By Ryan Hidy
Sports Writer
In an under-the-lights opener in which the lights actually went out for a few moments in the second half, Ryan dominated Farley 27-7 on Monday.
Ryan (1-0) started off with an interception on the first play. While running the option offense, Ryan carried this momentum with them and scored a touchdown on a pass from senior captain and quarterback Maya Pillai to junior receiver Maddie Swan.
Pillai and Swan also connected again later in the game as the talented receiver separated from a Farley cornerback. Pillai recognized this opening and hit the striding Swan for a touchdown on the fly route.
"We had a great offensive scheme tonight," Swan said. "We ran a crossing route when I scored the first touchdown and I was fortunate enough to beat the corner on the second score."
Pillai added two more touchdowns through the air to make it four total scores in the contest.
"I can always do better and improve each week," Pillai said. "The receivers made some great catches tonight and the offensive line did a fantastic job with the blocking."
The Wildcats also stifled Farley (0-2) on defense, only allowing a score as the field became pitch black during the power outage in the second half to make the score 20-7 at the time. The game was suspended briefly due to the lack of the power.
An offensive bright spot for Farley seemed to be the rushing offense, which broke free for several quality open field runs, including the touchdown scamper.
The Wildcats are looking forward to the next game and are viewing the first victory as one step in the long journey to the team's goal of a championship.
"The game went really well for a season opener," Swan said. "We are coming off of a strong season, so we are looking to continue that in 2012.".
Pillai added that the Wildcats were pleased with their overall performance, but a tough schedule awaits.
"The defense looked great and we executed the offensive game plan," Pillai said. "We do have to get a lot better though with some tough opponents upcoming. All in all, except for the lights turning off, I was very happy today with the game."
Ryan will look to add another win when it plays Welsh Family Hall on Sunday. Farley will next take on Lewis on Sept. 30.
Contact Rich Hidy at rhidy@nd.edu
McGlinn 7, Lewis 6
By LESLEY STEVENSON
Sports Writer
In a physical defensive battle, McGlinn edged out a 7-6 victory over Lewis late Monday night with what became a decisive extra point conversion.
The Shamrocks (2-0) overcame several false starts to score in the second half and then triumphed with a successful extra point.
"I'm psyched the extra point worked," McGlinn senior captain Emily Golden said. "That won it for us. Extra points are huge in this league."
McGlinn's defense sealed the deal for the team in the fourth quarter when senior co-captain Ally Scalo intercepted a pass from senior Chicks quarterback and captain Connaught Blood.
For the second time in two days, McGlinn managed to beat its opponent behind tough defensive line. On Sunday the Shamrocks shut out Pasquerilla East.
"Defense again won us the game [against Lewis]," Golden said.
Although Lewis (0-2) started strong with a touchdown from junior receiver Colleen Haller, the Chicks were unable to convert the extra point and fell short in the end.
Haller said she was pleased with the strong defensive effort that kept the Shamrocks on their toes.
"Our defense did a great job, especially on holding them on yards," Haller said. "They weren't able to really get that many passes up so it was a really good on their part."
Blood played like the seasoned veteran she is, delivering sharp passes and making quick decisions to carry the ball.
But when asked what the team would work on for this weekend, Blood and Lewis's coaches were in agreement: offense.
McGlinn hopes to continue its strong defense against Pangborn on Sunday while Lewis seeks to clean up its offense against Pasquerilla East on Sunday.
Contact Lesley Stevenson at lsteven1@nd.edu
Cavanaugh 21, Lyons 0
By DONG-HYUN KIM
Sports Writer
In Tuesday night's matchup, Cavanaugh emerged victorious with a 21-0 shutout against a hard-charging Lyons squad.
Cavanaugh's defense set the tone early in the game when junior Jenny Walsh made a crucial interception for the Chaos (2-0). Three plays later, on fourth-and-two, Cavanaugh senior quarterback Rosemary Kelly threw a touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Olivia Dietzel.
From then on, Kelly took over for the offense, as she completed another touchdown pass to Dietzel and later ran for a touchdown.
Lyons (0-2) could not drive on Cavanaugh's formidable defense as the Chaos defensive line pressured Lyons senior quarterback Erica Miller to scramble and throw the ball away. Freshman receiver Maddie Hahn had four receptions to move Lyons to Cavanaugh's 25-yard line, but her efforts weren't enough to break Cavanaugh's defense.
"We are young team in the learning process," Lyons senior coach Joe Peluso said. "We were running all over the place, could not pull the flags, and offensively we were disorganized."
Lyons junior captain Christina Bramanti said she agreed with her coach's statements.
"We need to know the plays better and know our routes," Bramanti said.
Led by Dietzel and her two touchdown catches, Cavanaugh's offense stood out even more than its usual trademark defense.
"Historically, Cavanaugh has been a defense oriented team, but offense was excellent today," Cavanaugh senior coach Tyler Smith said.
Cavanaugh hopes to remain undefeated when it plays Howard on Sunday while Lyons will look to recover from the loss and make the right adjustments for its game against Badin on Sunday.
Contact Dong-Hyun Kim at dkim16@nd.edu
Breen-Phillips vs. Pasquerilla West
Tuesday night's matchup between the Babes and the Purple Weasels was rescheduled for Oct. 9.
