The John Bapst Crusaders stand alone atop the Class D North football rankings.
The 4-0 team from John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor are off to a strong start and heading into Friday’s homecoming matchup against Maranacook with wind in their sails.
John Bapst dealt a strong Winslow team its first loss last week in a 27-14 contest.
“We’re super excited to get a win against a great Winslow team that is also very good at what they do. It’s a huge win for us, for our program, for the league, everything,” said John Bapst head coach Dan O’Connell. “And we’re super excited about that, but Maranacook is not going to decide not to come play the game just because of last week, right? They’re gonna come ready to work hard, ready to play, and we need to make sure that we do things the right way.”
The win over Winslow followed a 41-7 takedown of Mattanawcook Academy, a 54-14 win over Maine Central Institute and an opening night 46-6 victory against Madison.
That unblemished record so far has Bapst in first place in Class D North, one game ahead of Winslow and Madison.
The team has been powered by strong senior leadership, including eight captains who help lead the way for the Crusaders on both sides of the ball.
That includes middle linebacker Zach Gaudette, who anchors the defense from his middle linebacker spot. O’Connell said that Gaudette is the “catalyst” for the defense.
“He plays with passion, plays with an edge,” O’Connell said about Gaudette.
Gaudette explained how the team adheres to a “24-hour rule” where they allow themselves a day to enjoy the results of a tough game before forgetting that one and refocusing on the next opponent before them.
“We consider every week a championship — championship practices all the way through, and we have a championship game at the end,” Gaudette said. “We treat every game like it’s the championship.”
O’Connell explained the key role that quarterback Aidan Ouellette plays leading the team’s triple option. The formidable Crusader backfield includes running backs Malcom Butler and Zac Babcock, and fullback Thomas Curtis.
“We do want to share the ball. We don’t want people to be able to key on one particular player, but because of the triple option version we run, it starts with our quarterback, like so many other football teams,” O’Connell said.
The coach said the Crusaders offense starts with Ouellette.
“We run a true read triple option and on any given play, he’s got as many as three or four different reads,” O’Connell said about his quarterback. “And he’s done it for four years. He’s been a four-year starter and he’s someone who has really put the time into learning the offense and then to master it, and so he is key to everything we do.”
Ouellette said the Crusaders are excited to see where they can go this season, and are focused on taking it one game at a time.
“We know we have a lot to work on, but we’re excited to get better,” Ouellette said.
John Bapst will have its next chance to get better on Saturday night, when it hosts the 1-3 Maranacook Black Bears from Readfield. The 7 p.m. homecoming game will be held at Cameron Stadium in Bangor.
