Friday’s game
What: Badin (4-1, 1-1 GCLC Central) at Carroll (3-2, 1-1 GCLC North), 7 p.m.
Where: Patriot Stadium, 4524 Linden Ave., Riverside
Last meeting: Badin won 35-0 in 2014
Bill Tenore sees Badin High School’s first football loss of the season as a mere bump in the road.
His Rams absorbed a 38-31 defeat at the hands of visiting Fenwick last Friday, falling to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the Greater Catholic League Coed Central Division.
“Our guys know it’s not the end-all and be-all of our season,” Tenore said. “When you’ve got a lot invested in it, losses like that are going to hurt, but at the same time, our guys have a good mentality. We’ve got a long way to go.
“The Fenwick game kind of lived up to its billing. We scored 31 points on a really good defense. We just came up a little short. All of our key goals are still out there. We’ll take care of those and see those guys again in the playoffs.”
Badin will hit the road to face Carroll on Friday, with the Patriots sitting 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the GCLC North Division.
Senior fullback Cody Boxrucker is on the verge of breaking two of the Rams’ most significant career records. Boxrucker has rushed for 2,667 yards and scored 242 points, ranking second behind Tony Farquis (2,832 yards and 252 points) in both categories.
Badin has won the last four meetings with Carroll, including a 35-0 decision last year.
“There’s no gimmes in the GCL, but I think we’re definitely capable of a nice win on Friday,” Tenore said. “I think we have the advantage on the offensive and defensive lines, and we might be a little faster than Carroll.”
The Patriots use a multiple pro-style offense headed by senior quarterback Jacob Severt (6-1, 210) and senior running back Corey Hastings (6-1, 225). Tenore said that’s a significant change from last year.
“They were a very, very tight double wing, almost like a goal-line offense,” the BHS coach said. “They’re more spread out this year. They’ll throw more formations out there.”
Carroll coach Ben Rulli said Severt gives his team a solid aerial attack, though the Patriots are still a run-first crew. Rulli’s biggest concern is the Rams’ size advantage up front.
“That’s the one thing that struck me was how big their offensive and defensive lines were,” he said. “We expect them to use their size against us because we are a little smaller than most of our opponents.
“Speed-wise, I think we’ll be OK on the perimeter. That’s the area we have to win. We’ve done a very good job moving the ball in the air and on the ground, so I feel pretty confident either way we go about it. But this week we definitely have to take our shots on the outside.
“Defensively, we’re going to keep it very simple for our guys. We’re looking at different ways to get multiple linebackers into the game, more than just our normal two. We want to meet their physicality with our physicality.”
Rulli doesn’t think the emotional loss to Fenwick will have a lasting effect on Badin.
“We’re planning to get their best,” he said. “I think they’re going to come in with a mission because I’m sure they have goals set to make a run in the playoffs.”
Carroll hasn’t had a winning season since 2010. That’s also the last time the Patriots had a winning record (4-1) at the midway point of the season.
“We’re trying to right the ship here,” Rulli said. “We’re pretty much undersized going into each week, but we’re scrappy.”
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