Tom Rackers

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

Helias honors 1984 Class 4A football state championship team

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.

Friday Football: Crusader defense limits Camdenton's passing game

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.

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.

Capital City softball blanked by Camdenton in CMAC play

The Helias Lady Crusaders and the Francis Howell Vikings entered Saturday afternoon’s Class 5 quarterfinal knowing what it takes to get to the softball Final Four. Helias and Francis Howell had both advanced to the state title game in their respective classes in the past two seasons, but only one of them was going to get that chance this year. From the start Saturday, the Lady Crusaders showed it was going to be them. Helias scored two runs in both the first and second innings on its way to a 7-1 victory against Francis Howell at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex.

The sequel started out looking very similar to the original. The ending turned out a little different. “It definitely had a feel like last year’s game,” Helias coach Chris Hentges said after Saturday afternoon’s 24-21 overtime win against Republic in the Class 5 state quarterfinals. “But we won this one.”