St. Mary’s

St. Mary’s eager to turn fortunes around

A high percentage of returning starters bodes well for the Crusaders this fall

By Tim Trower

for the Mail Tribune

St. Mary’s took its lumps in the abbreviated 2020-21 spring football season, but that did little to temper the Crusaders’ enthusiasm going forward.

Growing pains are part of the process.

St. Mary’s won only one of its four games and allowed 52.3 points per game in its three setbacks.

However, starters return to 16 of the 22 offensive and defensive positions, and although the Crusaders will still be on the young side — quarterback Eli Haynes and running back/linebacker Beau Aldrich are the lone seniors — they’ve gained valuable exposure to varsity play.

“We’re a young team this year, really,” said head coach Jamie Young, entering his 12th season, “and we’re a team that will have some younger guys get some experience. I think that’s really going to put us in a great spot down the road. It’s a good group of kids, and we’re excited to get back on a normal football-type schedule.”

ANDY ATKINSON / MAIL TRIBUNE

St. Mary’s quarterback Eli Haynes is one of the Crusaders’ most experienced players and only one of two seniors on this season’s roster.

As with most teams, St. Mary’s schedule was interrupted by a reshaped OSAA calendar that had high school winter sports stretching into early summer. That prevented the Crusaders from participating in a team camp they’d attended for a decade.

St. Mary’s typically coordinates the camp, in Astoria, with the time it can spend in pads and gets a good dress rehearsal in July.

“In that sense, (summer preparation) was significantly different,” said Young.

That and lower than usual player numbers — a byproduct of a school year dealing with COVID-19 — were initially

New Exhibits! Space Science and Exploration – Almeda Fire – All About Jade

“Reservations for Large Parties Recommended” KIDS DAY

Kids Day is the second Saturday of every moth! Explore the world of earth sciences, fossils, and dinosaurs! Address: 2002 Scenic Avenue Central Point, OR 97502 Phone: 541-664-6081

Hours:

Tuesday-Saturday 10AM - 4PM

a concern, but the offseason workout turnout proved encouraging.

“We got everything that we wanted to installed, in terms of our offensive and defensive schemes,” said Young. “We had a great turnout of kids. We have some low numbers, but we got them all there this summer, got them in the weight room and did our work on the field.”

Now it’s a matter of bringing the pieces together on Friday nights.

The offense could be characterized as a thunder-and-lightning show.

Bruising running back Aldrich is sure to impart a few headaches to opposing defenders, and when gains need to be made through the air, Haynes showed last season he can strike quickly.

Aldrich is 6-foot-1, 245 pounds, considerably bigger than most of the defensive players he’ll encounter.

“We have the ability to do some things with Beau at running back that are exciting and very unique to what we’ve had in previous years,” said Young, recalling the likes of recent, smaller ball carriers Gavin Rajagopal, Brady Eiler and Will Heycke.

SEE ST. MARY’S, 25