If the Hannibal Pirates are Helias' No. 1 rival in football, then the Rock Bridge Bruins are No. 1A.
When the Crusaders face the Pirates, there are district implications on the line or it is a win-or-go-home game in the postseason. When it comes to the facing the Bruins, it's more about testing yourselves against a good team.
"This might be the most exciting game we play every year," Helias coach Phil Pitts said as the Crusaders (6-0, No 2 in Class 4) get set to travel to Columbia tonight to take on the Bruins (4-2, No. 10 in Class 6). "There aren't a lot of implications with this game, it's a game where you get to go out there and enjoy playing."
The Crusaders certainly enjoyed playing against the Bruins last season, posting a 59-21 victory.
The Crusaders have been preparing all week for the Bruins' 1-2 offensive punch of quarterback Logan Twehous and receiver Alex Ofodile.
"There are so many adjectives you can use in describing them, but the best one is they are play-makers," Pitts said. "We're going to have to make sure we know where they are at all times.
"They've played a lot of big football games together."
Twehous, a senior, is 99-of-172 passing for 1,490 yards and 15 touchdowns in his third season as a starter at Rock Bridge.
"We have to make sure we put pressure on him, try to get to him," Pitts said. "We have to try to make him as uncomfortable as we can."
The Crusaders have made opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable all season. That effort is highlighted by last week's school-record eight sacks in a 21-0 win against St. James Academy in Roeland Park, Kan. The old record was six set in 2007.
"Our defensive line has been incredible since the start of the season," Pitts said. "They get after it up front, and when that happens, it makes a head coach relax because they can put the offense of the other team behind the eight ball.
"When you put a team into a second-and-16 or a third-and-20, there aren't a lot of calls an offense can make."
Ofodile, a 6-2 senior who has committed to play at Oregon, has caught 53 passes for 875 yards and 10 scores.
"He is as good as there is," Pitts said. "They do a good job of designing things to get him the ball where he can be successful. We know he's going to make a big play or two, we just have to keep fighting and not let him make a lot of them."
But there is more to the Bruin offense than those two. Rock Bridge has developed of a strong running game with junior Nick Collins (5-7, 190), who has 650 yards on the ground.
"They're running ball so well, he gives them a dimension they haven't had back there in the past couple of years," Pitts said.
Rock Bridge is averaging 32.5 points per game.
"They have athletes all over the place," Pitts said. "We have to make sure we're in position, we don't miss tackles and we're sound in what we do."
Pitts knows the Crusaders won't completely stop the big-play attack of the Bruins.
"When they hit us with some punches, which they will, we have to be ready to punch back," Pitts said. "We run to the football well and that helps you not give up as many big plays."
Helias will be at a size disadvantage in the secondary against Ofodile and the other Bruin receivers.
"We've had that happen to us before," Pitts said. "There are a lot of things you can teach them to combat that, we've been practicing those things and I think we're ready for it."
Defensively, Rock Bridge starts just two seniors and is allowing 27 points per contest.
Game time is 7 p.m.
III
Notes: Pitts said the Crusaders do not have any new serious injuries entering tonight's game. ... Chris Bosch, a senior who made his first career start at right tackle last week, will be back in the starting lineup tonight. "He played really well," Pitts said. "That's why he's out there again." ... Through six games, Helias has sacked the opposing quarterback 29 times. The school's single-season record is 34 in 2007. Blake Wilbers has 10 sacks for the Crusaders, six from tying the single-season individual record set by Ben Crider in 2007. ... Helias will be looking to finish a sweep of Columbia schools after picking up wins against Hickman (48-7) and Battle (29-14). ... Helias defeated Rock Bridge 59-21 last season. ... Rock Bridge, which has won its last two games, has losses to Rockhurst (49-14) and Lee's Summit West (48-34). ... Helias will host Rockhurst next Thursday night. Game time is 7:30 p.m. The game has been moved from its original date of Friday due to a scheduling conflict at Adkins Stadium.
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