In a dazzling offensive display, Farley quarterback Emily Murphy threw three touchdowns to help the Finest start their season off with a 26-0 win over Walsh.
"We had an awesome offensive and defensive game, we were pretty solid on both sides of the field," said Farley senior captain Jenny Rolfs.
Farley drove down the field using a combination of short passes and runs to open up the passing game downfield. On Farley's third drive of the game, Murphy connected with a receiver on a deep fade down the left sideline to put Farley up 20-0 and put the Finest in control for the rest of the game.
Farley's defense held up their end as well, with defensive back Emma Closterman leading the way to a shutout. A late interception halted Walsh's last scoring attempt as Farley's defense ruled the day.
The Wild Women were disheartened by the loss, but also intended to use it as a starting point for a young team.
"We have a very young team so we're really working on getting them used to the speed of the game, getting them comfortable with themselves and with the plays," Walsh captain Kehau Meyer said.
Meyer called the game "a learning experience."
Nevertheless, there were bright spots for the Wild Women. Sophomore quarterback Amy Longnecker threw the ball efficiently and moved the offense at times, despite being unable to capitalize.
Walsh coaches J.J. Rees and Jeremiah Herman expressed a mixture of disappointment and optimism about their team's effort.
"I was really impressed with our freshmen, especially the ones who didn't have a lot of football experience," Rees said. "They came out and exploded like a rocket on the field today."
Herman was concerned with the tentativeness he saw in some of his young players.
"We still have tons we need to work on to get up with the speed of the game and be a lot more physical if we're going to be successful in this league and not look like a deer in the headlights," Herman said.
Despite the tough loss, Walsh expects to bounce back strong next week.
"We got knocked around this time but it's not gonna happen again," Herman said. "The other teams better watch out because they're gonna be playing a bunch of mad, Wild Women from Walsh."
Badin 6, Breen-Phillips 6
The battle between the Badin Bullfrogs and the Breen-Phillips Babes remained undecided after a 6-6 tie Sunday afternoon at LaBar fields.
"I was pleased with how smoothly the first game went," Badin head coach John Heintz said. "We were able to move up the field three times, scored once, then shut them out the second half."
Breen-Phillips' offense came out firing, moving the ball down the field effectively, but the Babes were unable to capitalize, throwing two incomplete passes in the end zone to end the drive.
"Breen-Phillips' first run was scary," Badin quarterback Katie Rose Hackney said. "Our defense was really shaken up, but we were able to hold them."
Badin begin its offensive game with an early 22-yard pass to one of the wide receivers, but its momentum dissipated with a loss on the next play.
On Breen-Phillips' next drive, though, senior quarterback Melissa Meagher launched a 60-yard bomb for a score. A failed extra point attempt gave the Babes a lead of 6-0 with only a few minutes remaining in the first half.
Badin quickly responded with a touchdown of its own on the final series of the half when Hackney connected with freshman wide receiver Carli Fernandez.
"Katie Rose Hackney is an amazing quarterback, and all I had to do was turn around to find the ball in my hands," Fernandez said.
The second half was highlighted with numerous long passes by both sides in a pass-heavy game. But neither side could put any points up and the final whistle blew with the score tied 6-6.
"Our freshman showed a lot of promise, and we have the potential to be one of the best defensive teams out there," Breen-Phillips defensive coordinator John Souder said.
Welsh Family 14, Pangborn 0 What started off as a game of two struggling offenses soon turned into a tale of two halves, with Welsh Family coming away with a 14-0 shutout over Pangborn.
Pangborn's offense appeared out of sync for much of the game, able only to move the ball in small increments due in large part to Welsh Fam's bend-but-don't-break defense.
On the other side of the ball, the Whirlwinds, despite early struggles, pulled together in the second half by running an effective spread offense, confounding Pangborn's defensive backfield.
The second half saw Welsh Family quarterback Jenni Gargula and wide receiver Katharine Hart hook up for two touchdowns within a matter of a few plays. Two plays after the first score, an interception by safety Katie Rehberger gave the offensive duo a chance to connect again.
"We barely even had time to get back to the sideline and our defense gave us the ball back. It was a big momentum builder," Gargula said.
While Pangborn will hope to earn its first win of the season next weekend, Gargula was glad to get that obstacle out of the way early.
"With the jitters out of our way, we'll definitely be more relaxed for our next game," Gargula said.
Lyons 14, Howard 8
Lyons dominated the game from whistle to whistle, cruising past Howard in a 14-8 victory in its season opener.
The Lions offense was relentless the entire game, moving into Howard territory at will.
Junior captain Claire Connell led the Lions downfield on their first drive, threading the needle and hitting receivers left and right. The drive culminated in a 25-yard pass from Connell to sophomore receiver Neva Lundy for a touchdown. Connell and Lundy connected again for a successful two-point conversion, giving Lyons an 8-0 lead.
Lundy and Connell were responsible for the majority of the Lyons offense, leading the attack through the air and on the ground.
"Playing with Lundy last year really gave us some vital experience," Connell said. "Now that she's a sophomore, there's no telling what we can do on offense this year."
The Howard offense, meanwhile, was feeble for much of the game. The Ducks only managed to convert one first down in the first half, due in large part to their multiple penalties.
The second half was no different from the first, as the Lyons offense continued to display its versatility. Big pass after big pass, followed by hard-nosed running led to another touchdown from Connell as she kept the ball on the ground for a 6-yard score.
Lyons coach Rick Raley was ecstatic with his team's play on Sunday, especially by the play of the ladies in the trenches.
"I can't give the offensive and defensive line enough credit for the way they played. They were the difference in the game," Raley said.
With two minutes left the Ducks managed to cut into the lead, as sophomore captain Kayla Bishop found a rhythm with senior receiver Laura Giezeman. The drive ended with a touchdown and a successful two-point conversion.
However Giezeman seemed to be the only receiver capable of catching Bishop's darts, as other receivers had trouble holding on to the ball.
"We definitely need to work on our discipline in practice this week," Bishop said. "Our freshmen need to step it up."
Lyons will look to bring the same intensity and hustle into next week as they seek a second playoff berth in as many years.
"This was our biggest game of the year," Connell said. "Now that the freshmen have adjusted, we can move forward as a team."
Cavanaugh 6, McGlinn 0
Cavanaugh turned a key defensive stop into an offensive opportunity, and it was enough to take down McGlinn 6-0, on Sunday.
On fourth-and-long in the first quarter from the McGlinn 34-yard line, Cavanaugh linebacker Shanna Gast sacked Shamrock quarterback Sarah deGroot back at the 28. The Chaos offense took advantage of this excellent field position six plays later when Chaos quarterback Katie Dunn scrambled four yards into the end zone for six. The touchdown would be the only score of the game, but enough to start the defending champions off undefeated.
"Our goal was to win, and we came out here and got the job done," Chaos coach Joe Quinn said. "Our defense really showed up, and got us the shut-out which is always the goal."
Cavanaugh began the game with an opening drive down to the McGlinn 16-yard line, but lost possession on downs.
The stingy Chaos defense then took over, and held the Shamrock offense to 12 yards on eight plays, ending with the Gast sack.
Taking over on the McGlinn 28, Dunn ran the ball herself for 20 of those yards during and passed for the other eight over six plays to get the decisive score.
With two and a half minutes left in the half, McGlinn went into a hurry-up offense, but deGroot was picked off by outside tackle Mo Mathias, who would return the interception back to the McGlinn 26-yard line, where the Chaos ran out the clock and took a 6-0 lead into halftime.
The second half began with deGroot and McGlinn quickly driving down to the Cavanaugh 13-yard line. As the Shamrocks knocked on the door, the Chaos secondary stepped up and forced incomplete passes on the final three plays of the possession.
"We drove well, but we couldn't quite capitalize," McGlinn coach Joey Brown reported. "Their defense was tough, fundamental."
On the next possession, the Chaos relied on the running game more, and back Brittni Alexander racked up 32 for of her 53 all-purpose yards. The Chaos drove right back down the field, but they could put the ball in either, as Dunn was intercepted by Shamrock defensive back Casey Robertson.
In its final possession of the game, McGlinn drove down to the Cavanaugh 26-yard line, with deGroot hitting receiver Kathleen Stanley for a nine-yard gain. Once again, though, the Chaos defense put down the hammer, and the next three passes fell incomplete.
The Chaos took over with just under two minutes to go in the game, and ran down the clock for the win.
"Our fans were a huge part of this victory," Dunn said. "When McGlinn got close a couple of times, they really stepped up huge for us and gave the team great support."
Dunn herself was 12-of-20 passing for 95 yards and one interception, and also ran for 42 yards and a touchdown.
"Thay are a great squad," Shamrock coach Craig Wiborg said. "I think we had moments of brilliance, and can take away a lot from this game."
