On Thursday October 9th, the Jesuit Rangers JV team traveled all the way out to Irving for the first time since Irving joined district 9-6A. The Rangers went into this game looking for revenge for a victory that was taken from them in the previous week. The Tigers would be in for a treat, as the tenacious Ranger defense came to play.
Coming off a disappointing loss, the Rangers went into practice with the mentality that they would not lose again. Defensive Lineman Michael Geisler ’17 said, “the loss left a sour taste in our mouths, and we knew we would do whatever it takes to make sure it did not happen again.” The team collectively decided that they would finish the rest of the season undefeated, and their first test was the Irving Tigers.
Going into the game, Head Coach Rick Leal wanted his physical team to
“dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.” All year long, Jesuit has been able to control the line of scrimmage and play smash mouth football. The D-Line makes big plays game in and game out, and the O-Line paves the way for a high powered ground game. The game plan for the Rangers was to play the same football they had been playing all year while emphasizing capitalizing on turnovers and offense.
All year, the Rangers defense has powered the team along. Either making key stops or big plays late in games, they have shined all year. This game was no exception. Defensive End Jordan Rice ’17 said, “we knew how we had to play to win this game, and we did just that.” He said that even though “the offense had not been playing as well as it usually does in the few previous games”. He knew if they “got a few stops early and kept the ball in the offenses hands, they could make the plays necessary to win”. Rice, one of the most consistent standouts for the defense, had another big game coming up with numerous big plays.
Coach Leal said he was proud of the way the defense played, but he also put an emphasis on the offensive play in this game. Even though the offense started slowly, they kept their mentality up and were able to make big plays. Coach said the defining moment of the game was the offensive “coming out in the second half and dominating.” QB Jacob Palisch ’17 was able to find his receivers often and many times for big plays, starting the second half. He connected with Wide Receivers Eric Miller ’17 and Evan Sonnier ’17, who both gave “all the credit” for their touchdowns to Palisch’s play.
The offensive success stemmed from the play of the Offensive Line. Led by Nick Beshara ’17 and Dalton Allen ’17, the offensive line gave Palisch the time he needed to throw, and they also paved the way for running back Matt Reilly ’17. Defensive Tackle Jack Metz ’17 said, he is “fully aware of the strength of the offensive line. Going up against them in practice everyday always keeps [him] on [his] feet.” Coach Leal expected big plays from the entire O-Line as he does every game. They continue to show their strength, powering through opponents and doing the dirty work.
With the offensive success, the defense was able to finish the job off, shutting out the Tigers. The defense attributes their success to their coaches. Defensive Back John Guzman ’17 said, “our coaches give us the tools we need to succeed. Whether it is telling us a player to watch or teaching us a scheme, they always put is in the right position.” This coaching may be a key part to the defense giving up more than 2 touchdowns only once and also holding on for a 24-0 victory over Irving.
The Ranger’s victory moved them to 4-2 on the season and 2-1 in district play. The Rangers play Irving Nimitz this Thursday the 16th in what should play out to be a fun game! Come out and support the team!
