Field position key for Spartans
By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer
De La Salle extended its winning streak to 127 games with a 31-21 victory over St. Louis in the HHSAA/First Hawaiian Bank Football Classic last night in large part because it won the battle of field position.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
De La Salle's average starting field position was its own 40, while St. Louis started inside its own 20.
Jackie Bates runs through the Crusaders' defense for a De La Salle score.
There were a couple of reasons for the discrepancy.
Spartans senior kicker Tony Binswanger booted all six of his kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks and forced the Crusaders to start at their 20.
De La Salle also had two punt returns for 57 yards and two kickoff returns for 56 yards. St. Louis had no return yards.
"It was outstanding," De La Salle coach Bob Ladouceur said of his special teams. "It shortened the field for us and got us into the end zone in my opinion. We do a lot of work on special teams."
Senior Damon Jenkins had a couple of the returns.
"Our special teams is the pride of this team," he said. "We came out here to play special teams."
The beneficiary of the Spartans' good field position was senior quarterback Britt Cecil, who completed 6 of 10 passes for 116 yards.
"That was crucial for our offense," Cecil said. "The special teams moved the ball down for us and gave us great opportunities to put the ball in for the score. We took advantage of that tonight."
Each time De La Salle scored, Binswanger pinned the Crusaders back at their 20.
"Normally it's three or four out of six (into the end zone), but tonight was a good night," Binswanger said. "I like it when there's no wind."
Binswanger also punted once and kicked the ball out of bounds at the St. Louis 3-yard line late in the game.
"I was told to do it," he said. "I just tried my best."
De La Salle's streak began in 1992.
"We don't pay attention to the streak," Jenkins said. "We beat a good team tonight. St. Louis was a good team. They gave us a fight but we were victorious."
The Spartans adapted their offense to what St. Louis allowed.
"We dictate what the defense gives us," Cecil said. "I was making the correct read and we moved the ball down the field."
