Pasquerilla West vs. Welsh FamilyTwo undefeated teams meet tonight at 8 on Riehle Field as Pasquerilla West takes on Welsh Family.The last time the two teams met, in last year's semifinal, the Purple Weasels defeated the Whirlwinds. Welsh Family, though, is trying not to think about the past. "We remember that PW ended our season last year, but we're more concerned with this year's playoffs rather than with what happened last year," Welsh Family senior captain Kelly Bushelle said. Both teams have experienced great offensive success so far this season, outscoring their opponents by a combined 81 points in five games. "Our offense has been successful because of the combination of good coaching and the chemistry we have on offense this year," Bushelle said. "I think our defense deserves credit too for consistently giving us great field position to work with." Whirlwinds junior quarterback Jenni Gargula, who has scored 12 touchdowns in three games, and Pasquerilla West's Grace Orians, with seven touchdowns of her own, lead their respective offenses. Bushelle called tonight's matchup "the toughest regular season game we play this year."Pasquerilla West captain Tina Martinek could not be reached for comment.
Breen-Phillips vs. LyonsTrying to keep its momentum going, Breen-Phillips (1-2) takes on reeling Lyons (1-1) tonight at 7 on Riehle Field. Breen-Phillips had a rough start to the season, losing to defending champions Pasquerilla West 33-18. Lyons started off with a strong 20-6 win over Badin but was shut out by Pangborn 16-0 last Sunday.Last weekend, however, the Babes improved significantly, nabbing their first win in a 7-6 defensive struggle with Badin. Junior captain and quarterback Melissa Meagher was the sparkplug for the Babes offense, scoring the only touchdown of the game. Junior receiver Tara McCarron was a valuable member of the offense as well, and tonight's outcome will depend upon the chemistry of the two juniors. "We have really improved as a whole with each game, especially the defense, which is getting a lot better," Meagher said. "We are going to win out and go 4-2, starting with a win Thursday night."In their opener, the Lions looked very impressive on both sides of the ball. The tandem of sophomore quarterback Claire Connell and freshman running back Neva Lundy ran and passed their way to 20 points.The next week, however, they were blanked by a tough Pangborn defense. To succeed, the young Lyons offense will have to bounce back from the shutout loss and rekindle the explosive offense it showcased opening weekend.
Badin vs. LewisLewis will battle Badin tonight at 9 on Riehle Field in a game between two teams with disappointing seasons so far.Badin is fresh off an intense 7-6 loss to Breen-Philips, which dropped the Bullfrogs to a record of 0-2-1. The Chicks are not faring any better after losing to Welsh Family 26-13, although they managed two late scores to make the final tally more respectable.Both teams are lead by their seniors, but several of them have had tough seasons.Badin senior wide receiver Kristen Sobolewski did not make it into the end zone against Breen-Phillips, since her co-captain, junior quarterback Katie Rose Hackney, was unable to lead an offensive scoring drive. Lewis will look to senior captain Alexandra Persley to rally the Chicks to their first victory of the season. Both teams have had defensive problems in the past. Badin seems to have cured last season's defensive woes, holding both of its last two opponents to one touchdown each with the help of junior Kelsey Young, the team's free safety. Lewis must do the same, or it runs the risk of allowing Hackney to find Sobolewski or junior Courtney Rains - two talented offensive threats. Likewise, Badin must keep sophomore quarterback Katherine Guarnieri from staging another offensive onslaught like she did against Welsh Family in the second half.Both teams look to tonight's game to put them back into the running for the playoffs.
