In their last game, No. 10 Pangborn shocked top-ranked Badin 26-0. The Phoxes continued their surprise season Thursday at Riehle fields with a 14-7 victory over the Lewis Chicks.
"Pangborn has had a bad history with football. We won our first game in four years at the end of last season," sophomore Caitie MacCourtney said.
At a turning point in the interhall flag football season, the Phoxes improved to 2-1-1, while the Chicks fell to 1-2.
Key turnovers set up the Phoxes' two touchdowns. After an interception with 10 minutes left in the first half, quarterback Katie Mooney launched a 30-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mary Davis to put her team up 7-0.
Early in the second half, Pangborn cornerback Alison Cenforsman picked off a Lewis pass and returned it to midfield, setting up a drive and another touchdown pass to Davis.
With less than two minutes remaining in the game, from the Phox 1-yard line, Lewis threatened to tie the game at 14. The resilient Pangborn defense made one final stand.
Welsh Family 6, Lyons 0
Last night, the Whirlwinds and the Lyons met for what proved to be the most-difficult game so far for each team. Top-ranked Welsh Family scraped by with the win, narrowly slipping past Lyons by a touchdown. The final score read 6-0, after Welsh failed to make the extra point.
Welsh scored their touchdown within the first three minutes of the first half, never to near the goal line again.
The Lyons' defense responded automatically, denying several first downs to the No. 1 offense. As the first half neared close, Welsh called a time out in an attempt to convert on a fourth down. They were unsuccessful.
During the second half, Lyons' defense came out stronger than they did in the first half, almost intercepting a 40-yard pass and denying the first down.
As the second half counted down, the Lyons offense made a push deep into the Whirlwinds' territory. They made a short-yardage pass play to convert on the fourth down, positioning themselves at first and goal. Welsh returned with a quarterback sack, pushing Lyons back.
In the last 30 seconds of the game, Lyons had the ball with the opportunity to score. On their first possession, however, Welsh's Daphne Zeringue intercepted the ball, ending all hopes Lyons had of scoring.
"We consider ourselves lucky. The fact that we were able to hold four plays off on the 10 is huge for us," Welsh captain Mary Prendergast said.
Badin 31, Off-Campus 6
Any doubt about Badin's ability to defend its championship was erased Thursday night. The Bullfrogs rebounded from Sunday's loss and returned to last season's form with a convincing 31-6 win over Off-Campus.
The Badin offense struck early and often, registering four passing touchdowns. Quarterback Stephanie Heath found a bevy of receivers over the course of the evening completing 7-of-14 passes for 95 yards and three touchdowns. Her 29-yard bomb broke a scoreless tie midway through the first half and opened the floodgates for the Bullfrog offense. Badin scored on three of its next four possessions.
Heath said that her team's focus this week was to play with more intensity and motivation. The intensity was evident as the Bullfrogs cheered each other on from the sideline, especially during critical defensive plays.
Off Campus's lone score came on a six-yard pass from Lauren Blum to receiver Megan Furman. This tied the game 6-6 with 1:34 to play in the first half, but Badin would go on to score 25 unanswered points en route to a blowout win. Off-Campus tried to expand its offense with screen passes, reverse passes, and other trick plays, but it was unable to move the ball effectively for much of the night.
The Bullfrogs' scoring barrage was led on the receiving end by Ashley O'Keefe, who caught two touchdown passes and threw for a third.
Defensive back Cailin Shannon's 15-yard interception return for a touchdown put the game out of reach.
Off Campus's quest for its first win continues when they take on Lewis next Thursday. Badin enters a critical stretch of its schedule as it takes on Welsh Family next Thursday and Lyons a week from Sunday. Coach Paley likes his team's chances.
"If we bring the same intensity and motivation we brought tonight every game, we can play with anyone in the league," he said.
