Justin Wang ‘25

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CLAY STADIUM – The Strake Jesuit Crusaders (0-1, 0-0 district) suffered a 55-23 loss to the Fulshear Chargers (1-0, 0-0 district) last Friday night, August 25, in their first game of the season. Against a difficult opponent in the Chargers – defending UIL-5A regional semi-finalists – Jesuit got off to a competitive start before costly turnovers and Fulshear’s physicality broke the game open. “It just came down to us taking care of the football,” Crusaders head coach Donovan Fikac said afterwards.

The game marked a new era of sorts for the Crusaders, who are breaking in a host of new players on both sides of the ball and replacing the majority of their offensive production in particular. Quarterback Luke Byman ‘25 made his first varsity start, and versatile fellow junior Bryson Easley ‘25 also led a series while playing throughout the backfield. “I was very proud of the way they got in there and commanded the offense,” Fikac said. Fulshear’s defensive front constantly pressured both throughout the night, forcing coordinator Ryan Almon to rely on quick passes, screens, and rollouts instead of a slower-developing vertical approach. Nothing came easy on the night for Jesuit.

Byman was 11-17 for 94 yards on the night, with highlights including a 28-yard flare that receiver Luke Omanga ‘25 corralled against his helmet midjump, as well as a 15-yard touchdown pass to Greyson Barrett ‘24 on a rollout. Easley went 3-4 for 31 yards on his lone offensive series, which ended with a strip sack on 4th down near the red zone. Fikac was encouraged by the way his quarterbacks stayed “poised” against a “very physical defense,” promising that “they’re only going to get better.” Running backs Kaleb Melancon ‘24, Kolbe Stewart ‘25, and Johnny Hebert ‘26 combined for 78 yards on 23 carries. Omanga led the team with 39 receiving yards, followed by Mitchel Rahim ‘26 with 38 and Bryce Samuels ‘26 with 28.

On the other side of the ball, the defense faced a tall task containing a prolific Chargers offense that scored 74 points during the two teams’ previous meeting last year. After forcing a Fulshear three-and-out on its opening drive, the Chargers botched a punt and Jackson Priesmeyer ‘24 tackled the punter in the end zone for a safety and a 2-0 lead. As the game went on, however, the power and quickness of the Chargers’ stable of tailbacks wore down the Crusaders’ front seven. Jesuit spent much of the night on the back foot as Fulshear dialed up pounding runs with occasional deep play-action passes to the tune of 196 rushing yards for 3 touchdowns, with 3 more passing touchdowns. Still, Fikac complimented the unit’s “physicality,” noting that “tackling ball carriers on first contact” would be an important next step. Compared to last year’s 74 points given up, it was a respectable display against a high-octane attack. Defensive leaders included Priesmeyer with 6 solo tackles, Burke Ramirez ‘24 with 5, and Otto Leone ‘24 with 3 pass breakups.

The biggest bright spot of the night for the Crusaders was the team’s youth, with a number of sophomores and juniors stepping into the shoes of last year’s seniors and seeing playing time immediately. Sophomores Hebert, Rahim, Samuels, and Dario Contreras ‘26, as well as juniors Byman, Easley, Omanga, and Stewart, made their debuts on offense. On defense, sophomores Johnathan Joseph Jr. ‘26 and Bryce Samuels ‘26 both started in the secondary. Joseph Jr. provided the Crusaders’ play of the night when he fielded the opening second-half kickoff at his own 18-yard line, tracked to the left, cut upfield, and shook off defenders as he sprinted into the end zone to complete an electrifying return score.

“I really believe the ceiling is very high for a lot of these younger guys,” Fikac said. “There’s always a learning curve and some mistakes to learn from, but overall I think these guys are doing a great job getting prepared for what’s going to happen every Friday night.”

This week, the Crusaders will look to bounce back against the Dekaney Wildcats at Clay Stadium on Friday night. The Wildcats, who made the regional playoffs last season, are also coming off a season-opening 42-7 loss to Klein Oak and will be just as motivated as Jesuit to get back on track. “It’s going to be a good game, two teams looking to get in the ‘W’ column,” Fikac remarked. “All I want is for us to play with as much effort and determination as last Friday night. We’re headed in the right direction because of that.” After a difficult welcome to the new season, Dekaney is a chance for the Crusaders to make a big leap in that direction.