Bullfrog receivers Liz Shappell and Erin Diminick each caught touchdowns and Laura Huarte picked off a pair of second-half passes as Badin (4-1) converted on each of its first two drives to shutout McGlinn (3-2) 13-0 and take over sole possession of second place.
"Coming out early and scoring is always one of our big attack plans," Diminick said. "It really changes the momentum if you can score and then stop the other team."
After shutting down the Shamrocks on a quick three-and-out to start the game, the Bullfrogs took over at the McGlinn 30-yard line and went to work.
Converting a fourth-and-5 on a quarterback keeper, Badin set up a first-and-goal at the 19. Following a pair of incompletions and a 12-yard reverse by Meagan Charlebois, the Bullfrogs once again faced fourth down. However, for the second time in as many attempts, Badin converted as quarterback Erin Zachry rolled right and found Shappell in the end zone for what would be the winning score.
Quarterback Stephanie Heath hit Molly Donnelly in the back of the end zone for the conversion and a 7-0 Bullfrog lead.
Three Shamrock incompletions later, Badin used a 15- yard punt return by Huarte to start-off at the McGlinn 25-yard line. Following a trio of short completions, Heath alertly sensed her pocket collapsing, scrambled to her right and connected with Diminick for the touchdown and a 13-0 Bullfrog advantage with five minutes remaining in the first half.
"I was originally running a post but I saw Steph scramble so I made a move to get by my girl," Diminick said. "She made an awesome throw and it just connected in the end zone."
Beginning the second half with the ball, Badin was unable to build on its lead as three plays resulted in a pair of yards and a punt.
McGlinn looked to get back in the contest when a 15-yard punt return gave the Shamrocks great field position at the Badin 30-yard line. However, Huarte promptly defused the short-lived rally by picking off McGlinn quarterback Bridget Meacham and retuning the ball to the Shamrock 35-yard line.
While the Shamrocks were able to piece together a 13-play, 60-yard drive midway through the second half, Badin's defense came up with a huge stop on fourth-and-goal from the 10-yard line as Meacham's pass fell short.
With the victory, Badin earns the second seed heading into the position round next Thursday and will challenge the fifth seed. McGlinn, on the other hand, will claim the third seed and take on the fourth.
Lyons 19, Howard 0
Quarterback Roxie Trevino threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third as Lyons ended its season with a 19-0 victory over Howard Thursday night at the west Riehle field.
On a bitterly cold night, both teams struggled to find their offensive rhythm in the first half.
"The cold was a factor, you could say that." said Ducks captain Shannon Trevino.
Neither team was able to mount much of an offensive drive until late in the first half when strong play from the Lyons defense forced a Howard punt from deep within Duck territory that gave the Lions the ball at the Howard 27-yard line. From there, Roxie Trevino put together a 24-yard scramble that set up her first touchdown pass, a 3-yard strike to Allison Shenk to give Lyons a 6-0 lead.
On the ensuing Howard possession, the Lions defense intercepted a pass from Ducks quarterback Sheena Ketchum and returned it to the Howard 12-yard line. Trevino and the offense wasted no time cashing in the turnover, scoring on three plays with a 2-yard pass from Roxie Trevino to Jenni Delaney.
Following the successful conversion, Lyons took a 13-0 lead into halftime.
"Our timing in the passing game really came together tonight. We didn't start practicing until a week before the first game, so it took a little longer to get everything down." Roxie Trevino said.
The second half saw Howard make a valiant effort to generate offense behind a strong running game and some innovative trick plays sent in by the coaching staff of Mike Flanagan, Mike DeMuniz and Eric Bilinski.
Twice the Ducks were able to mount long drives into Lyons territory but were unable to push the ball over the goal line to get on the scoreboard. On the second of these drives, facing a fourth-and-goal from the Lyons 17-yard line, Ketchum faded back and found a receiver over the middle near the goal line. However, a sure Lyons tackle stopped the play at the 1-inch line, preserving the shutout for the defense.
"The defense played great tonight. They've been playing great all season." Roxie Trevino said.
Following the stop and with time winding down in the game, Roxie Trevino and the Lions offense took over and mounted a 79-yard drive that saw the Lyons quarterback launch two deep passes of over 30 yards each on successive plays and cap the drive with a 6-yard touchdown scramble as time expired, making the final score 19-0.
Lyons had earlier found out that they had been eliminated from playoff contention, a fact that Roxie Trevino attributed some of the success to. "We played relaxed. We just wanted to have some fun out there tonight. It's unfortunate not to make the playoffs but we had a great season," she said.
As for the Howard Ducks, despite a winless record, captain Shannon Trevino emphasized that the team had a lot to build on.
"This team is so much better than last year. We have a lot to build on for next year. Our record doesn't show it but we have really shown a lot of improvement. Our coaches have done a great job. We only lose one senior, so we should be able to build on this season."
Contact Kevin O'Neill at koneill4@nd.edu
By Lauren Osterhus
No. 1 playoff seed Lewis shut down and shut out the Pasquerilla East Pyros as it continued its march to the Stadium last night on the west Riehle field.
The stellar Lewis defense caught three interceptions in the first half alone, all of which were converted into touchdowns by an equally impressive offense led by senior quarterback Erin Nasrallah.
"Our defense was awesome, they set the ball in perfect position every time," said Lewis captain Lynne McChrystal.
Nasrallah, a four-year starter, combines superior quickness with a powerful arm as a potent offensive weapon for the Chicks. She created plays time and time again for an energetic and motivated Lewis offense.
Linebacker Sheila Dawes caught two interceptions for Lewis, while freshman standout Kate Altschaesl added another to the tally. The offense made the most of each opportunity; Nasrallah connected with Rachel Polinski, Mimi Lundgren and Katy Clune once each to put up 18 points on the board for Chicks.
The Pyros, lacking experience on offense, were never able to put up any points. They made some mid-game changes on defense, however, and held the Chicks scoreless in the second half.
This loss makes it impossible for PE to clinch a playoff spot, and they will end their season next Thursday with a game against Badin.
"Every dynasty must start with a strong foundation," said PE defensive coach Mike O'Connell.
Excellent senior leadership has helped the Chicks post an undefeated record, and lead the Gold League entering the playoffs.
Contact Lauren Osterhus at losterhu@nd.edu
