ENCINO — Every football team has core values, no matter how big or small. Some want to be known for establishing the run; others want to be physical. Teams can implement core values in a game plan and execute them on game day.
Even while up 33-0.
Crespi’s defense was on the cusp of giving up its first points of the night, but for Crespi, red zone defense is a core value. The defensive unit executed at a high level, denying Oak Park the end zone and preserving the shutout.
The Crespi Celts went on to beat the Oak Park Eagles 40-0, handing Oak Park its first loss of the season.
“We practice those situations a lot,” Crespi head coach Brad Vonnahme said of red zone defense. “We have competitive kids that keep playing, and they have really learned to not ride the highs and lows of a game or a drive, and just keep executing one play at a time. And it was cool to see the fourth down stopped down there.”
From the jump, it was all Crespi (4-1). It didn’t take long for Celts junior quarterback Chase Curren to make his presence felt. In seven offensive plays, he had five completions for 123 yards and two touchdowns. By the end of the night, he finished with over 240 total yards and three touchdowns.
Curren found an answer all night, whether it was rushing the ball or extending the play and making a throw down the field. His highlight of the night was a 32-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wideout Harlem Bullock, who rose over a defender to make the catch.
“[Curren] is a big play guy at any moment,” Vonnahme said of his quarterback. “We never feel like a drive is over when he’s behind center, and he’s a tough kid. He’s the real deal. He plays well with live bullets. He’s tough. He takes shots now and again, and he gets right up. So the offense rides through him.”
Earlier this year, Crespi fell behind 24-7 to Notre Dame and 21-0 to St. Francis in its first two home games. Crespi fought back to beat St. Francis but fell short against Notre Dame. The team is battle-tested early, which can help down the road, but the clear objective was to execute early and get off to a good start.
“I thought we were pretty dialed all week, and we practiced with good intensity,” Vonnahme said. “We refined the details of the game plan, and this is our third home game. Our first two, frankly, were atrocious starts. So, to come out and start fast and play really well from the jump was something we were aiming to do.”
For Oak Park (4-1), the energy was off from the jump. Trailing 14-0 early, Oak Park gave up a pick-six to fall behind 21-0, and Oak Park couldn’t dig itself out of it.
Despite the performance, Eagles head coach Casey Webb knows his team will respond. League play is up next, and he expects his team to be ready to learn and improve in practice next week.
“We came out flat,” Webb said. “It didn’t help. You can’t come out flat against really good football teams. That’s honestly what it comes down to. We have got to rise to the occasion. … Our next two games are against Agoura and Calabasas, and we gotta be ready to go.”