Jesuit fought through an intense encounter with the Westview Wildcats on Friday night at Cronin Field, with Michael Rincon leading the way into an inspiring comeback. The Crusaders struggled early in the first quarter after they gave up three straight touchdowns with no response. Although there were early offensive struggles, the Crusaders found their flow in the second quarter and never looked back. 

The Wildcats started the game with a fiery tempo, immediately locking down on defense and playing phenomenal offense. Their first defensive effort came from a pick 6, as Drew Bennett intercepted a pass from Jesuit’s quarterback and ran it all the way back for an 86-yard touchdown. The Wildcat’s lead only increased in the first quarter after touchdowns from Darrius Clemons and Aaron Jones, making it 0-21. 

Jesuit would not go down without a fight, as they brought newfound energy into the second quarter. With a loud crowd behind them, the offense began to find their feet. Michael Rincon scored Jesuit’s first touchdown of the night, halfway through the quarter. Building off the momentum, Jesuit had their own pick 6 from linebacker Johnny Miller, making the score 14-21 heading into the half. 

The Crusaders were still not satisfied as they came out of halftime with the same momentum. Matthew Rincon instantly returned the punt from Westview, making it a tie game only 13 seconds into the third quarter. The Jesuit crowd erupted into cheers and only gave the Crusaders more adrenaline to push on for a win. 

Although it seemed to be all in Jesuit’s favor, Westview pushed back and showed why they had averaged 51 points scored in the past three games. At the 10 yard line, the Wildcats switched their usual passing plays into running the ball. This seemed to trick the Jesuit defense as Jordan Fisher had a clear drive into the end zone, taking the lead once again. 

The game continued in a back-and-forth fashion as Jesuit immediately responded with a 7-yard touchdown from Michael Rincon. Jesuit then put on the pressure with their defense, and forced Westview into a safety, retaking the lead 30-28. With relentless effort and only 9 seconds remaining in the third, they extended their offensive dominance with Michael Rincon scoring yet another touchdown. It seemed smooth for Jesuit as they prepared for the last quarter.

Westview continued to fight, snatching another pick 6 halfway through the fourth. With his second interception of the night, Drew Bennett easily ran it into the end zone. The kick was converted as Jesuit’s lead diminished to two points. Michael Rincon would not let up, persisting in his efforts and scoring his fourth touchdown of the night, barreling through tackles to make it 44-35.

The Wildcats attempted to make one final push to win the game, with a 10-yard pass from Sam Leavitt to Brock Jolie to make the score 44-42. After Jesuit got the ball back, they smartly let the clock run out until the game finished. Westview’s safety proved to be costly as Jesuit won a frantic encounter with many twists and turns. Jesuit starts their metro league record 1-0, as Westview gets their first metro league loss of the season. This win will be hugely momentous for the Crusaders as they prepare for their next game against Southridge.