Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders 49, Francis Parker Lancers 27

The boys from Mater Dei Catholic were too much for the Francis Parker Lancers on Friday. The Crusaders cruised to an easy win 49-27.

    Running back CJ Verdell was outstanding. Every time number five touched the rock, it appeared  he would take it the distance. On the first play of the game, Verdell took a simple hand off 68 yards to pay dirt. He finished the game with two touchdowns. Another great play was by a former Lancer, Eli Shelton. After transferring from Francis Parker, took a kick off 78 yards for a touchdown! Quarterback CJ Jones also finished the game with 3 touchdowns. He had two passing touchdowns and one rushing. Running back Mario Williams also had a touchdown in the game. All in all it was a great effort by the undefeated Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders. 

    Francis Parker played well Friday despite the lopsided score. Sophomore quarterback Ben Krongard and wide receiver Sterling Hayes connected twice for touchdowns. This tandem will be fun to watch in the years to come. Running back Bryce Neels was a joy to watch as well. He broke several runs that should have been stopped for loss while carrying multiple Crusaders along the way. But in conclusion, the physicality of the Crusaders just proved to be too much for the young group of kids from Francis Parker. 

    The Crusaders will take their undefeated recorded to San Ysidro next week. The Lancers will once again try to pick up their first win against Calexico.  

Mater Dei Catholic (2-0) is jumping on a bus and taking a ride over to Francis Parker high school (0-2) for a Friday night showdown at 7 p.m. The Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders will be looking for redemption after losing last year 33-13 to the Francis Parker Lancers. 

The Lancers students and fans need to be loud on Friday because Parker will need all the help they can get. The Lancers have only scored 6 points in their first two games and have given up a whopping 84 to their foes. Parker’s defense gave up 5 touchdowns to both Hoover and Nuview Bridge. In their first game against Nuview Bridge, they were beaten via the aerial assault; in game two against Hoover, they were trampled by the Cardinals rushing attack. Sophomore quarterback Ben Krongard needs to improve for the Lancers to stand a chance. 

The Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders are the polar opposite of the Lancers; they’re undefeated and experienced. The Crusaders have taken down both Valley Center and El Capitan this year. Junior Chris Jones is a dual threat quarterback who can beat you with either his arm or his legs. Running back CJ Verdell will also be another player to watch come Friday. Verdell is a play of the week candidate and you can check out his highlight here.

If you won’t be able to make the game Friday, make sure to turn to KUSI’s Prep Pigskin Report at 10:30 p.m. to get all the highlights.