Howard used a consistent offense and resilient defense to come from behind and knock off Breen-Phillips, 26-14, on Monday.
The Ducks (3-0) relied on the steady play of senior captain and quarterback and linebacker Clare Robinson and sophomore running back and safety Stephanie Peterson. Robinson passed for one touchdown and ran for two more, while Peterson scored on a 40-yard scamper to the end zone and grabbed a crucial interception.
"We really transitioned to the running game to adjust to their defense," Robinson said. "We found little holes and capitalized."
"I was really impressed how we came back after being down," Peterson said.
The Babes (0-2) built an early lead through explosive first-half plays. The team's first offensive play was a 65-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Emily Affinito.
"It was a good way to start up the team and get them fired up," Affinito said.
Freshman quarterback Holianne"Kaheke"Martinson and sophomore receiver Claire Goddard were a productive duo, connecting on a 10-yard touchdown pass just before halftime.
"It was a huge improvement from our last game," Martinson said. "The coaches threw in some new stuff, and everyone played super well. We just hope to keep getting better every game."
The game was close throughout and was only decided after the Ducks' defense, which surrendered few yards in the second half, forced a turnover on downs late in the second half.
"The cornerbacks all stepped up," Robinson said. "We had great coverage. All the adjustments we made were big."
Howard will be back in action against undefeated Pangborn this Sunday at 4 p.m., and the Babes will play Welsh Family Sunday at 5 p.m.
Contact Josh Dulany at jdulany@nd.edu
Walsh 19, Welsh Family 6
Walsh pulled away in the second half to beat Welsh Family 19-6, on Monday to pick up its first win of the season.
Walsh's offense finally found its groove behind junior quarterback Julianne Carson, who ran for two touchdowns and passed for another. The Wild Women (1-3) opened the scoring on a two-yard run by Carson in the first quarter, which came two plays after she scrambled for 20 yards.
In the third quarter, Carson found freshman receiver Emily Burns for a 20-yard touchdown in which Burns made a diving catch after a Welsh Family defensive back tipped the ball.
The most riveting play of the game, however, was a hook-and-ladder that resulted in a 50-yard gain by Walsh junior running back Kathleen Brown.
"I told my coach we needed something big, and that play usually nets us some huge gains," said Brown.
Welsh Family (1-2) had a chance to come back in the fourth quarter. Trailing 19-6, the Whirlwinds ran an end-around pass that went for a 55-yard score, only to be negated by a penalty. The team's fate was sealed when the Walsh defense forced an interception one play later.
Welsh Family's lone score came when sophomore quarterback Stephanie Peragallo connected with senior receiver StephLobaccaro for a 45-yard strike.
"Our offense has been hot and cold, so I'm really glad we connected on a long touchdown," said Lobaccaro. "[There was] a questionable non-touchdown later in the game, though."
Walsh will look to keep its momentum when it plays McGlinn on Sunday, while Welsh Family has a week off to regroup before it faces Breen-Phillips on Oct. 13.
Contact Brian Plamondon at bplamond@nd.edu
Pasquerilla West 36,
Badin 0
After a hot start to the season, Pasquerilla West extended its win streak to three games with a 36-0 victory over Badin on Tuesday.
In a game that featured two different quarterbacks for Pasquerilla West (4-0) because of an injury, the Purple Weasels offense flowed to near-perfection as it ran up and down the field time and time again.
Pasquerilla West senior captain Breezi Toole applauded her team for sticking together after its starting quarterback went down.
"It was tough with our quarterback getting injured obviously," she said. "But the team pulled together to pull out the game - we did a really good job of adjusting."
Both quarterbacks had a lot of help, however, as their receivers continually hauled in nearly every ball thrown at them. Freshman Allie Griffith hauled in a team-high five catches, including a touchdown and a 20-yard catch, for the Purple Weasels.
"I think we put a lot of time in practice to perfect our routes," said Griffith. "If we continue to work on these we'll continue to get better as a unit."
On the other hand, Badin (0-4) struggled to find a rhythm offensively, as the Bullfrogs were intercepted five times.
Badin sophomore captain Kristina Techar stressed the importance of finding a flow offensively to give the Bullfrogs' defense a rest.
"We are looking to focus on the one-on-one [matchups] on offense," Techar said. "If we win the one-on-one battles, we'll get the ball moving."
Pasquerilla West will face off against Farley on Sunday, while Badin's next opponent will be Lewis on Oct. 13.
Contact Jose Fernandez at jfernan9@nd.edu
Lyons 14, Lewis 6
Lyons and Lewis battled until the final whistle Tuesday night, when the Lions emerged with the 14-6 victory in a hard-fought game.
The matchup turned into s a showdown between two strong defenses.
The game started slowly, as neither team scored on offense and both defenses did a good job of holding the opposing team scoreless.
Neither team put points on the scoreboard until late in the first half, when a tip on a Lewis pass by Lyons freshman linebacker Kelly Smith led to an interception and 40-yard return by Lions freshman safety and receiver Taylor Sears.
Sears made another 40-yard gain on the following play, running it in for a Lyons touchdown.
The duo of Smith and Sears caused two interceptions in the game.
"I think the team played really well today," Smith said. "We definitely brought it and showed who we are."
The Chicks (0-2) found more success on offense in the second half, when they put themselves in the game with a touchdown.
But late in the half, Lyons freshman quarterback Kristen Lombardo tossed a touchdown pass to Smith to seal the win for the Lions.
"Compared to our last game, this was definitely a tougher win," Lyons senior captain and safety and wide receiver Christina Bramanti said. "It definitely makes the win a whole lot sweeter."
Lewis senior captain and receiver Colleen Haller said she was still happy with how her team played.
"I think we showed a lot of improvement from our last game ...we are just going to keep working," Haller said.
Lyons hopes to bring its positive momentum into its game against Cavanaugh on Sunday, while Lewis hopes to keep improving when it plays Pasquerilla East the same day.
Contact Alexandra Lane at alane2@nd.edu
