The Cardinal Gibbons Crusaders are entering the heat of their new football season. The hopes for another successful season remain high as each game goes by.
Let’s dive into how the beginning of the season is going.
A large part of the team’s success last year came from its junior class, with a lot of the offensive core revolving around non-senior talents.
The Crusaders went into this season with one clear objective: to finish what they started.
The team glided through the first four games of the year defeating Dudley 34-6, Maury (out of Virginia) 24-20, and Southern Durham 35-3. The team also lost a top-10 matchup to Charlotte’s Mallard Creek 20-16 on a touchdown pass in the game’s final three minutes.
The Crusaders had one final nonconference game against Ambassador Christian and won the game 42-0 at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte.
Now it’s on to Triangle 6 Conference play with Holly Springs, Middle Creek, Sanderson, and Cary.
As conference play looms, the Crusaders will continue to lean on players who have found early success.
Senior running back Noah Terry has manned the duties in the backfield so far, and has found success doing so. Terry has rushed for 396 yards over five games, averaging an impressive 5.4 yards per carry and scoring five touchdowns. He will continue to be leaned on as the primary running back going forward, as he will look to fuel the offense with big plays and consistency.
The receiving core has looked impressive to start the season as well. With three seniors leading the receiver group, Gibbons is working with smart, veteran pass catchers. Seniors Brayden Karras, Connor McGeehan, and Hudson VanDyke have all produced over 125 receiving yards thus far. In specific, star receiver Brayden Karras will look to build on his campaign that has already seen 30 catches for 297 yards.
With the recent news that standout quarterback Gannon Jones will miss the rest of the season with an injury, the entire offense will have to step up.
Backup quarterback Conner Lindsey will have big shoes to fill, but has been a part of the gameplan even with Jones healthy. The senior quarterback has already played in four games so far, while completing 12 of 25 passes with 107 yards through the air.
The Crusaders’ defense has been phenomenal so far, allowing only 13.4 points per game to opponents, and forcing seven turnovers. This defensive group is extremely talented, with multiple highly touted prospects that make for a formidable unit that can stop high powered offenses.
Leading the team in total tackles with 50 is sophomore linebacker Skylar Alston who is being heavily recruited by Division 1 colleges. Junior defensive lineman Griffin Cockerham has been nothing short of dominant, piling up five sacks, with seven tackles for loss. Junior defensive back Xavier Hasan has already been the source of some big plays, with one interception and one kick return touchdown.
As the season progresses, expect more high-level defense from these standouts — and from the rest of the unit as well. The Crusaders’ defense has shown the ability to shut down in-conference offenses in the past, and they have a strong chance to do so again this year.
With conference play just around the corner, the Crusaders find themselves in a strong position. Despite the setback at quarterback, the mix of veteran leadership and rising talent on both sides of the ball gives this team the tools to compete at a high level. This team is being tested early in the season, but have shown discipline. As the Crusaders continue to mold as a team, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
