Despite the 0-2 record on the year thus far for Capital University Football, the Crusaders are showing some new promising signs that could signal a brighter future.
The team opened against Wilmington on March 12 on the Fighting Quakers home turf. While it looked like was going to be their first win in some time, it ended unfortunately for the purple and white.
The Crusaders led for much of the game and were ahead until the Quakers completed a 99 yard scoring drive with just 39 seconds left of play. Our Crusaders nearly responded in the final seconds of the game, but unfortunately the hail mary ended up short, resulting in the 26-21 loss.
Head football coach, Brian Foos, commented on this game saying, “It was a tough end to a great day. The guys made plays and fought hard. It was great to see our defense step up multiple times for big stops. We showed a lot of heart that night.”
That tough night fueled the purple and white to head up to Heidelberg, this past Friday, March 19. Despite their hopeful energy, the Crusaders were beaten 66-13.
Coach Foos made quick comments on this game telling us, “That game is in the past. We have another opportunity to get better this week. We are going to work hard on us.”
Now despite these back to back losses, there have been quite a few stand out performances that the Capital community should take note of.
Kameron Lee, third-year, opened up the year in beast mode against the Fighting Quakers. This standout receiver proved too much for them, totaling 139 yards of receiving with two touchdowns. Lee backed up this performance with another highlight game against Heidelberg where Lee reeled in three passes for 65 yards and a touchdown.
On the other side of the ball from Lee, Capital should take note of defensive back #1 Aralius Walters. This third-year leads the team across nearly all defensive stat lines and has totaled over 20 tackles this year for the team. Walters was also awarded OAC Defensive Player of the Week after his 14 tackle performance against Wilmington.
In our first preview of Coach Foos back in January, the head coach discussed that Crusaders Football would be undergoing a culture change. The coach stuck true to that mention this week in his responses.
“This isn’t about wins and losses right now. This is about changing the culture and taking the steps to get Capital Football back where it belongs. That is a process, not a quick fix,” Foos said.
Trusting this process is something that each of Foos’ athletes have done this year just to be able to get back on the field.
“This group of men have a lot of heart and fight. They have sacrificed a lot to be able to even have a chance to play and they should be commended for that. You can’t just look at a scoreboard to see improvement,” Foos said.
Crusaders Football is once again back in action this Friday, where they will have their home opener against the Polar Bears of Ohio Northern University. Kick off is set to happen at 7 p.m., as our team looks to ring the bell for the first time this year.
Featured image by Carter Campbell
