On the eve of the LHSAA state championship, the head coach of Brother Martin’s football team (9-5) sat down with WWL’s Kristian Garic to talk about the emotions surrounding this team.
Garic asked Coach Mark Bonis about the amount of sleep he’ll get tonight before Saturday’s title game against John Curtis (11-2). It’s the first time since 1989 Brother Martin has been in the championship game.
“I’ll sleep well,” Bonis told Garic.
Bonis’ calm demeanor is something he tried to pass on to his players. Of course, he understands the gravity of the moment: It’s been decades since the Crusaders have been in this position.
But Bonis didn’t want that history to weigh on his team. Before a pep rally this week, Bonis told his players to focus on the game and the opportunity to be in it.
“For us, we haven’t been there in 33 years. We hope that we’ll be here again. We’re very blessed to be there this year and I just wanted them and our whole student body to cherish it for the rest of their lives,” said Bonis.
He told Garic he is proud of the development of his quarterback, saying he’s made tremendous strides from the beginning of the season to where he is now.
Bonis also credited his defense for placing them in the position in which they find themselves, saying they've been “lights out all season.”
While he encouraged his team to treat the championship game as any other football game, the fans and families of both Brother Martin and John Curtis may not do so.
Kickoff is set for Saturday at 7 pm in the Caesars Superdome.
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