Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

St. Bernard’s celebrated homecoming with a 41-14 win over Stellar Prep at Crusader Field on Friday afternoon, improving to 6-1 on the season.

And once again it was the team defense that led the way, with another suffocating performance from a unit that continues to play at an impressive level.

Senior linebacker Justin Hagler was again instrumental for the home team, as was sophomore linebacker Jacob Smallwood, while the recent addition of sophomore defensive end Demarte Prudhomme has given an already dangerous unit an extra dimension.

“Our starting defense played outstanding,” Tomlin said. “Our defense really set our offense up to succeed today.”

Prudhomme, who had to sit out the first half of the season after transferring from Eureka High, added his first TD for the Crusaders on offense on a four-yard catch from quarterback Will Omey late in the second quarter for a 28-0 lead.

Two plays later he sacked the Stellar Prep quarterback to end the half on a high, his second sack of the day.

Omey had another big day, throwing for four touchdowns, while senior receiver Lane Thrap continued to thrill with four more TD catches, one of them set up on an interception he had on defense that he returned for 50 yards.

“I don’t know what else I can about Lane Thrap,” Tomlin said. “He’s the best receiver on the North Coast.”

He looked like it on his first touchdown midway through the first quarter, taking a short inside catch and breaking a couple of tackles for a 43-yard score.

His interception four plays later set up a brilliant 20-yard TD catch by the senior on the ensuing play, after he pulled in possession at the edge of the end zone under great coverage.

Talimaivao Fonoti, who continues to set a physical tone on both sides of the ball scored the third touchdown on a 10-yard run up the middle early in the second quarter.

Kicker Guillermo Perez-Estrada made all four first-half PATs for a 28-0 advantage at the interval.

“There are so many distractions on homecoming, you hope your kids are focused on football, and I thought they were,” Tomlin said.

Smallwood added a fumble recovery, while Bode Joyner threw Thrap’s fourth TD of the game.

The Crusaders open the Big 4 at Del Norte next week.

Stellar Prep drops to 1-7.

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Ray Hamill writes at humboldtsports.com, where you can read lots more about sports in Humboldt County.