Thirty steps. That’s the approximate distance from the school to the football stadium. Home field advantage means a lot more than most people think, with the blood sweat and tears of not only football, but of school as well, being shed in such close proximity to each other. The close confines of the school and the playing field demonstrate the importance of distance to the game of football, a game of inches.
The JV Rangers took on the Plano East Panthers last Thursday night in Jesuit’s very own Postell Stadium at 5:30 p.m. The Rangers were determined to get a win after a hard fought loss against Arlington Bowie the prior week. The home field advantage provides the boys with not only extra support, but also the necessary pressure to win the game. The mindset of the team was outlined by Jagger Laroe ’18 when he stated, “the game plan for the game was to just go out there and give relentless positive energy.”
Once the game commenced, the boys in blue did just that. The Rangers kicked the ball off to the receiving Panthers. With the defense taking the field first, the pressure to get the game started off right fell into their hands. Thankfully, like a bolt of lightning, our defense smashed through the Plano East offense, causing a key mistake to be made by their quarterback, resulting in an interception by Joey Preboy ’18. Jake Elrod ’18 remembers Joey “jumping in the air and catching it to get a first down.” This lightning sparked a fire in the Rangers, with the defense stopping the Panther offense and sending our offense onto the field. The intensity didn’t stop, as two plays later the Rangers scored their first touchdown. Laroe explained his appreciation of how “the defense started us off with an interception on the first play that really gave us the momentum we needed to score two plays later.” The ferocity only continued with the Rangers leading the Panthers at the end of the first quarter 21-14.
Starting off the second quarter, the tenacity of the Rangers continued with the excellent offensive drives led by Hank Clements ’18. But, Plano East came out ready and responded to the Jesuit offense with a stellar defense to even the odds. Throughout the rest of the quarter, both teams took turns scoring on one another. However, this back and forth action was eventually broken by a few hasty Jesuit scores that gave them the upper hand finishing out the quarter. Although it was hard fought, the Rangers ended the half with a valiant lead of 35-21 over the Panthers.
Despite being considerably ahead of Plano East, the boys in blue came into the second half hungrier than ever, obviously not satisfied and wanting more points on the board. However, the key to finishing strong didn’t solely lie in the offensive scoring machine, but also in the defensive wall that had to be maintained in order to subdue the opposing team. Mastery of both was evident because “the team offensively and defensively was just in sync,” Laroe said. The third quarter was another back and forth ball game, with the Jesuit defense countering the Plano East offense, and the Plano East defense fighting the impending Jesuit offense. The Rangers did manage to squeeze in one more touchdown before the end of the third quarter, making it 42-21 Jesuit.
The start of the fourth quarter signaled the beginning of the end for the hard-pressing Panthers. The Rangers offense kept up a steady barrage of first downs, while the Rangers defense, led by Jim Hayden ’18 and Hank Clements ’18, contained the Plano East offense. Facing this onslaught of Jesuit power, the Panthers eventually ran out of steam. The game ended with a score of 49-21, a solid Jesuit win. Laroe had another quick compliment in saying “the standout players were definetly the offensive line, creating the big holes needed for the running back to be successful.” Also, another honorable mention is shared by Dean Eikenberg saying “Hank Clements did really well as running back.” Likewise, on the defensive side of the ball, “Jim Hayden and Hank Bitterman did well on defense,” Eikenberg concluded. A final addition to the factors that affected the outcome of the game, “Mr. Mark Knize watched the game through three quarters,” added Elrod, providing our boys with solid love and support for their hard work.
Looking to next week, the Rangers will take on the Coppell Cowboys at home, under the blue light of the Jesuit Cross.
