The Jesuit Crusaders are ready for a resurgent season after getting second in Metro and finishing 15th in state. The OSAA preseason polls rank them 10th in 6A.
Jesuit’s first game is on September 5th against Tualatin, who is ranked 5th in state in the preseason polls.
Last year, Jesuit went 9-3 and Tualatin went 6-4. This is the second year they play each other first, as last year Jesuit played at Tualatin and lost 54-19.
Even though the Crusaders have lost a strong senior class, including quarterback Treynor Cleeland and wide receiver Grant Valley, they have their sights set on succeeding deep into the season.
“This season, we definitely want to make a run in the playoffs,” senior Roman Mallard, Crusader safety and receiver, said.
Football fan senior Olive Brown agrees. Last year, Jesuit failed to make it to the Championship bracket, but ended up reaching the semifinals of the Columbia Cup, the second tier of playoffs.
“I hope we make the actual playoffs this year and not just the Columbia Cup,” she said.
Coach Ken Potter has been preparing the team by urging them to focus on themselves and improve day by day.
“I think what you do is you don’t focus so much on your opponent as much as you focus on yourself. And our preparation has been how we get better each day,” Potter said.
To set the tone for the season, Mallard hopes for a win to open the season.
“A win will give us a lot of momentum, especially it being week one, and I think a lot of a lot of teams will have more respect for us if we come out with a win,” Mallard said.
Potter believes in the team and hopes that by focusing on each play, the outcome of the game will be positive.
“The mindset is we’re going to go in and play the best game we possibly can play. Win or lose, we will have to look at what we need to do to improve, and then prepare for the next game so that we can hopefully win,” he said.
He believes he has prepared the team well and has made sure they know what to expect from Tualatin.
“They have a new quarterback, and they have some very good wide receivers, so I expect them to throw the ball well, but they have a balanced attack of running and throwing. They’re a really good football team, so we expected it to be a really tough and tight and fun football game for the fans, and hopefully it’ll be fun for us, too,” Potter said.
Mallard is ready to play hard and make sure the team is in the right mindset to play, as Potter is focused on controlling the line of scrimmage and avoiding giving up big plays.
With a new quarterback in Jack Wilson this season, the Crusaders hope to find similar success as previous seasons.
“He’s a young baller, he’s gonna make plays,” Mallard said.
However, Potter believes domination in the game against Tualatin is going to come from the Franchise, or Jesuit’s offensive line.
“You want to watch Quinn Wicklow and John Ching, Cooper Wright, Flynn Collins, Danny North, and all those guys along the front. Watch how they’re blocking and how we’re opening up holes. Then defensively, you want to see the defensive line dominating up front… That’s where it’s won and lost, right there,” he said.
Whether you’re watching the battle in the trenches or the ball, Friday night football is back.
“I’m excited to be a more spirited school,” Brown said. “Staying until the end of the game is a great way to show support.”
Jesuit opens the season on September 5th at home against Tualatin. Free admission with your student ID.
