L.A. Baptist Has Rival’s Number

It started 10 years ago as a way to enhance the intense small-school rivalry between Village Christian and L.A. Baptist.

Village Christian Coach Mike Plaisance got a trophy to honor the winner of their annual Alpha League showdown, and dubbed the contest the “Bible Bowl.”

But after L.A. Baptist defeated the Crusaders, 36-21, Saturday night in a league opener at Kennedy High, it may as well be the Bible Bust for Plaisance.

It was the third consecutive victory for the Knights (5-1) over Village Christian. The past five Alpha League championships have gone to the winner of the game.

L.A. Baptist’s Tim Feirfeil was a menace to the Crusaders (4-2). He caught 10 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns. He also returned a punt for a touchdown, picked up a fumble and rushed for 15 yards.

“Tim played great,” Knight Coach Mark Bates said. “Teams have been trying harder and harder to take him out of the game, but they can’t do it. He keeps getting better.”

Feirfeil’s 88-yard punt return for a touchdown gave the Knights a 13-0 lead in the second quarter.

On L.A. Baptist’s sixth play of the second half, Feirfeil hauled in a pass from quarterback Peter Dirksen and turned it into a 50-yard touchdown. Dirksen completed 17 of 27 passes for 325 yards and two touchdowns.

“The whole team just played great,” Feirfeil said. “It’s the best feeling. There was great blocking, everyone was so pumped up.”

The Crusaders cut their deficit to 26-14 early in the fourth quarter when David Romberger scored on a 10-yard run. But Dirksen and Feirfeil answered with another 50-yard scoring pass play to give the Knights a 33-14 lead.

Village Christian quarterback Jeff Johnston connected with Anthony Loy on a three-yard touchdown pass play late in the game for the final score.

L.A. Baptist’s defense was crucial in containing Romberger to 95 yards. It was the first sub-100-yard rushing game of the season for Romberger, who has 1,008 yards.

“We got the guys ready for what [Romberger] likes to do,” Bates said. “He’s their offense.”

But the Crusaders, noted for their ground attack, found other ways of attacking.

Johnston was impressive, completing eight of 14 passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns.

But for the most part, the Crusader offense never got untracked and the defense failed to contain Dirksen and Feirfeil, the two weapons Plaisance said they had to contain in order to win.

“We just didn’t do it,” he said.

L.A. Baptist outgained the Crusaders on the ground, 208-125, marking the third consecutive year that the pass-oriented Knights beat the Crusaders at their own game.

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* ROUNDUP: St. Genevieve earns its first victory of the season. C14