NIXA, Mo. - First game, new head coach, understandably there were some nerves Friday night.
But once Helias got settled down in its opener against Nixa, the Crusaders showed some good things.
"It was the first game, it didn't turn out the way we wanted, but it was a first game," Helias head coach Tim Rulo said after the Crusaders dropped a 31-9 decision to the Eagles.
"We have to take care of the little things. If we do some of those things, this one is a little closer on the scoreboard."
The nerves were evident even before the opening kickoff. Helias won the toss and kicked off.
Did the Crusaders want to get their defense on the field first?
"No," Rulo said. "The official asked what we wanted to do and we said we wanted to defend this goal."
So instead of deferring their option to the second half or opting to take the ball first, the Crusaders chose an end of the field to defend.
"We were pretty nervous," Rulo said.
That decision played no part in the final decision. Nixa did take the opening drive to the Helias 27 before Zach Stiles picked off an Eagle pass in the end zone.
With Weston Porter under center, Helias then went on a 12-play drive, getting it to the Nixa 37 before turning the ball over on downs.
Porter, slated to be a starting slot back this season, replaced the injured Alex Faddoul in the starting lineup. The senior only had three days of practice at quarterback during the week.
"I think Weston did an admirable job for the limited experience he had," Rulo said.
Faddoul, who was in a walking boot with an injured ankle on the sideline, should be back in the lineup "sooner than later," Rulo said.
That opening drive was one of five for Helias totaling eight plays or more in the game.
"You could feel that we were so close to breaking it a few times, it just didn't happen," Rulo said. "A penalty here, miss a block there."
After stopping the Crusaders on fourth down, the Eagles broke one as quarterback Logan Tyler went 63 yards on the first play. The PAT kick failed and it was 6-0.
The Eagles made it 9-0 on their next possession as Tyler, who has committed to Florida State as a kicker, converted on a 48-yard field goal that would have been good from 60.
A fumble recovery midway through the second quarter by Helias linebacker Logan Distler set up the Crusaders' first score of the night.
Starting at their own 33, the Crusaders drove to the Eagle 12. T.J. Hagenhoff came on to boot a 29-yard field goal and it was 9-3 with 3:36 left before halftime.
The Crusaders were hurt by a lost fumble at their own 33 with a little less than a minute left in the half. Two runs got the Eagles inside the five before Tyler scored from a yard out on the final play of the half. Tyler booted the PAT and it was 16-3.
Helias forced a punt on the first possession of the third quarter and took over at its own 20. The Crusaders moved the ball out to midfield before mistakes started piling up. A bobbled ball cost them 10 yards, then a sack and a facemask penalty had the Crusaders backed up to their own 13.
One play later, the Crusaders lost another fumble that the Eagles recovered at the 14.
"Things just piled up," Rulo said
On the ensuing play, Tyler hooked up with Caleb Allen in the end zone for a touchdown. A 2-point run made it 24-3.
Helias answered with its best drive of the night, going 80 yards on 13 plays. The score came on a 2-yard run by Porter. The PAT missed and it was 24-9.
After a three-and-out, Helias drove deep into Nixa territory before an interception on a tipped ball gave possession back to the Eagles.
Nixa got its final score on a 49-yard run by Nicos Oropeza. Tyler's PAT with 4:09 remaining made the final 31-9.
Oropeza finished with 140 yards on 19 carries, while Tyler totaled 127 on 11 rushes.
"I saw some sparks from our defense," Rulo said. "For the most part, I think that group did a really good job."
Helias, which finished with an 18-11 edge in first downs, totaled 323 yards. It was a balanced attack, with 177 coming on the ground and 146 through the air.
Porter was 11-of-19 passing for that 146 and had 57 yards on 19 carries.
"Weston absorbed as much as he could in the practice time he had," Rulo said.
Jacob Storms led Helias with 66 rushing yards on nine carries.
Helias is back in action Friday at Hannibal, which defeated MICDS 34-9 on Friday night.