Faith Lutheran stuns Desert Oasis in playoff opener — PHOTOS
Faith Lutheran already had plenty of bulletin board material heading into its first-round matchup of the 5A Southern Region Playoffs against Desert Oasis. Earlier in the season, the Crusaders lost a close game to the Diamondbacks 30-27.
Now, as the No. 6 seed going on the road to face the No. 3 seed, Faith Lutheran also had doubters in the media to add to its motivation.
The extra fire seemed to work for head coach Jay Staggs’ team, as the Crusaders pulled off an upset with a 35-8 win.
“I know a lot of media outlets didn’t believe that we should be in the playoffs,” Staggs said. “Our boys felt differently, and we wanted a chance to prove ourselves.”
After struggling at times this season to get stops on defense, Faith Lutheran’s defensive unit put on a clinic Friday night.
The Crusaders (4-7) racked up nine sacks. Sophomore Cooper Offermann led the way with three, including two in the first half.
Faith Lutheran’s defense was relentless, holding Desert Oasis (5-5) to just 132 total yards. Up until the Diamondbacks’ final drive — which resulted in a 29-yard touchdown catch by wide receiver Evan Cox — Desert Oasis had managed only 66 yards of offense.
Overall, the Crusaders allowed just 12 rushing plays that gained positive yardage (none longer than 8 yards) and 12 pass completions.
“Defense was outstanding tonight. I’m proud of how all three phases played,” Staggs said.
On offense, Faith Lutheran did enough to secure the win.
Senior running back Justin Robbins carried the load, scoring three straight touchdowns over three quarters.
In the first quarter, he broke free for a 43-yard touchdown run to put the Crusaders up 7-0. In the second, he struck again, from 6 yards out, to give Faith Lutheran a 14-0 halftime lead.
On the first possession after halftime, the Crusaders connected on a 47-yard pass from quarterback Dominic Folino to sophomore Ryan Rowan, setting up a 7-yard touchdown run by Robbins to extend the lead to 21-0.
Robbins finished with 102 rushing yards, accounting for nearly half of Faith Lutheran’s 225 total yards.
Heading into the second round of the 5A Southern Region Playoffs, Staggs and the Crusaders are maintaining a 1-0 mentality.
“It’s essential for any team in any sport in the playoffs to think that way — the understanding that you’re not looking in the past,” Staggs said. “I know what my boys are capable of, and I’m damn proud of their execution.”
