Omari Elias had a dream season for the Kapaun Mount Carmel Crusaders.

Whether it was rushing for 3,000 yards, earning accolade after accolade after the season was over or getting the Crusaders to the 5A championship game, Elias had so much to be proud of. But there was one particular moment that stood out above the rest.

“Our win over Bishop Carroll really stands out to me,” Elias said. “That was a game that just hung over the Kapaun community, and to be able to reverse that was very special. I don’t know that I could say there was one play that was more special than another, but it was really cool to see how much it meant to all of the alumni to accomplish that.”

Elias, who will be attending the United States Air Force Academy next year, was one of the most dominant running backs in the state this season, but he was not quite sure how he or the rest of his team would fair before the season began.

“I think going into any season, it’s hard to know what to expect when you have a new group of guys on the field,” Elias said. “Every week we really found a new piece of our game that surprised us, and we just rode that kind of progress and improvement all year.”

One of the key adjustments Elias and the Crusaders took this year was to focus on one game or thing at a time and not get caught up in looking ahead.

“Last year, we tried to think of how far we could go before we got there, and I think it kept us from getting where we wanted to go in the end,” Elias said. “This year, the only expectation we had was to come into practice and push ourselves every day, and let the chips fall where they may on Friday nights.”