By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

RESERVE — First came Division I champion Rummel, then a strong Scotlandville team that pushed those Raiders to the limit last postseason. 

Now, East St. John lines up the third and final member of its unforgiving pre-district schedule: nationally ranked John Curtis, who will enter Friday night’s home game with the Wildcats at No. 23 in the weekly USA Today rankings.

East St. John coach Phillip Banko is a former Curtis assistant who says JCC head coach J.T. Curtis is like a “father figure” to him. But when the ball is kicked off on Friday, there will be no room for love as the Wildcats attempt to defend Curtis’ vaunted triple-option.

“They run it as well as anyone in the country,” Banko said. “Since 1967, they’ve had the same head coach, the same offensive coordinator and the same defensive coordinator. And you watch them play, they look the same. The names change, but the system is still intact.”

Physicality is Curtis’ calling card. 

“They try to knock you off the ball,” Banko said. “First and foremost, that’s what it comes down to. You have to be tough and sound in your assignments to play them.”

Curtis (2-0) is fresh off of a close 32-25 victory over Lufkin (TX) in the Battle at the Border series in Shreveport. The Patriots took the winning points on a fourth quarter punt return touchdown by Devon Benn. 

As always, the Patriots threaten defenses primarily through a group of dangerous running backs. Dontae Jones led the way in the win over Lufkin, gaining 136 yards on 24 carries. He has rushed for 280 yards and two  scores thus far. Benn rushed for 69 yards on 22 carries last week. 

But when it came time to converting drives into points, Curtis quarterback Myles Washington proved a major threat himself. Washington scored three rushing touchdowns last week. He attempted just four passes, completing three for 81 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Washington is no secret at the college level, boasting offers from Louisville and Kent State. 

“You can’t key on any one guy,” Banko said. “That’s what they want you to do.”

Mammoth offensive tackle Willie Allen stands at 6’7”, 300 lbs., leading the line paving the way for the JCC veer option. 

A terrific linebacking corps has paced the Curtis defense so far. Nathaniel Evans racked up 22 tackles over the first two weeks, while fellow linebacker Bo Wallace has been another factor, with three sacks so far this season — two coming against Lufkin. 

“They run that 50 defense,” Banko said. “They run a lot more out of nickel, whereas Rummel likes to stay in their base defense. Outside of that, both (defenses) are pretty similar. Those guys are big, fast and well-coached.”

After beginning the season by allowing 37 offensive points in a loss to defending Division I champion Rummel, East St. John’s defense responded loudly against Scotlandville, refusing to concede a lead to a veteran Hornets team despite some difficult field position challenges due to turnovers. 

Curtis offers a different set of problems.

“You have to cover the dive, the quarterback and the pitch,” Banko said. “Some people like to blitz it. I don’t think you can do that, it plays into what they do. Maybe the double option, but the triple-option makes you account for a plethora of people.”