Jays battle WCA on Senior Night

Coaches preach that this week’s game is the most important game.
That is especially true this week when Westminster Christian Acadmey visits St. Edmund Friday night as the hopes of making the playoffs and staying in the district hunt are at stake.
“This is a really big game,” St. Edmund head coach Andy Hargroder said. “We want to win out to have a chance for the championship against Basile.
“If we are playing for the disitrict title on the last playing date, it won’t matter what our record is.”
The Blue Jays (2-5, 1-1) and Crusaders (4-3, 1-1) are in a four-way tie for second place in District 5-1A along with Catholic High of Pointe Coupee and False River Academy.
“The loser of this game is out of the district race,” Hargroder said. “This is a really big deal as we fight to make the playoffs.”
WCA opened the season with a 20-14 loss to Convenant Christian before a 35-6 win over Merryville.
The Crusaders lost to undefeated Dunham (41-7), but rebounded with a 35-28 victory over Ascension Christian.
WCA continued its win streak with victories over Morgan City (20-14) and district foe Catholic-PC (34-6).
The Crusaders are coming off a 14-12 loss against Basile, where the Bearcats finished with 257 yards of total offense and held WCA to 133 yards.
“I think we match up with them,” Hargroder said. “But we need to be more consistent on offense and execute better.
“I am proud of the way our guys don’t quit,” the coach said. “The guys were discouraged after the loss but they still believe we can win the district title.”
It is the final home game and Senior Night for the Blue Jays.
“They are not a real vocal group,” Hargroder said of the seniors. “They lead by example – they work hard in practice and give it all on the field.”
Presently, Westminster is the No. 2 ranked team in the LHSAA Division IV power rankings, while St. Edmund is the fifth-ranked team.
Last year, St. Edmund won 32-20 at WCA.