Justin Wang ‘25

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CLAY STADIUM, October 13 – The Strake Jesuit Crusaders (2-5, 2-2 district) beat the visiting Alief Taylor Lions 24-15 on Friday night in a game that meant more than what the numbers might suggest. Yes, the Crusaders gained fewer yards and recorded fewer first downs than Taylor. No, it wasn’t as dominant as their previous 36-0 win against Alvin. But to head coach Donovan Fikac, those stats paled in importance compared to the belief and determination he saw from his team in victory.

“Number one, we believe in each other,” he said afterwards. “We say Ubuntu, we say brotherhood, we embrace it, and we live it. That same mentality is what’s gonna get us over the hump.”

The game’s deciding factor was Jesuit’s seamless complementary football, with both phases of the game making enough plays to limit Taylor’s opportunities. The defense forced turnovers and got stops in key situations, and quarterback Bryson Easley ‘25 – making his first start of the year – and a punishing ground attack eventually took control of the game and drained the clock, resulting in an important district win that gave Jesuit, after a less-than-ideal start to the season, a realistic shot at the UIL playoffs. 

Defensively, the Crusaders’ standout player was Henry Omanga ‘25. Starting at safety after injuries shuffled the lineup, Omanga made numerous crucial plays all over the field to deny the Taylor offense. Early on, he broke up a 3rd-and-goal pass to force the Lions to kick a field goal instead of taking a 7-0 lead with a touchdown. That was just the start: minutes into the third quarter, Omanga picked off an overthrown pass and returned it to the Taylor 31 to set up an SJ field goal. Two drives later, after a Johnny Hebert ‘26 touchdown run made it 17-3, Omanga snagged another interception and took it to the house for a pick-6 and a commanding 24-3 lead.

“The quarterback was staring his receiver down,” Omanga said after the game. “Our linebacker was in perfect position so the quarterback had to throw it to the side and it went straight into my arms.” On his scintillating return, the safety described it as “just taking off on instinct.”

In the fourth quarter, those instincts showed again as Omanga was quickest to jump on a Taylor fumble and recovered the ball, ending yet another Lions drive. There was plenty of playmaking on display from the Crusader defense, with an early red-zone interception from Johnathan Joseph, Jr. ‘26, Levi Norvell ‘24 knocking away a 4th-and-goal pass from the 3-yard line, and Ryan Cortez ‘24 picking off Taylor’s punter after a bad snap forced the punter to fling the ball downfield. All told, the defense did more than enough to wipe out the damage of Taylor’s 102-yard advantage (323-221) in yards gained. Coach Fikac called their performance “lights-out on every single snap.”

“It’s so fun to watch them play,” he said. “You were seeing green [SJ] helmets on the ball every play. They’re physical, they’re fast, they tackle, they know their assignments, and they are getting better each and every game.”

Coach Fikac added, “[Henry Omanga] had the game of his life tonight and that comes from the mental preparation, film study, quality practice reps and knowing what to expect before it’s happening. He’s a very hooked-up, smart football player and he’s gonna keep making big plays for years to come.”

The offense also turned in a quality performance, converting drives into points while Taylor struggled to capitalize on their own opportunities. They also overcame a nightmarish start to the game: on the second play of the night, running back Johnny Hebert ‘26 was blown up on a screen pass and fumbled the ball to the Lions. The Jesuit defense, true to form, made up for the mistake with Joseph Jr.’s interception on an end zone shot. Hebert bounced back from the vicious early hit with a masterful performance, running for 141 yards and a score on 30 carries, his fourth time surpassing 90 rush yards in seven games this season. Fellow backs Kaleb Melancon ‘24 and Kolbe Stewart ‘26 also combined for 27 yards on the night.

The run game’s performance helped quarterback Bryson Easley ‘25 ease into his first career start, after the junior was pressed into action last week when starter Luke Byman ‘25 suffered a season-ending injury against Dawson. Easley looked nervous early on but eventually settled into something of a rhythm, finding Tyler Socha ‘24 for an 18-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. “Bryson grew up in the second half,” Fikac said afterwards. “He had to get the jitters out in the first half. He was poised, he understood where we were going with the ball. I think with those reps he’s gonna start to flourish in those situations. That’s a big confidence-building win under his belt.”

While the Crusaders took care of business at home on Friday night, other district games saw both Alvin and Alief Elsik lose, meaning the Crusaders, with a 2-2 district record with three games to go, now held District 23-6A’s fourth and final playoff spot over Alief Hastings (1-3). Jesuit would travel to play Hastings at Crump Stadium the next Thursday, with the winner of that game taking pole position towards a playoff bid. Even after their 0-4 start this season, the Crusaders could conceivably make the postseason after missing out last year.

But for the time being, they focused on themselves and their improvement each week. For Omanga, Jesuit’s indisputable player of the game, the win boiled down to “a great gameplan from the coaches, doing our jobs, executing, playing as a team all the way to the end.” If the Crusaders keep performing that way, the playoffs could lie ahead. Coach Fikac was succinct when asked about the possibility. “If we believe in each other,” he said, “we will get it done.”