It was something to build on.
The Helias Crusaders put five touchdowns on the board in the final two quarters last Friday night at Hannibal. And they hope that momentum carries over to tonight, when they host Bishop Althoff at Adkins Stadium.
"I hope so," Helias coach Tim Rulo said. "For these guys and this program, it was a chance to see that this will work. We have to find a way to keep that going.
"We'd like to have wins, that's for sure. But you have to start with the small things, whether that's scoring 35 points in a half or running the plays well. Hopefully it's the start of something good for us."
The little things made a big difference after the Crusaders fell behind 35-0 at the intermission.
"Whether it was the running backs getting to the holes or the linemen making great blocks, playing physical, playing fast," Rulo said. "It was a lot of little things.
"That's how football is, the little things can add up to big things. The small successes can lead us to bigger successes on the scoreboard."
It was the second consecutive week the Crusaders played better in third and fourth quarters.
"We need to figure how to get out of the gate strong," Rulo said. "It's a matter of being consistent."
That could be the key tonight against Althoff from Belleville, Ill. Althoff, ranked No. 4 in Class 4A in Illinois, is 1-0 after defeating Collinsville, Ill., 24-22 to start its season last week.
With two games and a Jamboree under its belt, the Crusaders hope to use that experience to its full advantage in today's 7 p.m. contest.
"Right now, it doesn't mean anything but on paper, but we hope to use it to our advantage on the field," Rulo said.
Althoff senior quarterback Jordan Augustine (6-foot-2, 185) had a strong opener, finishing 22-of-37 through the air for 231 yards and three touchdowns.
"He won't run a lot, he likes to manage the game," Rulo said.
C.J. Coldon (6-1, 170, sr.) caught a team-high eight passes for 79 yards and a touchdown. Tarkus Ferguson (6-4, 180) and Jordan Goodwin (6-3, 216) had five receptions each.
Althoff operates out of a spread formation. It will be a new look for the Helias defense, which has faced run-oriented teams in the first two weeks.
"They can make a lot of plays, they like to spread the ball around," Rulo said. "They're going to get their yards passing, we just can't give up the big play."
The big play has hurt Helias so far this season. Teams have scored touchdowns on plays of 37 or more yards six times against Helias.
Rulo noted Hannibal scored four touchdowns on plays that netted nearly 250 yards last week.
"We hold them to 15 or 20 yards on those plays, it could have been a different game," Rulo said.
Defensively, Althoff operates out of a 5-2 front.
"They use their speed to get after you," Rulo said. "You have to figure out a way to slow them down if you can."
It will be Rulo's first home game as head coach at Helias.
"I've heard a lot of great things about playing at home, I'm excited for the opportunity to see what that is like down on the sideline," he said. "There's nothing like playing in front of the home crowd."
III
This will be Helias' only Friday night home game this season. The other three will be played on Saturdays. ... Four of Helias' next five games are at Adkins Stadium. The road game is a trip to Columbia to face defending Class 5 state champion Battle. ... Helias defeated Althoff 35-7 last year in Belleville, Ill. ... On the injury front, Alex Faddoul may see action at quarterback after getting reps with the No. 1 offense during practice this week. Faddoul was a first-team all-state selection in Class 4 as a junior. "Hopefully, he'll get a chance to get on the field," Rulo said. Helias will likely be without Kale Gerstner and Zach Stiles due to injuries. ... Althoff finished second in the Illinois Class 3A boys basketball state tournament in March.
Helias hosts Belleville Althoff - Updates on Twitter: @tjrackers.
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