The Helias Crusaders thought they were ready.
The Bishop Althoff Crusaders brought a high-powered offensive attack Friday night to Adkins Stadium. And the visitors from Belleville, Ill., put up a near Ruthian effort, totaling 713 yards in a 54-38 victory against Helias.
There were too many big plays," Helias head coach Tim Rulo said. "They came against things we had practiced against. We just weren't doing the fundamentals and that's something we worked on. We did more tackling in practice than we ever have.
"But we have to go out there and do it in a game. In practice, we've looked good. It's hard to simulate the speed of great athletes in practice, but we have to get better."
Rulo, a former defensive coordinator, was comfortable with Helias' plan to defend Althoff's spread attack.
"I want to know what's going on," he said. "X and O wise, I thought we were ready. I knew their game plan going in and I thought our game plan against that was good.
"Now, we have to make plays against them, you have to play football."
Bishop Althoff made the plays Friday night, big ones. Helias had allowed six touchdowns on plays of 37 yards or more entering the game.
That total is now up to 11.
"The game plan is being carried out, adjustments are being carried out, to the best abilities of the staff and the players," Rulo said.
On the positive side, Helias had its first lead of the season and finished with its most points in three games.
"Offensively, we're reaching a lot of our goals," Rulo said. "But I can see that we left some stuff out there and we can do a little more."
Helias got the lead the first time it got the football. After a 6-yard Althoff punt, Helias took over at its own 41. A pass interference penalty got Helias into Althoff territory before Alex Faddoul hit Adam Bax from 28 yards out for the touchdown. Sam Heckart booted the PAT and Helias led 7-0.
But Althoff had a quick answer as quarterback Jordan Augustine and wide receiver C.J. Coldon hooked up for a 71-yard score. The PAT was blocked and Helias led 7-6.
Helias needed eight plays to score on the next drive, capped by a 7-yard TD run by Jake Burnett. The PAT was blocked and it was 13-6.
A 3-yard run by Augustine, and a PAT by Braunagel, tied it at 13 early in the second quarter.
Helias got that score back on its next possession. On a fourth-and-7 at the Althoff 45, Faddoul found Weston Porter for a score. The PAT run failed and Helias led 19-13.
The teams combined for three touchdowns in the final 1:44 of the half.
Jaylon Bester's 1-yard run, along the PAT, gave Althoff a 20-19 advantage. After a Helias three-and-out, Althoff needed just two plays to score, the touchdown coming on a 50-yard pass from Augustine to Keenan Young. The PAT was blocked and it was 26-19.
Jacob Storms of Helias returned the ensuing kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown and Heckart's PAT tied the game at 26 at intermission.
Seeing his first action of the season, Faddoul was 5-of-6 passing for 121 yards in the first half.
"I'm so proud of what he did," Rulo said.
Althoff put the game away in a five-minute span in the third quarter, getting touchdown runs from Malik Easley (47 and 61 yards) sandwiched around a 47-yard gallop by Bester. Althoff, ranked No. 4 in Class 4 in Illinois, led 48-26 heading in the final period.
"They were very athletic, you can see why they are so highly thought of," Rulo said.
Althoff (2-0) stretched its lead to 54-26 midway through the fourth quarter on a 15-yard pass from Althoff to Young.
Helias scored twice in a :20-span late in the game on a 1-yard run by Faddoul and a 37-yard pass from Faddoul to Bax.
Bax finished with five catches for 102 yards, his second straight game with 100-plus yards in receptions.
"He provides a great target," Rulo said.
Porter, who played quarterback in place of Faddoul the first two weeks, had three catches for 81 yards in his slotback spot before leaving the game with what looked like a serious leg injury late in the game on a touchown pass called back due to a penalty.
"He did some great stuff," Rulo said.
Helias is off to an 0-3 start to the season
"The first third (of the season) is done," Rulo said. "We're going to have to make a decision to see who is all in."
The players were given Saturday and today off.
"We're going to find out where we're at Monday," Rulo said. "There has to be an understanding that we are going to continue to get better and let all the work we're putting in show up on the field.
"I firmly believe we have the ability to be successful. I'm going to continue to coach this team to be the best it can be, both on and off the field."
The Crusaders aren't going to give up.
"We need to keep hammering at the rock," Rulo said. "It's going to break."
Helias is back in action Saturday at home against Hickman.