Ryan fought the fire of Pasquerilla East with an explosive option attack, defeating Pasquerilla East 27-6.
Ryan junior quarterback Maya Pillai was a powerhouse in the game, throwing two touchdowns and finishing 6-for-12 passing for 109 yards. Pillai also had four rushes for 14 yards and one touchdown for the Wildcats (4-0).
"My success tonight came from my receivers, line and play calling," Pillai said. "We have so many options on offense that if one thing is shut down, we can just go to the other."
Senior running back and captain Brianna Curtis also had a spectacular game, running for 93 yards and energizing her team at the start of the second half with an 80-yard punt return after the Pyros' first series.
"It pumped up the team a lot and got everyone going," Curtis said.
Only down seven at halftime, the punt return seemed to deflate the Pyros (0-4-1), who then could not get their offense into a groove.
"That was a tough score to give up and we didn't have an answer after that," senior receiver and captain Kristin Mannion said.
Pasquerilla East suffered from sickness this week, causing major changes, especially to its two-quarterback system.
"We were short on numbers this week, so we had one of our quarterbacks running in as a receiver," Mannion said. "It's hard to have someone play out of position."
Freshman quarterback Macy Mulhall was moved out to receiver, while sophomore quarterback Emma Haduch got the starting nod. Haduch went 4-for-9 for 55 yards and ran in the lone touchdown for the Pyros in the first half. In the second half, she went 5-for-13 with one interception.
The Pyros look for a win against McGlinn on Sunday, while the Wildcats look to keep their undefeated regular season in tact against Lewis.
Lyons 25, Lewis 6
After both teams earned victories Sunday, Lyons beat Lewis 25-6 in a pivotal match Monday, improving the team's playoff hopes.
Lyons (3-2) got the win by capitalizing on the play of senior quarterback Kat Rodriguez. After trading interceptions, the Lyonites received the ball inside the 20-yard line late in the first half. From 13 yards out, Rodriguez scrambled out of the pocket for her first touchdown of the game, putting Lyons up 7-0.
On the second half's opening drive, Rodriguez passed for another touchdown, giving Lyons a 13-0 lead. After a Lewis (2-2) touchdown, Rodriguez sealed the Lyonites' win with a long touchdown pass to freshman captain and receiver Christina Bramanti after a well-covered play downfield broke down.
The key to the Lyons offense was keeping plays alive despite good coverage downfield.
"When plays didn't work, we just kept looking for options," Bramanti said.
The Lyonites' two wins this weekend keep their playoff hopes alive.
"We've got a good vibe going and we're playing with a lot of heart," Bramanti said. "We feel really good about the attitude we have going into each game."
Lewis struggled with injuries after back-to-back games this weekend, but the Chicks still have an outside shot at the playoffs.
"It was a little frustrating tonight with injuries from last night," Lewis senior captain Libby Redline said. "Next week, we have to be better at adjusting to what we see out on the field,"
Lewis looks to increase its playoff chances with a victory over Ryan on Sunday, while Lyons has a bye before playing Welsh Family on Oct. 30.
Farley 19, Badin 6
Farley's offense looked lively and the defense held steady, as the Finest prevailed in a 19-6 win over Badin on Tuesday night.
Senior quarterback Megan Bastedo led the Farley (4-0) offense to its highest point total this season, throwing for 131 yards and a touchdown while running for another score.
"Our offense finally got clicking today. We were able to see what their defense was throwing at us and got some good matchups," Bastedo said. "We were able to take advantage and give our defense some rest after they've carried us the past few games."
Though Farley ended up on top, the Finest found themselves in a hole when Badin (1-3) scored early on a 43-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Carli Fernandez to freshman receiver Melissa Whelan.
The Finest were able to come back strong, with Bastedo leading the offense on consecutive drives to score twice before the half ended. The first drive was capped with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Bastedo to senior receiver Kaitlyn Vitale, with the second ending on Bastedo's 1-yard touchdown run with less than 30 seconds left in the half.
Farley completed the game's scoring with six minutes left in the second half when sophomore receiver Lauren Ladowski scored on an option run from two yards out.
While discouraged by the loss, Fernandez still was able to remain positive after the game.
"I think we keep improving game by game," Fernandez said. "Were having a lot of fun, and it's nice to be able to get a lot of the young girls out here playing."
Badin looks to bounce back against Breen-Phillips on Oct. 30, while Farley looks to carry its momentum into a clash with undefeated Cavanaugh on Sunday.
Cavanaugh 20, Pangborn 9
Cavanaugh refused to suffer its first loss against Pangborn on Tuesday night, riding a prolific passing attack and an opportunistic defense to a 20-9 victory.
Cavanaugh (4-0) scored on plays of 20 and 62 yards, and even forced an interception in the third quarter that was returned for a touchdown. The Pangborn defense could not contain senior quarterback Rebecca Cink, who passed for 130 yards and two touchdowns.
"Our offense did what it needed to, and the defense had some critical stops," Cink said. "[Pangborn was] the best team we have faced yet."
The Cavanaugh defense also held firm in the face of a threat by Pangborn, forcing a turnover-on-downs deep in its own territory late in the fourth quarter. The Chaos wreaked havoc in the Pangborn backfield, registering two sacks and constant pressure of the offensive line.
"We always come in with confidence, but we also know we have to work really hard," Cink said.
Pangborn (1-3) put forth a good effort on both sides of the ball. The defense earned sacks on two consecutive plays in the first quarter and came away with an interception in the fourth quarter. The offense rallied late behind a competent rushing game, but a single rushing touchdown by junior quarterback Meredith Angell was not enough to beat Cavanaugh.
"Our defense was great, and it has been all season," senior captain Liz Pawlak said. "We had that interception as well, so there are definitely positives to take from this game."
Penalties killed the Phoxes, including two pass interference calls and a flag-guarding call.
"Our offense just needs to step it up a notch," Pawlak said.
Cavanaugh hopes to preserve its perfect record against Farley this Sunday, while Pangborn looks for its second win of the season against Howard.
