The Helias Crusaders didn't toss the game film out of a bus window last Saturday on their way back from East St. Louis, Ill.
You can't blame them if they wanted to leave it by the side of the highway. Reliving a 51-21 loss to Bishop Althoff was not going to be a pleasant experience.
But it was a necessary one.
"You have to watch it," Helias coach Tim Rulo said. "When you're going against a quality opponent, your technique has to be perfect, where maybe it doesn't have to be against a lesser quality team.
"We need our technique to be great in games like those against Althoff, focused and doing the correct things."
The disappointing defeat came on the heels of a 50-point victory against Kansas City Southeast in Week 2.
"There are highs and lows in each season," Rulo said. "There are moments of excitement, there are moments of frustration.
"In the end, both are learning experiences. You can learn more from a loss than a lopsided win, We want to learn from that game for the next big game we're in.
That next big game is tonight when Helias (1-2) travels to Columbia to face the Hickman Kewpies (0-3).
It can be a case of coach-speak when an opponent talks up an 0-3 team in game week. But when the three losses are to Jackson, Webster Groves and Jefferson City, there are a lot of teams around the state that would be in the same boat as the Kewpies.
"Those are three teams that contend all the time," Rulo said. "You can't afford just to look at the 0-3, because if you do that, you're not understanding who they're playing.
"You can see they're still trying to figure things out. Looking at film, no, they're not Althoff. But they're still doing some pretty good stuff."
Helias defeated Hickman 39-6 last year at Adkins Stadium. Rulo believes this edition of the Kewpies is better than that one.
"They are better than they were last year, they look hungrier, playing with a purpose, more driven," he said. "And that means they are more dangerous."
Instability at quarterback hasn't helped the Kewpies this season. Three different players have taken snaps.
"You can see all kinds of things," Rulo said. "It can be tough to deal with if we're not prepared for all of them."
Deven Crane missed last week's loss to Jefferson City after being suspended for one game for his involvement in a scrum against Webster Groves. Crane has completed just under 50 percent of his passes this season (15-of-32) for 212 yards and two interceptions. Crane is expected to be back in the starting lineup tonight.
Andrew Paten got the start behind center against the Jays and was 16-of-27 through the air for 154 yards and a touchdown.
"They don't do much different in the way of how they look whoever is in at quarterback," Rulo said. "They don't change formations, but they run different plays by going to different parts of the playbook. The quarterbacks all bring different things to the table."
Cameron Chick leads the Kewpies in rushing (115 yards, 2.9 avg.) and receptions (11 for 137 yards). Wide receiver Talin Kemp had seven catches for 82 yards last week against the Jays.
Defensively, the Kewpies employ their usual 4-2-5 formation.
"They've run that forever," Rulo said. "They've had some success with it through the years. We have to be smart and try to win the chess matches against them."
The Crusaders are expecting to get a stiff test from the Kewpies tonight.
"This is a big game for us," Rulo said. "Coming off the loss, we need to go up there ready to play our style of football. We need to be physical, assert ourselves.
"We need to be ready to go."
Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
III
Notes: Hickman is still dealing with the passing of head coach Arnel Monroe, who died during the summer at the age of 49. "My heart breaks for Hickman and that community," Rulo said. "I know how much the school meant to him. That's something no program should have to go through." Devin Brown, who formerly was the head coach at Boonville and Mexico before joining the Hickman staff as an assistant lat year, is the Kewpies head coach. After tonight's game, the third road contest in the first four weeks for the Crusaders, Helias will close the schedule with four home contests in the final five weeks. Helias will return to Columbia on Sept. 30 to take on Rock Bridge. That will be the last of four straight games against Columbia schools. Helias hosts Battle and Father Tolton the next two weeks. Hickman, which dropped to Class 5 this season due to declining enrollment, is being outscored by an average of 42.5-8.7 per game this season.
Preview podcast: Helias Crusaders Football Podcast [Hickman preview, Sept. 9, 2016]
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