By MARY GREEN
Sports Writer
In a game marred by turnovers, the stellar play of one athlete stood out. Senior running back and linebacker Chris Champlin carried Sorin to a 20-7 victory over Carroll on Sunday.
Champlin amassed 88 rushing yards and caught a 43-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Ted Spinelli to lead the Otters' offense. He even stepped in to take the snaps under center after Spinelli left the game with a concussion in the second half.
"Even with our quarterback down, we kept fighting and had a real good team win today," Sorin freshman receiver Jack Shea said.
The Otters (2-0) dominated the first half, as they headed into halftime with a 20-0 lead. Sorin reached the end zone on a 50-yard rushing touchdown from Champlin, a 12-yard passing score from Spinelli to Shea, and Champlin's touchdown reception. Two interceptions from Carroll junior quarterback Tommy Spoonmore aided Sorin's cause in the first half.
After a spirited halftime pep talk from their quarterback, however, the Vermin (2-1) showed new life and looked to make a run.
"We could have just come out and folded, but we came out and won the second half," Spoonmore said. "I was impressed with everyone coming out with more intensity."
Spoonmore's rushing touchdown on fourth down put the Vermin on the board in the second half, although they still trailed by 13 points. A Sorin fumble with two minutes remaining awarded Carroll one final opportunity to score, but the Vermin's subsequent turnover-on-downs sealed the Otters' victory.
The triumph over the previously undefeated Vermin boosted Sorin's confidence, Shea said.
"We know we're the best team in our division, and we think we can beat anyone in our division," Shea said.
The Otters look to back up Shea's prediction against Fisher next Sunday, while the Vermin will try to rebound when they face the Green Wave on Oct. 28.
Contact Mary Green at mgreen8@nd.edu
Siegfried 20, Morrissey 0
By KYLE FOLEY
Sports Writer
Sunday's matchup between Siegfried and Morrissey proved to be a one-sided affair, as Siegfried took home a 20-0 victory.
From the first snap, Siegfried's defense was lights-out, as it forced a quick three-and-out. On Siegfried's first possession, senior running back David Whitmore ran for a touchdown.
Siegfried's trio of linebackers led the defensive unit in its shutout of the Manor (1-1).
"Our linebackers played great," sophomore quarterback Nate Burggraf said. "They swarmed the ball at the line and also dropped back and provided us with great coverage."
Burggraf directed the offense for the Ramblers (2-1), as he completed six-of-10 passes and connected with freshman receiver Spencer Judd for a touchdown at the end of the first half.
Entering the second half down by 14, Morrissey worked to cut the lead but were shut down by a stingy Rambler defense.
"We gave them a big lead too early and couldn't close the gap," Morrisey sophomore quarterback Ryan Lindquist said. "Our strength is in our run game, and we got away from that early on by passing too often."
The Ramblers added another rushing touchdown in the second half to take a 20-0 lead.
The Ramblers have won two straight, and Burggraf said he believes they are on the right track to the playoffs.
"The last couple weeks we were not mentally sharp," Burggraf said. "We knew we were there physically but couldn't translate this to the mental part of the game. The focus was there this game, and that really helped us out."
The Ramblers will chase their playoff dreams when they face Duncan on Sunday, while Morrissey will try to avoid another loss when it squares off against Knott the same day.
Contact Kyle Foley at kfoley2@nd.edu
Alumni 10, Knott 7
By SAMANTHA ZUBA
Sports Writer
In a gritty game between Alumni and Knott on Sunday, one kick made all the difference, as the Dawgs edged the Juggerknotts in a 10-7 victory behind sophomore Ryan Buckley's game-winning field goal.
In a contest where both teams relied on the run, the Dawgs (2-1) struck first, as junior quarterback Will Cronin dove into the end zone after a long march down the field.
Knott (1-1) countered with its own rushing attack in the second half. The Juggerknotts took advantage of a pass interference call on a long throw from sophomore quarterback David Taiclet to push the ball into Alumni territory. Senior running back Joey Beglane then punched the ball in for a touchdown.
Beglane's performance helped Knott control the game for much of the second half, but an interception by the Dawgs brought them back into the game. A series of penalties, including horse-collar and roughing the passer penalties, helped Alumni move downfield.
The penalties set up Buckley's go-ahead field goal.
Both teams will face Morrissey in their next matchup. Knott will meet The Manor on Sunday, while Alumni will clash with Morrissey on Oct. 28.
Contact Samantha Zuba at szuba@nd.edu
Stanford 14, O'Neill 7
By LESLEY STEVENSON
Sports Writer
Despite early setbacks, Stanford's offense surged late to get past O'Neill's defense and secure a 14-7 win Sunday afternoon.
O'Neill (0-2) got off to a strong start, as it scored on a touchdown by senior receiver Alex Brolick midway through the first half.
"It was tough because we had the lead early," O'Neill junior linebacker Calvin Hemington said. "Our players were playing hard ... We've just got to get tougher inside."
In the second half, Stanford senior receiver Patrick Kramer took over, as he hauled in two touchdown passes from junior quarterback Conor Healy. The two touchdown receptions gave the Griffins (1-2) a 14-7 edge over O'Neill.
"The offensive line was on their game, and so that just really set up the passes," Kramer said. "We've only scored one touchdown all year, so to get two like that in a game we had to win was big."
Senior captain Paul Babiak said he was thrilled with the efforts of Kramer and the rest of his team.
"We're a pass-first team," Babiak said. "Honestly, it was just a tremendous effort on both sides of the ball. I couldn't be happier with how everyone played."
O'Neill's offense struggled throughout the game, as the Angry Mob lost two fumbles. Additionally, the Mob lost a key contributor on defense, as sophomore linebacker David Lee left early with an ankle injury.
"Even with those, I think we played really well, and we have good momentum to come play Keough next week," junior captain Eric Reed said.
Both teams look to keep their playoff hopes alive next Sunday when O'Neill faces Keough and Stanford meets Keenan for the Battle of the Chapel.
Contact Lesley Stevenson at lsteven1@nd.edu
Keough 14, Dillon 6
By SARAH CONNORS
Sports Writer
In a defensive battle Sunday afternoon, Keough outlasted Dillon, as the Kangaroos earned a 14-6 victory.
Keough (2-0) struck early with a special-teams touchdown. On the fourth play of the game, freshman Will Fields blocked a Dillon punt and ran it in for a score.
"I felt that the play was rather ironic because we did the exact same thing in the practice before the game," Fields said.
The Kangaroos followed up Fields' touchdown with a score on their following possession. The Keough defense stifled Dillon (1-2) for most of the first half, and the Kangaroos went into halftime with a 14-0 lead.
"We played hard and we played physical," Keough junior quarterback Seamus Donegan said. "Our defense really brought it this game."
Throughout the game, Dillon effectively moved the ball down the field by running it up the gut and converting many screen passes. The Big Red offense had a difficult time converting those plays into touchdowns, however, and Dillon did not put points on the board until late in the second half.
Dillon senior Dan Balcarcel said he was proud of his team's performance, especially with the absence of junior quarterback Kevin Fink.
"We had to have a couple guys step up and play new positions for the first time," Balcarcel said. "[Senior] Ben Ferry, our starting middle linebacker, filled in at quarterback and had a huge game for us on both sides of the ball."
Keough will try to continue its winning ways when it meets O'Neill next Sunday, while Dillon will try to rebound with a win when it faces O'Neill on Oct. 28.
Contact Sarah Connors at sconnor1@nd.edu
Zahm forfeits to Fisher
Sunday's matchup between the Green Wave and the Zahmbies was not played due to a Zahm forfeit for not having enough players. Fisher (2-0) will look to remain undefeated when it faces Sorin on Sunday, while Zahm (0-3) will look to secure its first win when it plays St. Edward's the same day.
