Crusaders.

SECOND QUARTER

Amar Johnson opened the Chaminade scoring with a 43-yard touchdown run.

Johnson easily outran multiple Crusaders for the long rushing touchdown. Even with this effort, the Chaminade offense couldn’t even the score.

After two quarters played, the score of the game was 22-6 Crusaders.

THIRD QUARTER

The first substantial play of the 3^rd quarter was a 26-yard reception by LJ Fortune Jr.

This catch put the Red Devils into Crusader territory.

Brady Cook then showed off his arm by throwing a rocket to Sophomore Wide Receiver Eli Griffin for a 13-yard reception.

This throw and catch put the Red Devils in the Crusader RedZone.

After three quarters of play, the score of the game was 36-6 Crusaders.

FOURTH QUARTER

Junior Receiver Ted Sudekum got in on the action with a 21-yard reception.

Sudekum showed his ability to stay up after the initial tackle with this play.

Then Reese Anthony refused to quit, scoring a 42-yard touchdown.

Anthony was wrapped up by multiple defenders, but continued to fight, and he made sure to leave his mark on the Don with this touchdown.

After four quarters, the Crusaders defeated the Red Devils 43-14 on Senior Night.

Stats

OFFENSE

Brady Cook-

• 12 completions, on 25 attempts
• 150 passing yards
• 48% completion
• 1 TD
• 2 INT

Amar Johnson

• Rushing
  • 14 Carries
  • 113 rushing yards
  • 1 AVG
  • 1 Rush TD
• Receiving
  • 2 REC
  • 6 yards

LJ Fortune

• Rushing
  • 3 carries
  • 4 yards
• Receiving
  • 2 REC
  • 29 yards

Reese Anthony

• 5 REC
• 70 yards
• 0 AVG
• 1 REC TD

DEFENSE

Julian McBride

• 2 sacks
• 5 solos

Luc Nichols

• 10 solos
• 3 assists

Jamisen Terry

• 8 solos
• 6 assists

Michael Brightfield

• 9 solos
• 4 assists

After a hard fought first half, the Crusaders ran away with the game. This lopsided second half was a result of the Red Devils’ offense struggling to produce against the talented Crusader defense, which forced the Chaminade defense to be on the field for extended periods of time. Facing a tired defense, the Crusaders’ offense outplayed the Red Devil defense and went home with a win.

A tough Senior Night loss, no doubt, but after speaking with two of the team captains, it was obvious the Red Devils are very optimistic going into the playoffs. After being asked what the team needs to do to prep for the long playoff run they intend to have in the coming weeks, Senior LJ Fortune said, “In order for us to be successful and complete the task no other Chaminade football team has ever done, we have to stay true to ourselves and trust each other… We have to continue to trust the process that coach Torrey has instilled in us, and fight for our brother next to us. If we do these things, we win a state Championship.” When asked the same question, Senior Brady Cook said, “We have to get healthy, condition, and study film. Those three things are gonna take us really far.” With the coming Bye Week, the Red Devils will have plenty of time to get their ducks in a row.

With it being Senior Night, I thought it would be appropriate to ask Senior John Kuntz, the heart of the team, about his favorite moment of being a member of the Chaminade football team. John responded, “It’s hard picking out just one moment as my favorite. More than anything, I’ve enjoyed simply being a part of everything these past four years. Summer Camp, the inside jokes, and just playing with the guys on Friday will be the things that I never forget.” Though he couldn’t decide on a specific memory that was his favorite, John shared a memory with me that he will never forget: “Our bus broke down coming back from our trip to Arkansas for a camp. We were in Rolla, Missouri, for like 3 hours waiting for another bus to come pick us up, and I remember that we were having rap battles in some random gas station parking lot.” John concluded his answer with, “It’s been a great ride so far, but I’m hoping to make one more memory by the end of this postseason — hopefully in December.”

Though the team didn’t come out on top on Friday, it is clear that the team is confident they will be ready for the coming playoff run. These seniors are hungry for rings, and the team has more than enough talent for their goal to be accomplished

The Red Army is behind the team, cheering and chugging milk. Let’s get that banner.