By RENEE GRIFFIN
Sports Writer
Alumni stayed undefeated Sunday with a hard-fought 10-7 victory over Siegfried, which suffered its first loss of the season.
The lead continuously shifted back and forth all game, with Alumni (3-0-0) getting on the board first with a long field goal in the first quarter.
The Ramblers (2-1-0) responded at the start of the second half with a touchdown from freshman running back Dan Verzuh.
Both teams' defenses made it tough on the opposing offenses. Alumni senior cornerback Jake Wrigley intercepted the ball in the first quarter, and Siegfried sophomore safety Grady Schmidt came away with an interception early in the fourth quarter.
Siegfried held a 7-3 lead and the ball with about a minute left in the fourth when the Dawg defense recovered a fumble in the end zone to get the go-ahead touchdown. Siegfried tried to tie the game in the final seconds with a field goal, but the attempt fell short.
Siegfried senior captain John Moore said he was fairly pleased with his team's performance, despite the loss.
"Both teams fought really hard we just shot ourselves in the foot," Moore said. "Our offense was looking good right up until the turnover and our defense was stopping them consistently."
Alumni senior captain Jeffrey Kraemer said he was excited for the Dawgs to try to keep up their success for the remainder of the season.
"We need to just keep the train rolling," Kraemer said. "The defense played well again. We got lucky at the end to get the win, but there's nothing wrong with that."
Alumni plays Morrissey on Sunday, while the Ramblers have a bye and will next face Duncan on Nov. 3.
Contact Renee Griffin at rgriffi6@nd.edu
Fisher 21, St. Edward's 6
By ZACH KLONSINSKI
Sports Writer
In an important battle for playoff position, Fisher defeated St. Edward's 21-6 on Sunday.
Fisher (1-0-2) entered the game having scored three total points in its first two games, but the offense changed that behind the arm and legs of freshman quarterback Michael Cooney.
Cooney hit junior tight end Matthew Nagy for a 47-yard pass to the St. Edward's three-yard line and got the Green Wave on the board two plays later on a two-yard touchdown run around the left side. Cooney found senior receiver Justin Yoder over the middle for a 35-yard score on the next drive.
"We had two tight ends the whole game so we could get a little better blocking," Nagy said. "That really allowed us to open up our passing game and run better, as well."
Fisher controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, shutting down the St. Edward's offense with the exception of a 52-yard touchdown scamper by Gentleman senior running back Ben Eichler on the Gentlemen's first possession of the game.
"The defensive line was in the backfield every single play," Green Wave freshman lineman Joe Schudt said. "We were doing a great job of penetrating and messing up their plays."
The Gentlemen (1-2-0) were without almost one-third of their lineup, most of whom were in Dallas for the Notre Dame football game Saturday. The team rotated three players through the quarterback spot throughout the game.
Next week, Fisher looks to improve its playoff chances even more against Zahm, while St. Edward's has a bye week before taking on Sorin on Nov. 3.
Contact Zach Klonsinski at zklonsin@nd.edu
Morrissey 22, Duncan 12
By ALEXANDRA LANE
Sports Writer
Morrissey made a late comeback to defeat Duncan 22-12 on Sunday.
The Duncan offense found success early in the game. The Highlanders (0-2-0) scored on their first possession and added another touchdown a few plays later to put 12 points on the board early and head into halftime up 12-2.
But Morrissey (1-1-0) came out strong in the second half, scoring a touchdown on the third play of the third quarter.
With one minute left in the game, Morrissey was down by three, but a 20-yard run by junior quarterback Ryan Lindquist gave the Manor the lead with 30 seconds remaining.
Duncan tried to come back, but an interception and 70-yard return by the Morrissey defense led to another touchdown, solidifying the win for the Manor.
"We came out slow in the first half but our defense really kept us in the game," Lindquist said.
Morrissey junior captain and lineman Patrick Valencia said he was happy with the talent on his team and the way it came together for the win.
"We brought it together [in the] second half and did what we needed to do," he said.
Duncan junior captain and center Alan Keck said this game was a vast improvement from his team's opening 19-0 loss to Alumni.
"We just need to work on our conditioning so we don't tire out in the second half," Keck said.
Duncan will face Knott on Sunday, and Morrissey will match up with Alumni the same day.
Contact Alexandra Lane at alane2@nd.edu
Keenan 7, Keough 0
By CHRISTINA KOCHANSKI
Sports Writer
In a matchup of two undefeated teams, Keenan shut out Keough in a 7-0 victory Sunday.
The Knights (2-0-0) scored the only touchdown of the game on a touchdown pass by sophomore quarterback Patrick Corry.
Keenan sophomore captain and center Jon Wiese said defense was the crucial factor of the game.
"Our defense was huge . . . and [the Kangaroos] didn't get a first down until the second half," Wiese said. "As long as our defense continues to play like this, we're definitely going to make it far."
Wiese also said freshman Michael Koller was an impact player who helped seal the game for the Knights.
"He had an interception and played lockdown defense all game," Wiese said.
Keough junior captain and lineman Charlie Magiera said defense was essential for the Kangaroos (1-1-0), as well.
"Obviously, I'm not happy about the final score but I think we played well, especially the defense," Magiera said. "Keenan's a tough offense to stop."
Freshman Matt Mooney played quarterback for the Kangaroos because their starting quarterback was in Texas for the Notre Dame football game.
Magiera said Keough's running game leaves room for improvement before the next game.
"I know it was wet out and slippery, and it's tough to run in that situation, but we should be able to have a solid run game regardless of the conditions," Magiera said.
Keough takes on Stanford on Sunday at 1 p.m. while Keenan faces Dillon on the same day at the same time.
Contact Christina Kochanski at ckochans@nd.edu
Dillon 14, O'Neill 6
Observer Staff Report
In a matchup between two teams eager to improve their playoff position, Dillon bested O'Neill, 14-6, on Sunday at Riehle Fields.
The Big Red (2-1-0) next play Keenan on Sunday at 1 p.m., while the Angry Mob (1-2-0) have a bye this week and will face West Quad rival Keough on Nov. 3.
Sorin-Zahm
Observer Staff Report
Zahm forfeited its game against Sorin on Sunday. The result is officially recorded as a 14-0 win for the Otters (1-0-1).
The Zahmbies (0-2-0) will play Fisher on Sunday at 3:30 p.m., and the Otters face off against Carroll at that same time.
