Tom Rackers

It was a heck of a past six days for the Helias Crusaders. “This was a dynamite week,” Helias coach Chuck Register said Saturday after the Crusaders defeated the Lutheran: St. Charles Cougars 2-0 in the Richard Wilson Classic at Jefferson City High School. “To win four games and to play as well as we have been playing, I’m excited to see where we can take this.”

Sometimes the scoreboard doesn’t tell the complete story. “I was pleased with the entire game, probably the most complete performance we’ve had this year,” Jefferson City soccer coach Scott Blake said Saturday afternoon after the Jays ended in a scoreless tie against West Plains in the Richard Wilson Classic at Jefferson City High School.

The Helias Crusaders were in a bit of a predicament. After a scoreless first half Wednesday night against the Battle Spartans at the Crusader Athletic Complex, the teams turned up the offensive intensity in the final 40 minutes. Battle had scored consecutive goals to take a 2-1 lead as time was winding down. Helias needed to turn things around in a hurry. They did.

Friday Football: Crusader defense limits Camdenton's passing game

For the second consecutive week, the Helias defense did its job. Helias held the Camdenton Lakers’ offense to just a pair of field goals Friday night on its way to a 38-8 victory in Central Missouri Activities Conference action at Bob Shore Stadium. “Two field goals and eight points, going into this game I for sure would have taken that,” Helias coach Chris Hentges said.

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Friday Football: Crusaders take steps forward in win vs. Hickman

Once it started, it never stopped. The Helias Crusaders scored on all six of their first-quarter possessions Friday night, and threw in a pair of defensive touchdowns in the opening 12 minutes, on their way to a 90-28 victory against the Hickman Kewpies in Central Missouri Activities Conference action. The game was stopped with 6:12 remaining in the fourth quarter when a Helias player was injured on a kickoff. The Crusader was taken off the field on a stretcher.

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Friday Football: Helias finds areas to improve on in opening win

It wasn’t the best-played game for the Helias Crusaders. But it was a win against a big rival to start the season. “We just couldn’t get into any rhythm,” Helias coach Chris Hentges said after Friday night’s 31-20 win against the Hannibal Pirates. “Offense and defense, it was just not a great night. But it was a win and we’ll take it.”

Helias boys soccer downed by Fort Zumwalt South 5-0 in opener

Sometimes, people just don’t take no for an answer. A little more than a year ago, the Missouri State High School Activities Association put out a survey to its member schools asking about adding a shot clock in basketball. The majority answered no, they were not in favor of adding one in the near future. Well, I guess we’ve gotten a definition of what exactly is the near future. On Wednesday, MSHSAA announced it would allow the use of a shot clock this season in varsity regular-season tournaments and one-day shootouts featuring multiple teams playing games at a site if the schools involved approve it.

Here are capsule looks at Helias, Logan-Rogersville, Notre Dame de Sion and Whitfield, who are competing in the Class 2 girls soccer Final Four in Fenton.

The effort was there, it was the little things that caught up to the Helias Lady Crusaders. “Within the minutes of a game, if you’re not executing even the smallest of details, a quality team will punish you,” Helias coach Jon DeSha said after Tuesday night’s 4-1 loss to the Pleasant Hill Chicks in a clash of Class 2 top 10 soccer teams at the Crusader Athletic Complex. “That’s exactly what happened.

The Helias Crusaders had plenty of baserunners Monday. The Crusaders found a way to score enough of them to pick up a victory. Just enough. “We go into a shell,” Helias coach Chris Wyrick said after the Crusaders held on for a 6-4 victory against the Rolla Bulldogs at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex. “If we’re the aggressor, we score at least two more runs. If we’re the aggressor, we move more runners up a base.”

You can always take something away from every game. Even against an opponent that was obviously over-matched. “We’re continuing to build on what we’ve done recently,” Helias coach Jon DeSha said after Tuesday night’s 8-0 win by mercy rule against the Battle Spartans in Central Missouri Activities Conference girls soccer action at the Crusader Athletic Complex. “I don’t want to minimize any win, I don’t take pride in mercy-ruling a team. But I do think it’s important we continue to build off wher…

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