With an offensive burst fueled by its receiving corps, Ryan overwhelmed Lewis's defense Sunday in a 33-14 win.
The Wildcats (5-0) showcased their offensive depth in the read option, as four different players scored touchdowns. Senior receiver Grace Johnson caught two touchdown passes and junior quarterback Maya Pillai threw five to lead the Wildcats over the Chicks (2-3).
"Our receivers [were] awesome," senior running back and captain Brianna Curtis. "We had so many players scoring and making big catches."
Curtis, who has led the Wildcats to the best record in dorm history, caught the last touchdown of the game and broke a 30-yard run on the second play of the game.
"As a senior, I couldn't ask for more," Curtis said. "It's getting our whole dorm excited for football."
With the loss, Lewis' playoff chances took a hit.
"The game wasn't working out for us," senior captain Libby Redline said. "There was some lack of communication, and we played a little flat on our feet."
Despite the loss, sophomore receiver Colleen Haller and junior quarterback Connaught Blood both had impressive performances. Blood ran for a 40-yard touchdown in the first half, while Haller racked up 63 receiving yards.
"I think we're a little disappointed," Redline said. "We're a little frustrated, but we're looking forward to our next game."
The Chicks take on Walsh on Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. while the Wildcats will aim to stay undefeated against McGlinn at 6 p.m. the same day.
Contact Jonathan Warren at jwarren3@nd.edu
McGlinn 6, Pasquerilla East 0
By PETER STEINER
Sports Writer
For the second game in a row McGlinn pulled off some late game heroics to claim a 6-0 victory over Pasquerilla East.
With 30 seconds left in the game, senior quarterback Lauren Miller connected with senior receiver Ayla Bicoy on a 45-yard pass that brought McGlinn (4-1) to the 4-yard line before Pasquerilla East senior captain Nneka Ekechukwu tackled Bicoy, drawing an illegal contact penalty. On the next play Miller scored on a quarterback keeper from the 2-yard line.
"We needed a big play," Bicoy said. "A lot of the time Lauren didn't have enough time [to throw the ball] but this time it worked out."
With the ball changing possession five times in the last three minutes, a tie seemed imminent. However, the Shamrocks were able to get the ball at the end and capitalize on their big play.
"A couple of really key interceptions and a great job holding them on fourth downs gave us a chance to get the ball back," Miller said. "It was just in time at the end of the game to seal the deal."
For the Pyros (0-5-1), it was not the way they wanted to finish their season but they were still happy with their performance, Ekechukwu said.
"Overall I think we played really well on both sides," Ekechukwu said, "It was just an unfortunate mishap at the end that gave them that lucky score."
McGlinn looks to continue to build their momentum next week against undefeated Ryan while the Pyros will have to wait until next season to get back in action.
Contact Peter Steiner at psteiner@nd.edu
Pasquerilla West 39, Breen-Phillips 6
By MEGHAN RODER
Sports Writer
Pasquerilla West won in dominating fashion, 39-6, over Breen-Phillips on Sunday.
The Purple Weasels' offense seemed unstoppable, relying on big passing plays to drive them down the field.
"We worked hard on our offense," senior captain Alison Lindeen said. "We have to keep scoring, keep making plays on defense and keep working hard because point differential can become a big factor in playoffs."
Meanwhile, the Babes (0-5) struggled to find a rhythm, but are content with the progress they have made given the circumstances.
"Getting on the scoreboard was a victory for us," senior captain Maria Lynch said. "It is hard to get people to come out before midterms. However, girls stepped up and filled in to play new positions they have not been accustomed to."
Lynch also hopes to have the Babes work on defense and have a more fluid offense before the next game.
"The next game is in three weeks," Lynch said. "We have to keep working hard. The big factor is to not get stuck, stay loose and know our place."
Pasquerilla West will take on Farley and Breen-Phillips will face Badin on Oct. 30.
Contact Megan Roder at mroder01@saintmarys.edu
Cavanaugh 6, Farley 0
By BRIAN HARTNETT
Sports Writer
In a battle of two undefeated teams, Cavanaugh emerged victorious, defeating Farley 6-0 in a hard-fought defensive contest Sunday.
Cavanaugh's defense, a unit that has posted four shutouts in five games, recorded three key interceptions. Junior cornerback Rosemary Kelly set the tone early for the Chaos (5-0), intercepting a pass deep in Farley territory on the second play of the game.
Three plays later, senior quarterback Rebecca Cink found senior receiver Megan Robertson on a 7-yard touchdown pass to put the Chaos on the board.
However, Cavanaugh's lead was in doubt until the last play of the game, when Chaos junior cornerback Michelle Young halted a Farley comeback attempt by intercepting Farley senior quarterback Megan Bastedo's pass.
"I knew that the ball was coming my way, as Farley had been throwing to that one receiver all night, and I just let my adrenaline carry me," Young said. "We have a really athletic defense, and we had really worked hard to prepare for this game."
Farley (4-1) was anchored by a tenacious red zone defense, as the Finest stopped Cavanaugh in the red zone on three consecutive possessions in the second half. Despite the defensive efforts, Farley's offense was severely limited, failing to reach the red zone in the game.
"We saw what their defense was giving us, but we still couldn't execute today," Bastedo said. "Our defense did a great job of holding them, but we needed to score some points."
Cavanaugh hopes to remain undefeated when it plays Howard on Oct.30, while Farley looks to improve its playoff ranking when it faces Pasquerilla West the same day.
Contact Brian Hartnett at bhartnet@nd.edu
Welsh Family 27, Walsh 6
By ALLY DARRAGH
Sports Writer
Welsh Family defeated Walsh on Sunday in a 27-6 victory that pushes the Whirlwind closer to a playoff berth.
"Our team played with a lot of spirit today," Welsh Family coach Joe Sorice said. "The girls wanted it up-tempo. They wanted to blitz and there was no holding them back."
Both teams came ready to play and made adjustments as necessary throughout the game. Defense was a large factor in the outcome of this matchup but in the end, the Whirlwind (3-2) simply couldn't be defeated.
"We brought great pressure and I think that the defense made some great adjustments," Sorice said. "We only had two practices this week but we wasted no time. We went back to our defense from two years ago and I'm glad it worked."
After a tough season, Walsh (0-4-1) is looking to capture a win in the last game of the season.
"We are going to come out really hard for the Chicks," junior captain Lindy Navarre said. "We have had a tough season but have also had so much fun as a team. Our team has grown a lot. We are ready for a victory against Lewis to end our season."
Walsh will face Lewis while Welsh Family will take on Lyons on Oct. 30.
Contact Ally Darragh at adarra01@saintmarys.edu
Howard 6, Pangborn 0
By ISAAC LORTON
Sports Writer
In what looked to be a stalemate, this intense matchup came down to wire as Howard scored with 30 seconds left to give the Ducks a 6-0 win over Pangborn.
The game-winning score for the Ducks (2-3) came on a 12-yard pass from junior quarterback Katharine Mack to sophomore center Amelia Vojt.
"It was a great feeling to get that touchdown," Vojt said. "It's a surprise play for the center to get the ball."
The play was sprung by a roughing the passer penalty on 4th down at Pangborn's 22 yard line.
"That was extremely frustrating. It didn't look like she was hit," senior captain Liz Pawlak said. "A call like that at the end of the game to give them the first down leaves a bad taste in the mouth."
Both defenses were solid throughout the game, as Pangborn (2-4) racked up three interceptions and three sacks while Howard had five interceptions and one sack.
"The defense played really well again," Pawlak said. "We just couldn't score."
But Howard's offense took advantage of the one opportunity it got. The Ducks' usual starting quarterback, freshman Lauren Gabel, was unable to make the game but Mack came through when she was most needed.
"Katherine played really tough and was there for the team
when we had to have a big play," senior captain Jenny Garner said.
The Ducks will face Cavanaugh on Oct. 30 while Pangborn has no remaining regular season games left.
Contact Isaac Lorton at ilorton@nd.edu
