McGlinn 14, Lyons 6
The McGlinn Shamrocks put a disappointing loss in Week One behind them with a 14-6 victory over the Lyons Lions Tuesday night.
The Shamrocks (1-1) offensive line negated the Lyons pass rush for much of the game, giving quarterback Sarah deGroot more than enough time to find an open receiver. DeGroot made the most of her opportunities, connecting with wide receiver Jen Fedyna for two touchdowns.
The Lyons (1-1) defense appeared out of tune and gave up too many short completions early on. On offense, miscommunication and frequent breakdowns in the pocket hindered any attempts at scoring until the closing moments of the game.
McGlinn put together three impressive drives in the first half, but only managed to score once as a turnover and the half cut their other series short.
In the second half, it was the Shamrocks defense that stepped up, sacking Lions quarterback Claire Connell four times.
"We forced some errant passes with our pass rush and that made everything else fall in place," McGlinn co-defensive coordinator Craig Wilborg said
The Shamrocks used an effective passing game to maintain control of the ball for much of the game. Fedyna caught two touchdown passes, despite having no receptions in McGlinn's first game, and the offensive line protected deGroot all night.
For Lyons, Tuesday's loss was extremely disappointing following a completely one-sided win in the team's opener.
"It was a team loss that started with the coaches. We didn't put them in a spot to be successful," coach Matt Gelchion said.
For McGlinn, however, the reaction couldn't have been more different.
"Our entire team came out today and executed," McGlinn head coach Keith Creasy said. "We had great ball control and our team really improved over our first game."
Howard 20,
Pasquerilla East 6
Coming into her team's game Tuesday night against Pasquerilla East, Howard captain Kayla Bishop said the Ducks were looking to prove themselves. On Tuesday night, they did just that with a 20-6 win over the Pyros.
"We did what we came out here to do," Bishop said.
Bishop, who played quarterback for the Ducks (1-1), attributed her team's offensive success to a lot of short passes that helped them spread out the Pyros (0-1) defense.
"We didn't just go for the big plays, we tried to work the entire field," Bishop said.
Though Bishop threw for three touchdown passes, she was just as effective running the ball, creating multiple opportunities for the offense by throwing on the run or by tucking in the ball and taking it up the field herself.
Howard's defense was equally impressive, sacking Pyros quarterback Caitlin Robinson four times and intercepting her once. By generating a consistent pass rush, they did not allow the sophomore signal-caller to get into a good rhythm.
On the other sideline, Pasquerilla East now has a good idea of how it can improve for next week.
Though the Pyros got on the board with an early touchdown, they just couldn't keep up with Howard. The Pyros defense stayed on the field for most of the game, as short offensive drives gave them little time to rest. Captain Tara Pillai said the team was disappointed, but that it was only their first game and the squad should be better prepared next week.
"We need more consistency on offense and with our defensive pass coverage," Pailai said.
Pillai stood out in an otherwise unimpressive Pyros offense. As Robinson's favorite target, Pillai kept multiple Pasquerilla East drives alive on third and fourth downs.
Cavanaugh 0, Pasquerilla West 0
Neither the Purple Weasels nor the Chaos could emerge victorious from a defensive showdown as the teams battled to a 0-0 tie Tuesday night.
Both offenses struggled as neither team could move the ball down the field effectively or sustain a drive.
Cavanaugh (1-0-1) came the closest to breaking the deadlock. After a punt return deep into Purple Weasels (0-0-1) territory, Chaos captain Katie Dunn connected with freshman receiver Brittni Alexander in the corner of the end zone, but Alexander was ruled out of bounds.
Dunn disagreed with the call.
"I don't see how a ref could miss a call that badly," Dunn said. "She clearly dragged her feet in the end zone."
That drive excepted, the game was handily dominated by both defenses.
The Chaos secondary was outstanding from start to finish, intercepting three passes and swatting down balls all night.
"We played signature Cavanaugh defense tonight," defensive linemen Jessica Mahon said.
Anchored by Mahon, the Chaos recorded two sacks and pressured Purple Weasels quarterback Cara Davies into countless rushed throws.
The Pasquerilla West defense was just as stingy, stifling the usually potent Chaos offense.
Defensive linemen Jordan Johnson put on a clinic, recording two sacks and pressuring Dunn on every play.
"The defense really saved us," Davies said. "They bailed us out of every jam, especially the defensive line."
Despite the tie, both teams were still optimistic about their season outlooks.
"This is hands down the most potential I've seen on any Cavanaugh team," Dunn said. "Once we develop our red zone offense, we'll be just fine."
Pasquerilla West coach Adam Brainard is also hopeful that his team will pull it together in time for next week's game.
"After tonight we have a better idea of how our offensive players fit into positions," Brainard said. "With our outstanding defense, I expect a shutout every game."
