It wasn't the best performance of the season for the Helias Crusaders. But a win is a win.
"To win a ballgame when you don't necessarily play your best is an important lesson," Helias coach Phil Pitts said after Saturday night's 29-14 victory against the Battle Spartans at Adkins Stadium. "Take nothing away from Battle, they played very well and are a good football team. But we kept fighting and did what we had to do to win."
Helias committed a season-high four turnovers, had a handful of costly penalties and lost key players to injuries.
But the Crusader defense didn't allow the Spartans to put together enough offense to get the victory.
"Our defense has done a great job of answering this season when they've been put into adverse situations," Pitts said. "It speaks to our fight and the way we handle things on the field."
Helias was looking for a better start to the game and it couldn't get any better than an 11-play, 88-yard march on the opening drive. The Crusaders, who got first downs on their first three plays, put it in the end zone on a 1-yard run on fourth down by Malik Davis.
"It was a great way to start the ballgame," Pitts said. "We came out of the gates swinging."
It was the first of three touchdown runs for Davis, who finished with 108 yards on 18 carries. It was his third 100-yard rushing game of the season.
"He's got that second gear, he can make great cuts and be difficult to bring down," Pitts said.
Helias took advantage of a Battle turnover to extend its lead in the second quarter. Jordan Kemple recovered a Spartan fumble at their 26. Two plays later, Alex Faddoul scored on a 5-yard run and it was 13-0.
Another Battle turnover late in the first half led to another Helias touchdown. Kale Gestner's interception gave the Crusaders the ball at the Battle 25. Two plays later, Davis scored on a 16-yard run to give Helias a 19-0 lead at intermission.
"That was gigantic," Pitts said. "That put some pressure on them heading into the second half."
Battle, which had the better of the play for much of the third quarter, got on the board with 3:48 remaining in the quarter on a 5-yard run by Nash Sutherlin. The PAT was good and it was 19-7.
Helias answered on its next drive, getting to the Battle 10 before Hagenhoff came on to kick a 27-yard field goal with 11:51 remaining in the game to make it 22-7.
Hagenhoff was kicking in place of Sam Heckart, who was injured earlier Saturday while playing for the soccer Crusaders.
"It was a great job by T.J.," Pitts said. "He does everything we ask of him and it's great to see him have some success."
Battle came back to go 84 yards on its next drive, with the score coming on a 57-yard pass from Brevinn Tyler to Sutherlin. The Spartans trailed 22-14.
After the teams swapped interceptions on two of the next three plays, Helias had the ball at its own 42. A 29-yard pass from Faddoul to Hale Hentges and a 22-yard toss from Faddoul to Weston Porter keyed the drive, capped by an 8-yard run by Davis.
"To get that score was a big one," Pitts said. "To take it back to a two-score lead was very important."
Davis finished with 78 of his rushing yards in the second half.
"We had to put the game away by doing it on the ground," Pitts said.
The Crusaders lost two starters to injuries. Todd Buschjost missed the final three quarters because of a high-ankle sprain, while starting offensive and defensive lineman Brody Buschjost went down with a knee injury early in the fourth quarter.
"Those are two very important players for us and hopefully they will be able to come back soon," Pitts said. "But if not, the next guy has to step up and do the job."
Helias (5-0, ranked No. 2 in Class 4) is back in action Friday against St. James Academy (3-0) in Roeland Park, Kan.. The game will be played at Bishop Miege High School.
"They do a lot of things very well and we're going to have to put in some work in a short week to prepare for them," Pitts said.
Battle is now 2-3.