Prep Football: Helias to face Bishop Althoff in battle of Crusaders

Helias running back Caleb Davis looks for running room after taking the handoff from quarterback Chandler Luebbert last Saturday against Kansas City Southeast.
Helias running back Caleb Davis looks for running room after taking the handoff from quarterback Chandler Luebbert last Saturday against Kansas City Southeast.

Tim Rulo didn't want to go as far to say Bishop Althoff might be the best team Helias would face in the regular season.

But evidence says it just might be. Althoff, coming off an appearance in the Class 4 state championship game, is No. 1 in its division in the Illinois state poll and as well as holding the top spot in the small schools rankings by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

"Let's just say they are the best team we'll play in Illinois," Rulo said as Helias prepares to meet Althoff in a matchup of Crusaders on Saturday afternoon at East St. Louis High School.

Althoff opened the season with a 58-15 win against Collinsville. Althoff ran for 195 yards and threw for 191 more in a balanced attack.

"These guys will spread you out," Rulo said. "They're not going to surprise or trick you, they just want to get their good guys the ball.

"This is a game that will test us athletically."

In his debut as a starter, Althoff quarterback Trey Mosley was 12-of-17 passing for 191 yards and five touchdowns. Four of those scores came in the first quarter as Althoff vaulted to a 37-0 lead.

Jaylon Bester, who is getting Division I offers, paced Althoff in rushing with 128 yards on just nine carries. He also caught a pair of passes.

"The idea is to get (Bester) the ball," Rulo said. "It doesn't matter if it's in the rushing or the passing game. They'll get him as many touches as they can. We're going to have to know where he is at all times."

Althoff has a pair of outstanding receivers in Jordan Goodwin and C.J. Coldon. Goodwin, who committed to play basketball at St. Louis University earlier this month, paced Althoff in receptions with four for 92 yards and two touchdowns last week. Coldon had three catches for 45 yards and a score.

Defensively, Althoff finished with five sacks against Collinsville. Bryson Strong, a senior linebacker, had one of those among his seven tackles and is the backbone of the defense.

"We thought he was the best linebacker we faced last season," Rulo said. "Some of the plays and some of the reads he made last year were phenomenal. He got downhill so well, he makes so many tackles and plays.

"But you can't be intimidated by him."

In last year's meeting, Althoff used a 22-point third quarter to pull away to a 54-38 victory at Adkins Stadium.

"This is going to be a great test for us," Rulo said. "They've gotten better, I think we've gotten better. It should be a great battle.

"We played them very well in the first half. Things just got away from us a little bit in the third quarter."

Rulo liked what he saw out of his team offensively in the matchup.

"We left a bunch of points and yards out there because of penalties and things like that," he said.

Althoff's athleticism carries over to the defensive side.

"They're very good," Rulo said. "They are athletic and they know it. They're not afraid, they make no bones about how athletic they are in their style of play."

On Saturday, Helias will need to control the ball on offense. One, it will provide a better chance to score. Two, it will keep Althoff's high-powered offense off the field.

"We sustain our drives," Rulo said. "The longer our offense is on the field, the better it will be. You want them running time off the clock and to keep the ball away from them."

And Helias can't have turnovers.

"Anytime you're plus-2 or better in a game, that gives you a great chance to win," Rulo said. "That's why we want our defense to be aggressive.

Helias dominated Kansas City Southeast last week, posting a 55-6 victory.

"We were strong both offensively and defensively," Rulo said. "We had one fumble, but everything else went smoothly for us on offense. And on defense, they scored at the end, but we played very well."

Rulo believes Helias' defense can be a standout unit.

"Our defense is getting better and better, I really think it can be the cornerstone of this team," he said. "And that should do nothing except make our offense better."

III

Notes: Game time is 4 p.m. Saturday. It will be the second of three games in the Border Battle at the high school, pitting Missouri-Illinois schools against each other. "What a great place to be, there are so many things a game like this can prepare you for the remainder of the season," Rulo said. At 1 p.m., Sumner will face Cahokia. At 7 p.m., C.B.C. will take on host East St. Louis. The event replaces the City of Champions Classic.

Pre-game podcast: Helias Crusaders Football Podcast [Bishop Althoff preview, Sept. 3, 2016]

Updates on Twitter: @tjrackers

Listen live online: kwos.com