Once again, the Capital City Cavaliers are set to play the biggest game in program history. The Cavaliers are set to face a rematch against the Helias Crusaders in Capital City’s first district championship game in the four-year history of the program. “We’re trending toward the right direction,” Capital City coach Joe Collier said. “The things that we’re doing in the offseason, in the season, the corrections and tweaks we’re trying to make during games during the season, this is the path we should be on.”
You don’t get style points. The Helias Crusaders did the most important thing this time of the year Friday night: win the game. “Overall, it’s a win, you move the next line in the playoffs,” Helias coach Chris Hentges said after a 38-28 victory against the Washington Blue Jays in the Class 5 District 5 semifinals at Ray Hentges Stadium. “We have to play better next week or we won’t be advancing out of districts, that’s the bottom line.”
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.
The Capital City Cavaliers are looking for a bounce back. The Cavaliers have dropped two consecutive games for the first times since the 2021 season and will look to get back in the win column when they go up Stadium Boulevard once again, this time to play the Helias Crusaders in a CMAC matchup at 7 p.m. today.
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.