Badin 7, Howard 6
The Badin defense pulled out all the stops Sunday night, making two goal line stands and stopping a key two-point conversion en route to the Bullfrogs' 7-6 victory over Howard.
Badin's strong defensive effort began on the very first drive, as sophomore safety Liz Leonard made a key interception on third down. The Bullfrogs (1-1) then marched down the field and scored their first touchdown of the season on a 16-yard run by freshman running back Dionne Sandoval.
Howard's offense answered back with some high-powered passing plays, as junior quarterback Katharine Mack completed passing plays of 18 and 23 yards, before hitting sophomore receiver Amelia Vojt on a seven-yard touchdown pass. However, Mack's two-point conversion pass fell incomplete, preserving Badin's slim lead.
The failed conversion was just the start of Howard's red zone struggles, as the Bullfrogs' defense forced the Ducks (1-2) into two turnovers on downs in the red zone in the second half. The Badin secondary, which had three interceptions, caused numerous problems for Howard and its dual-quarterback system.
"The defense just stopped us tonight," Mack said. "The secondary really jammed us and prevented me from seeing everything on pass plays."
For Badin, the game represented a marked improvement from its first game, a 28-0 loss to Cavanaugh.
"We definitely played with more intensity today," Leonard said. "We were really hungry to win after last week, and we committed to playing our best."
Badin hopes to extend its newfound winning streak when it plays Pangborn on Tuesday, while Howard will try to rebound with a victory when it takes on Pasquerilla West on Tuesday.
Farley 14, Breen-Phillips 0
Farley's strong defense prevailed again Sunday as the Finest (2-0) completed their second shutout of the season by blanking Breen-Phillips.
The Finest added offensive production to their stout defense, and senior receiver Kaitlyn Vitale said some of the team's offensive success simply can't be developed in practice.
"It's really just team chemistry," Vitale said.
Senior quarterback Megan Bastdo echoed the thoughts of her teammate.
"Most of us have known each other for a long time, and so we kind of know what each other is doing," Bastedo said.
Vitale and Bastedo combined for 43 yards in the air including, Vitale's 12-yard touchdown catch near the end of the first half. Farley then put the game away for good when Bastedo threw a four-yard touchdown pass late in the second half.
The Farley offense did have two interceptions in the game, but the squad's defense prevented the Babes (0-3) from scoring.
"The defense always executes well," Bastedo said. "They bail us out when we make mistakes."
Breen-Phillips' two interceptions held Farley to 14 points, a marked change for the Babes, who had given up an average of 34 points in their first two games.
"Our team did well on defense with the interceptions," sophomore quarterback Molly Toner said.
Toner played her first game at quarterback Sunday, as the Babes' starting quarterback was injured in their loss Tuesday night.
"It was a little intimidating at first," Toner said. "But I think we played well."
Breen-Phillips looks for its first win against Cavanaugh next week, while Farley hopes to stay undefeated against Pangborn.
Lewis 6, Welsh Family 0
In a game riddled with penalties and turnovers, Lewis silenced Welsh Family in a 6-0 shutout Sunday night.
"After losing last week, this win is just what we need," senior linebacker Margot Debot said.
The Chicks (1-1) dominated the field with a suffocating defense, pressuring Welsh Family (2-1) into three turnovers and two interceptions, including one forced by Dubot.
"We really picked up the intensity in the defense this week," Dubot said. "We shut down their strong quarterback, which was really exciting".
The Chicks' energetic spirit was not reserved solely for their defense though. Junior quarterback Connaught Blood drove the Lewis offense with 90 rushing yards, highlighted by a 65-yard punt return resulting in the game's only touchdown.
"[Blood] has great strength on the field," Dubot said. "She has a strong arm and really knows how to make connections on the field."
The Whirlwind did not go down easily though. Led by junior quarterback Vicky Moreno, who threw for 110 yards as well, Welsh Family racked up 100 rushing yards.
"We are discouraged by this loss, but overall I feel we played well," senior captain Charlotte Seasly said. "Besides the one punt return, I feel we really dominated a lot of the game."
The Whirlwind held their own, sacking Blood three times and forcing Lewis into three fourth down punts.
"Our defense held really well today," Seasly said. "We just need to make those connections in our offense."
Welsh Family looks to bounce back when it takes on Ryan next Sunday, while Lewis hopes to add to its winning streak against Pasquerilla East.
McGlinn 16, Lyons 12
On a chilly fall night, McGlinn held off a second-half rally by Lyons to claim a 16-12 victory.
McGlinn (2-1) dominated the first half as senior quarterback and captain Lauren Miller constantly found openings for long runs. In the first offensive series, Miller found junior receiver Caitlin Day for a touchdown. Junior receiver Katie Ritter then caught a Miller pass for the two-point conversion to give the Shamrocks an 8-0 lead.
Later in the first half, Miller hit freshman running back Emma Collis in the end zone for a one-yard touchdown pass.
"We were confident in our ability to move the ball," Miller said. "We had a good game plan from the start, and we came out with good energy and were able to execute very well."
Lyons (0-2) got on the board in the second half with a short run from senior quarterback Kat Rodriguez. The Lions scored again late in the game on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Rodriguez to senior receiver Carolyn Henderson. But the Lions failed on both two-point conversions, which proved to be the difference in the game.
Lyons sophomore receiver and captain Christina Bramanti felt her team benefitted from the game experience, which led to improved play in the second half.
"We haven't had a good practice yet, so the first half was like a practice for us," Bramanti said. "We got a good flow going and got back into the game [in the second]."
McGlinn will vie for its third win against Walsh when it next takes the field, while Lyons looks for its first win against Pasquerilla East on Monday.
Pasquerilla West 18, Pangborn 14
Pasquerilla West junior Alice Yerokun scrambled from nine yards out for her third touchdown of the game as time expired to give the Purple Weasels an 18-14 comeback win over Pangborn.
"We needed that win coming off a tough loss to Cavanaugh," Yerokun said. "We just pushed to the last second."
Yerokun, who had played running back up until the game-winning drive, took over at quarterback with her team trailing 14-12 with under a minute left to play. Starting at the Pasquerilla West eight-yard line, Yerokun scrambled three times for 30 yards.
The Purple Weasels (1-1), facing a fourth-and-two, took a timeout with 12 seconds left in the game. Yerokun went to the air for a 23-yard conversion to senior receiver Laura Phillips. Following a penalty, Yerokun scampered in for the score and the win.
"We know we have the skill and the athleticism," Yerokun said. "We need to use this game to keep moving forward and win the league."
Pangborn (1-1) kept the game close with strong defense and timely offense. The defense kept the Purple Weasels in check for most of the game, forcing two three-and-outs and a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown.
"[This loss] really hurts because we beat ourselves," senior captain Liz Pawlak said. "Obviously [Pasquerilla West] played well and made some plays, but we beat ourselves and made mistakes. Hopefully this loss will light a fire under us."
Both teams take the field on Tuesday when Pasquerilla West takes on Howard and Pangborn squares off against Badin.
Walsh 12, Pasquerilla East 12
Both Pasquerilla East and Walsh came ready to play Sunday night in a heated battle that resulted in a 12-12 tie.
Walsh (0-1-1) dominated the first half, coming out strong and scoring on its first drive. The Wild Women would continue to overpower the Pyros (0-1-1) with junior quarterback and captain Kat Leach leading the way.
But after making some halftime adjustments, the Pyros shut the Walsh offense down for the entire second half.
"We just got more pumped up at halftime. We knew we were down by two touchdowns and that the offense needed to drive more," Pyros sophomore quarterback Emma Haduch said. "We got rid of a few penalties, which were our biggest problem in the first half."
Despite the defensive struggle, each team only allowed one turnover.
"I was frustrated after the interception because I didn't realize we were so close to scoring. We needed a pick six so bad," Pyros senior safety Nneka Ekethukwu said. "Even though I didn't score, the interception felt amazing."
Defense was a key part of this game, as both teams had opportunities to take the lead for the victory.
"Our defense worked as a great unit, and I'm proud of the errors we fixed from our first game last week," Walsh captain Lindy Navarre said. "I think flag-pulling was extremely crucial, and we just went out and made it happen. Even though it wasn't the outcome we wanted, I think everyone really stepped up tonight."
The Pyros took on Pangborn, while Walsh faced McGlinn on Monday night. Scores were unavailable at the time of publication.
