Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Riley Nantz

By Ray Hamill — Quarterback Trenten Hagler and running back Riley Nantz combined for almost 300 yards rushing as the St. Bernard’s Crusaders kicked off the new season with a comfortable win over Clear Lake on Saturday afternoon.

With their ground attack working effectively and a dominating defensive performance, the Crusaders won the game 30-6.

Hagler ran for 175 yards on 15 carries, while Nantz added 123 yards on 15 carries.

“I was extremely happy with the team performance today, especially the offense,” St. Bernard’s head coach Matt Tomlin said. “It’s a new system and we didn’t have a good week of practice, but I thought we executed really well today and we ran the heck out of the ball.

“I thought our offensive and defensive lines played well. We ran the ball and we stopped the run.”

With the passing attack struggling somewhat early in the game — the Crusaders threw three interceptions in the first half — it was the ground attack that helped the team settle into the game.

And if the outcome was still up in the air at the interval, the Crusaders quickly ended the game as a contest in the third quarter.

Nantz was particularly influential on both sides of the ball, scoring on a 32-yard TD run and adding a team-high nine tackles and a sack.

“He had a great summer and got us really excited with how hard he worked,” Tomlin added of the senior. “He ran really hard and made some great cuts.”

Hagler also found the end zone on a nine-yard TD run, while the always dangerous Tyler Hinrichs enjoyed a very impressive all-around game, including scoring on a four-yard TD run early in the third quarter.

Hinrichs also kicked two field goals from 33 and 25 yards out, as well as adding a pair of PATs and a two-point conversion run.

“It’s kind of like last year, he does a little bit of everything for us,” Tomlin said of the standout senior, who also made several big tackles on defense and had four touchbacks on kickoffs. “That’s a game changer to have a kicker of that caliber.”

The passing game, however, struggled at times, with Hagler completing just 6-of-17 passes for 67 yards and the three picks.

Defensively, tackles Josh Tinkham and Teqkauri Achane both had big games and helped set the tone in the trenches.

“I thought Josh and Teqkauri just both were outstanding with their physicality and how many plays they made,” Tomlin said.

Kohlton Hall finished with a pair of sacks, while Quentin Ikeya and Miles Sirrine each had an interception.

Sirrine capped a strong all-around game with four tackles and a sack.

Tomlin also praised the contributions of new offensive coordinator Jack Rice, whom he said “really mixed up the play calling today” and did a good job keeping the Clear Lake defense guessing.

“They were a little bit shorthanded, but their kids are tough,” Tomlin said of Clear Lake. “They’re a well-coached team.”

Next up, the Crusaders will play at McKinleyville next Friday night.

In JV action on Saturday, freshman Jack Omey had four touchdown receptions to lead St. Bernard’s to s 34-7 win.