Crusaders can’t find rhythm, drop season opener

The first play from scrimmage for the Faith Lutheran football team on Friday netted 70 yards and a touchdown.

The Crusaders’ other 22 first-half plays accounted for a meager 56 yards.

Faith Lutheran’s offense never found a rhythm after its first possession, and the Crusaders lost 35-7 to visiting Lutheran (Colo.) in the season opener for both teams.

The game marked the debut of Crusaders coach Vernon Fox, a former Cimarron-Memorial athlete and an eight-year NFL veteran.

“Obviously it’s disappointing. We never line up to lose,” Fox said. “We’ve got to learn from our experience and go back to work and study the film.”

After Faith Lutheran (0-1) allowed a 91-yard return for a touchdown by Alex Nemers on the opening kickoff, Keenan Smith burst through a big hole up the middle and ran away from the Lions defense to make it 7-6.

Smith finished with 130 yards on 16 carries for Faith Lutheran.

"I think that first play meant a lot to us as a program," Fox said. "We saw what we can do when everything is rolling. We have to find ways to do that more consistently."

But the Crusaders, who were known for their aerial attack in recent seasons, struggled to slow down Lutheran’s pass rush. Faith Lutheran quarterback Greg Benson finished 6-for-11 for 57 yards and was sacked four times. The junior also threw two interceptions.

The first pick was returned 45 yards by Brendan Edgerley and set up an 11-yard touchdown pass from James Willis to tight end Matt Hanson that put Lutheran up 21-7 late in the second quarter. Faith Lutheran marched to the Lions' 23-yard line on the opening possession of the third quarter, but the drive stalled when Benson's fourth-down screen pass was intercepted by Noah Halseth.

Willis then capped a nine-play, 74-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Henry Waite that gave the Lions a 28-7 advantage with 3:56 remaining in the third.

Willis threw three touchdowns and finished 10-for-18 for 121 yards. Dante Perez added 89 yards rushing for Lutheran (1-0), which overcame 130 yards in penalties.

Backup quarterback Jacob Deaville ran for 26 yards and drove Faith Lutheran to the Lions' 5 late in the fourth quarter before turning the ball over on downs.

"At the end of the day, we couldn't put it in the end zone, and after a while we couldn't stop them," Fox said. "They did a lot of what we expected them to do, but they did it well."