By JONATHAN WARREN
Sports Writer
Aiming to keep their playoff hopes alive, Pasquerilla East and Lewis will face off Sunday in a matchup that could shape both teams' postseason chances.
Pasquerilla East (0-2-1) is off to a rough start, but the Pyros still have playoffs on their minds.
"Our goal is really just to win," senior captain Kristin Mannion said. "We need to win all of our last games to stay in any kind of playoff contention. We're really going to have to prove ourselves and make these last two games count."
Though the Pyros have yet to win a game, they remain positive about the rest of the season.
"We've worked the ball up the field really well," Mannion said. "We don't beat ourselves. I think we've done a lot of things really well, even though our record doesn't reflect it."
Lewis (1-1) is coming off a defensive-laden 6-0 win over Welsh Family, who beat the Pyros 13-0 earlier in the season.
"Our defense really improved between the first and second game," senior captain Libby Redline said. "Our defense was able to make some key plays that were the difference for our team."
The Chicks feel their team, especially the defense, is gaining momentum and has more to prove against Pasquerilla East.
"I'm very confident about our performance so far," Redline said. "We have a good dynamic and are playing well. We want to make it to the playoffs."
The Pyros and Chicks will meet Sunday at 5 p.m. at LaBar Fields with playoff hopes on the line.
Contact Jonathon Warren at jwarren3@nd.edu
Ryan – Welsh Family
By BRENDAN BELL
Sports Writer
Ryan and Welsh Family will each look to earn a win when they face each other at a pivotal point in the season this Sunday.
Ryan (2-0) is coming off a bye week, but has a lot of momentum stemming from its previous two victories. The Wildcats' senior captain and running back Brianna Curtis is hoping that they can continue their winning ways.
"We had a bye this weekend, but we're hoping to stay ready for Welsh Family this Sunday," Curtis said. "We just want to work on our defense and clean up our plays to stay sharp."
Welsh Family (2-1) is preparing for Ryan with full knowledge of the quality team it is facing. Coming off a tough defeat to Lewis last week, senior captain Charlotte Seasly realizes that this will be another great test for the Whirlwind.
"Defensively, we know Ryan has a prolific running and passing attack, so we are hoping to shut down both of those and limit their yards," Seasly said.
Seasly also noted senior receiver Natalie Baldasare as one player who could have a big impact.
"[Baldasare] will definitely have an impact on the outcome of the game," Seasly said.
The Wildcats and Whirlwind face off Sunday at 5 p.m. at LaBar Fields.
Contact Brendan Bell at bbell2@nd.edu
Breen-Phillips – Cavanaugh
By BRIAN HARTNETT
Sports Writer
Breen-Phillips looks to pull off an upset and earn its first win of the season when the Babes face off against undefeated Cavanaugh.
Breen-Phillips (0-3) has experienced a rocky start to its season so far, as the Babes have scored one touchdown and given up an average of 27 points. However, the team has seen its margin of defeat reduced in each game and has received a stronger effort from its defense, which made two interceptions last game.
"The pieces are really coming together for this team in practice," senior captain Maria Lynch said. "We just need everything to come together in the game."
Although Breen-Phillips may be a major underdog this week, the team looks to catch Cavanaugh (2-0) by surprise.
"We will definitely look to play off our underdog status and come out with a few trick plays," Lynch said.
Cavanaugh's strong offensive and defensive production may lead some to conclude that it should earn an easy win Sunday, but senior captain Maggie Fahrenbach is not buying any of the talk.
"I've instructed the team to keep its mind fresh and prepare for Breen-Phillips like we would prepare for any other team," Fahrenbach said.
Still, the Chaos come into the game with a powerful offense that has averaged 20 points per game and a stifling defense that has yet to allow a point.
This matchup of North Quad dorms takes place at 6 p.m. Sunday at LaBar Fields.
Contact Brian Hartnett at bhartnet@nd.edu
Lyons – Walsh
By STEPHANIE BANTA
Sports Writer
Walsh and Lyons meet this Sunday in what could be a crucial game for both of their seasons.
The Wild Women (0-2-1), coming off of a disappointing 14-7 loss to McGlinn, are looking to regain their confidence this coming Sunday.
"We played well for most of the game but struggled to keep it together under the pressure of the last minute," junior captain Lindy Navarre said. "It is situations like those that are going to make us a better team, for those are the moments that are hard to practice and must be dealt with in a game situation."
Working under pressure and as a unit is something the Wild Women are looking to perfect as they move forward in the season, especially in their upcoming game.
"We are focused on the talent of the team as a whole," Navarre said. "Walsh is not about having star players, but rather harnessing talent all across the board.
The Lyonites (1-2), after a slow start on Monday, dominated their game against Pasquerilla East, gaining a strong victory.
"Our defense on Monday was essential to the win, with extraordinary secondary coverage by [seniors] Carolyn Henderson and Caroline Maroney," senior quarterback Kat Rodriguez said. Walsh and Lyons face off at 6 p.m. Sunday at LaBar Fields.
Contact Stephanie Banta at sbanta01@saintsmarys.edu
Badin – Pasquerilla West
By MIKE MONACO
Sports Writer
Coming off wins, the two teams will do battle when Badin takes on Pasquerilla West this Sunday.
The Bullfrogs (1-1) got a much-needed 7-6 victory over Howard last Sunday, as the win places Badin's expectations back where they were in the preseason.
"Our goal is always to be in [Notre Dame Stadium for the championship], so nothing has changed," senior captain Sylvia Banda said.
To get its first win, Badin complemented its consistently stout defense with a balanced offensive attack.
"We definitely found our running game [against Howard]," Banda said. "The ability to have a running game and a passing game that are effective is difficult for a defense to pick apart."
The emergence of a rushing attack, led by freshmen running back Dionne Sandoval, has brought the offense into balance. Sandoval scored Badin's lone touchdown of the year against Howard.
Pasquerilla West (1-1) came up with a touchdown as time expired to beat Pangborn 18-14 Sunday.
Leading the charge on offense was junior Alice Yerokun, who scored all three touchdowns. Yerokun played the whole game at running back until the final drive, when she took over at quarterback.
"Against Pangborn we ran a new offense that proved to work really well," senior captain Alison Lindeen said. "Against Badin you'll be seeing more of [junior] Kirsten [Danna] or [Yerokun] in the quarterback spot compared to our usual starter [freshman] Lauren [Vidal]."
Moving forward, Pasquerilla West is hoping to limit mistakes and find consistency.
The Bullfrogs and Purple Weasels square off Sunday at 7 p.m. at LaBar Fields.
Contact Mike Monaco at jmonaco@nd.edu
Farley – Pangborn
By PETER STEINER
Sports Writer
Pangborn's high powered offense will square off against a tough Farley defense Sunday as both teams try to get one step closer to the playoffs.
Farley (2-0) is coming off a decisive 14-0 win over Breen-Phillips, while Pangborn (1-1) is looking to use its heart-breaking loss to Pasquerilla West as motivation to succeed.
The Phoxes lost in the final seconds of their game Sunday, but senior captain Liz Pawlak recognizes that even though mistakes cost them the game, the Phoxes had set themselves up to win.
"We are hoping to fix those mistakes because we were in the right position to win," Pawlak said.
To beat Farley, Pangborn hopes they can avoid those errors, while also recreating big plays, like a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown.
"We had a couple of bright moments on offense and on defense," Pawlak said. "Hopefully our offense will be able to work together well as a team and play our own game."
In addition to allowing zero points in two games, the Finest are building up their offense weekly, having scored six points in their first game and 14 in their second.
Senior captain Analise Althoff said there is always room for improvement.
"On the offensive side, we want to try to string together our completed passes and not have to rely on the big plays," Althoff said.
Farley's success so far has largely been the result of the strong play of the team's 10 seniors.
The matchup between Pangborn's potent offense and Farley's solid defense takes place Sunday at 7 p.m. at LaBar Fields.
Contact Peter Steiner at psteiner@nd.edu
Ryan – Pasquerilla East
By ISAAC LORTON
Sports Writer
Ryan looks to keep its winning streak alive Monday night against Pasquerilla East as the Pyros seek their first win of the season.
The Wildcats (2-0) are rejuvenated and refreshed coming off their bye week following wins over Lyons and Walsh.
"The bye week gave us some time to recover and make sure we have no injuries," senior captain and running back Brianna Curtis said.
Although they are coming off strong wins, the Wildcats still want to improve their game with the extra time.
"We worked on tightening up our defense in general," Curtis said. "The offense is ready. We're expecting sophomore wide receiver Maddie Swan to have a big game."
Swan had two touchdown catches and 90 reception yards in Ryan's win over Walsh.
Ryan seems to have everything in place and is prepared for contention this year.
"There's a great deal of teamwork," Curtis said. "Everyone shows up to practice, works hard and works together."
On the other hand, coming off a hard fought draw with Walsh, the Pyros (0-1-1) are seeking their first win of the season.
"We are working on not beating ourselves with penalties or turnovers," senior receiver and captain Kristin Mannion said.
The Pyros have been practicing on both sides of the ball this week.
Offensively, the Pyros are unique due to the fact that they use two quarterbacks, fresman Macy Mulhall and sophomore Emma Haduch.
The Pyros look to ignite a blaze, while the Wildcats hope to squelch the fire Monday at 9 p.m. at Riehle Fields.
Contact Isaac Lorton at ilorton@nd.edu
Lyons – Lewis
By ERNST CLEOFE
Sports Writer
The Lewis versus Lyons game features two teams looking to keep up the momentum from last week's victories.
Lyons (1-2) earned a victory last week against Pasquerilla East after losing two straight to open the season. The Lyonites won 21-6 by holding on after a first-half lead.
"Last week, we went and took care of business," Lyons freshman captain Christina Bramanti said. "We had good energy and we recovered from the past weeks."
After winning last week with an early lead, Lyons wants to continue that trend by starting early with a lot of energy.
"We want more of what happened Monday," Bramanti said. "We just need to keep up the positive momentum and keep going hard."
With the matchup against Lewis being their last game, the Lyonites' season hangs in the balance Monday.
Lewis (1-1) faces an uphill battle with a shot at the playoffs based on its two games this upcoming week. The Chicks come off this past weekend with an even record after beating Welsh Family 6-0.
"Our last game was a great game for us defensively," Lewis senior captain Libby Redline said. "We had really big excitement going into the game."
Lewis and Lyons face off at 9 p.m. Monday, a quick turnaround after both teams play Sunday.
Contact Ernst Cleofe at ecleofe@nd.edu
Badin – Farley
By NICK BOYLE
Sports Writer
Badin and Farley both look to carry momentum from big wins onto the field when they square off Tuesday night.
The Finest (2-0) have kicked off their season with a flying start, with a close win over defending champion Howard in week one and another over Breen-Phillips last weekend. Farley has relied on a stiff, dominating defense that has yet to yield any points on the season.
"Communication coupled with our depth have been the keys to our success defensively," Farley senior cornerback and captain Analise Althoff said.
On the other side of the ball, Badin (1-1) hopes to build off last week's performance, when it edged out a 7-6 win over defending champion Howard.
"Last week's win was huge for us after we came out a bit shaky in our opener," Bullfrog senior quarterback and captain Sylvia Banda said. "It's been a great boost in confidence and has allowed us to really come into stride as a team."
Going into Tuesday's game, the Bullfrogs know they need to be prepared for a strong Farley defense.
"We understand that [Farley] has a great defense. Our offense needs to make sure we execute from the start on Tuesday," Banda said. "We may even have a couple tricks up our sleeves."
Farley and Badin face off Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the Flag Football Fields.
Contact Nick Boyle at nboyle1@nd.edu
Cavanaugh – Pangborn
By JAMES SOUTHARD
Sports Writer
Cavanaugh's defense looks to continue its domination this Tuesday against Pangborn, which hopes to improve from .500 to a winning record.
Cavanaugh (2-0) has ridden its stellar defense to victory in two games against Badin and Pasquerilla West. The offense has averaged 20 points per game, but two shutouts have been the catalysts keeping the Chaos undefeated.
"Our defense has played absolutely phenomenal," senior captain Maggie Fahrenbach said.
Cavanaugh has not played since Sept. 20, so the team would like to avoid the rust that typically accompanies long periods between games.
"We want to keep doing what we're doing," Fahrenbach said. "There's room to improve in our offensive sets and our extra-point conversions."
Pangborn (1-1) is coming off a tough loss to Pasquerilla West in which the team allowed a touchdown as time expired.
"We definitely made a lot of mistakes that cost us the game," senior captain Liz Pawlak said. "We had difficulty connecting on passes because of drops and our defense allowed a few breakthroughs."
The Phoxes intend to cut out unnecessary mistakes and focus on their strengths, which include a defense that forced two three-and-outs and a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown.
"We are a very talented team," Pawlak said. "We beat ourselves last week, and if we're playing our best, we can beat anyone."
Cavanaugh and Pangborn will square off Tuesday at 7 p.m.,both squads seeking a key victory to contribute to their playoff pushes.
Contact James Southard at jsouthar@nd.edu
