The Golden Eagles will be presented with a big-time challenge this week as they will be welcoming the rival Kapaun Crusaders in this year’s second edition of “The Holy War.” The Crusaders are currently sitting at 12-4 as they approach the later stages of the regular season. The Golden Eagles are sitting at 14-2. These are two great teams, each looking to gain an advantage over the other as we approach playoff time.
The Golden Eagles are heading into this game with an astonishing 12-game win streak, but it always seems to be a competitive contest when these two rivals match up. When I got the chance to talk to senior Carter Reid about why that is, he stated, “It’s always a competitive game when it comes to playing Kapaun. They’re our rival, we look forward to playing them every year. It adds an even greater amount of competitiveness. We want to be the best, and beating our rival helps us in that cause. Haven’t lost to Kapaun in all my years at Carroll, and that adds to it too, keeping our streak against those guys.”
When asked what it will take for the Golden Eagles to come out on top, Carter stated, “We have to stay composed, they’re a very good team. We’ve been playing extremely well, but you’ve got to give them credit. Us playing our defense, and moving the ball well will likely be the deciding factor for us.”
The key to success for the Golden Eagles will be whether or not they can continue playing their game. The Golden Eagles continuously look to apply consistent and constant pressure on the defensive end, while passing the ball around on offense with an emphasis on getting high percentage shots. When asked about who instills that style of play in the team, senior Presston Rottinghaus stated, “It is the style of play (Coach) Dom pushes. He values high percentage shots in the paint overall and with his motion offense, we can get those quite easily.” This style of play has been the key to the Golden Eagles success this year, and that will no doubt be an essential factor in the team’s game plan tonight.
Game Prediction:
Much like the Golden Eagles, the Kapaun Crusaders can pose a multitude of challenges, largely due to their combination of length and speed. This is one of the many similarities between each of these teams. When asked about this year’s group of Crusaders, Carter stated, “Personally, I know a lot of those guys on Kapaun, even their coaches. It’s a rivalry for sure but they’re good guys. They’re very long, and can flat out shoot the rock. Full strength they are extremely hard to beat.”
I expect both teams to put on great performances tonight, but much like the earlier stages of the season, I expect the large array of talent presented by the Golden Eagles to put them over the top. Every time these teams face off we receive a 5-star matchup and I expect nothing different to come out of tonight. We will see a great game between two great teams, with both of them looking to further set themselves up for their ultimate goal, a state championship.
