The 2020 edition of the Helias Crusaders had a championship-quality defense. There’s a Class 4 state title banner hanging in Rackers Fieldhouse to prove it. The 2023 edition of the Crusaders did them one better. Actually, seven better. The Helias defense posted its second shutout of the season Friday night as the Crusaders wrapped up an undefeated Central Missouri Activities Conference campaign with a 63-0 victory against the Sedalia Smith-Cotton Tigers.
It’s a big game for the Helias Crusaders. Sure, they’ve beaten Capital City in their previous three meetings. But that’s the past. The focus is fully on the Cavaliers for a lot of reasons tonight at Ray Hentges Stadium.
It wasn’t the prettiest game for the Helias Crusaders, except maybe on the scoreboard. “It’s an ugly win, but a win is a win,” Helias coach Chris Wyrick said Monday after the Crusaders used a three-run fifth inning to rally for a 5-3 victory against the Eldon Mustangs at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex. “We cannot survive playing like this, we have to play cleaner baseball.”
It was unfamiliar territory. For the first time this season, the Helias Crusaders were behind in a game as the Battle Spartans took a 16-10 lead into halftime Friday night at Ray Hentges Stadium. The deficit didn’t last long. Helias scored three touchdowns in the first seven minutes of the third quarter on its way to a 58-16 victory against Battle in Central Missouri Activities Conference play.