By ALEX STEMBAUGH
Sports Writer
In a marquee matchup between two strong defensive squads, Pasquerilla West emerged with a 12-0 victory over Cavanaugh.
Both teams were slow to start and relied on tenacious defense, allowing a combined four first downs in the first quarter.
Pasquerilla West (3-0) got on the board with less than two minutes to go in the half when senior defensive back Maria Harmon intercepted a pass and ran it back for a 21-yard touchdown.
"Our defense looked really good, aside from a few of the key penalties called," senior defensive lineman Meghan Schmitt said. "We just need to work on putting more pressure on the quarterback."
Penalties plagued both teams, who lost a combined 95 yards to penalties. Cavanaugh (3-1) was able to get going on offense with a series of completions from senior quarterback Rosemary Kelly to sophomore receiver Olivia Dietzel, but ultimately, this did not translate into points.
With less than two minutes to go in the game, Pasquerilla West sophomore quarterback Lauren Vidal connected with senior receiver Alice Yerokun for a 27-yard touchdown pass, putting the Purple Weasels up 12-0. On the Chaos' ensuing possession, Cavanaugh intercepted Purple Weasels senior defensive back Aoibheann Thinnes intercepted a Cavanaugh pass to seal a Pasquerilla West victory.
"This game obviously stinks," Cavanaugh senior center Kelly Brakora said. "But we definitely think we're still in it for the long haul, and we're going to take what we learned today and move forward with it ... Our defense is still definitely the core of our team."
Pasquerilla West looks to continue its undefeated season against Howard on Sunday, while Cavanaugh hopes to rebound against Breen-Phillips the same day.
Contact Alex Stembaugh at astembau@nd.edu
Badin 26, Breen-Phillips 2
By ALEX STEMBAUGH
Sports Writer
Badin came prepared Sunday and garnered a 26-2 victory over Breen-Phillips.
The Bullfrogs (2-2) relied heavily on their defense, which compiled four interceptions and six sacks. Senior receiver Tommasina Domel also said the offense also stepped up.
"Our quarterback was sick today, but our backup quarterback did excellent," Domel said. "This was just a nice confidence boost before we play Walsh. Our defense obviously played very well."
The Babes (0-2) were the first on the board, however, with a safety that followed a Badin interception in the end zone to begin the second quarter.
But Badin answered back, charging 40 yards up the field on the next drive. Junior quarterback Sarah Fleming capped the drive with a four-yard pass to Domel for the touchdown, and the Bullfrogs never looked back.
Fleming and Domel proved to be an unstoppable force, as Domel caught passes totaling over 65 yards on her way to her three touchdowns and one conversion for the Bulldogs. Defensively, sophomore safety Jane Hermann led Badin with two interceptions, one of which she returned for a touchdown.
Breen-Phillips was led junior quarterback Molly Toner, who amassed over 60 yards rushing, but ultimately the Babes weren't able to convert the yardage into any offensive points.
"It's a tough loss," Toner said. "But our team is young, so hopefully we can use this as a learning experience to improve and come out stronger next week."
Breen-Phillips takes on Lyons tonight, while Badin looks to continue its winning streak against Walsh tonight as well.
Contact Alex Stembaugh at astembau@nd.edu
Welsh Family 19, Pasquerilla East 6
By KIT LOUGHRAN
Sports Writer
In a battle between two teams working to improve their offenses, Welsh Family hit the ground running and pulled out a 19-6 victory over Pasquerilla East on Sunday.
"They did a great job and really held strong," Welsh Family senior corner back Kaitlyn Cole said.
The chemistry between Welsh Family senior quarterback Victoria Moreno and her receivers, senior Kirsten Groody, junior Stephanie Lobaccaro and sophomore Natalie Branch, was noticeable. The slew of pass connections empowered the Whirlwind to move down the field and move the ball past the Pasquerilla East defense.
Early in the second quarter, Moreno connected on a 15-yard touchdown pass to Branch, putting the Whirlwinds (3-1) on the board. Late in the second half, Moreno found Lobaccaro deep in the end zone, securing a 13-point lead.
Cole ran back an interception 70 yards, scoring Welsh Family's second touchdown of the second quarter and game.
The Pyros (0-1-2) fought back but couldn't stop the Welsh Family passing attack.
"They ran a lot of receivers, and the other teams we've played have had pretty heavy running games," Pasquerilla East senior captain and linebacker Anna Perino said. "It was a different look for us."
Looking to take their offense to new heights, the Pyros saw improvement on the offensive side of the ball, Perino said. With sophomore quarterback Macy Mulhall and sophomore receiver Nik-Nik Ameli, Pasquerilla East executed its strategy. Mulhall connected with Ameli for a 15-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter.
"We scored and had some big catches," Perino said. "Macy was great and rolled out a couple of big runs."
Welsh Family looks to follow up with another victory against Farley on Monday night, while Pasquerilla East prepares to face Pangborn on Monday.
Contact Kit Loughran at kloughr1@nd.edu
Lewis 7, Farley 0
By MEG HANDELMAN
Sports Writer
In a battle of two undefeated teams, Lewis defeated Farley 7-0 on Sunday, behind a strong defense and a last-minute score.
With starting Chicks quarterback senior Connaught Blood out due to a concussion, junior Colleen Haller stepped up and took over under center.
Haller completed a touchdown pass to senior receiver Mara Catlaw late in the fourth quarter for the game's lone score.
"It was a team effort," Catlaw said.
Haller secured the extra point to bring the final score to 7-0.
Farley's defense helped it hold back the Chicks (1-2-1) until the end of the fourth quarter with multiple sacks in the second and third quarters.
On the other side of the ball, Farley sophomore quarterback Kathleen Schiavenza led the Finest (0-3) for the whole game.
"We need to work on connecting on passing," Schiavenza said. "Our defense has been great. We need to get our strategy down and work on changing our plays to read their defense faster."
Farley (0-3) hopes to get its first win Tuesday against Welsh Family, while Lewis will fight for another victory against Ryan on Sunday.
Contact Meg Handelman at mhandelm@nd.edu
Pangborn 8, Ryan 7
By CASEY KARNES
Sports Writer
In a closely contested battle that went until the final whistle, Pangborn pulled out an 8-7 victory against Ryan on Sunday.
It was a tale of two halves, as Ryan (2-2) dominated the ball in the first half. Pangborn (3-1) was only able to run one play in the first quarter due to the Wildcats' efficiency. It was a defensive play that ultimately made the difference, however, as the Phoxes took the lead on a safety by sophomore defensive lineman Erica Mitchell in the fourth quarter.
"I didn't even know she was still in the end zone," Mitchell said. "I was just going for her flag."
The Wildcats led for the majority of the game after scoring on a pass from senior quarterback Maya Pillai to sophomore receiver Ashley Veselik in the second quarter. Ryan's offense was dynamic, mixing both the run and the pass as the Wildcats drove up and down the field at will. The Phoxes were able to get several key stops in the red zone, however, to keep the game close.
"I thought we were the better team in a lot of ways," Pillai said. "They just did a better job of adjusting at the half."
The Phoxes stormed out of the half with a touchdown drive orchestrated by sophomore quarterback Liz Quinn. Quinn, a first time starter, connected on several long passes throughout the second half, but it was Mitchell who ultimately sealed the game with her safety.
"Our goal was simply to keep them from scoring [in the second half] and to score ourselves," Mitchell said. "And that's exactly what we did."
The Phoxes played Monday against Pasquerilla East while the Wildcats will face Lewis on Sunday.
Contact Casey Karnes at wkarnes@nd.edu
Walsh 25, Howard 0
By DH KIM
Sports Writer
Howard and Walsh squared off Sunday, each looking to get back to the .500 mark. In the end, Walsh dominated for a 25-0 victory.
The game began with Walsh senior captain and cornerback Lindy Navarre intercepting a Howard pass. Navarre ran 30 yards for what would have been a touchdown, but an illegal block negated the score.
Walsh (2-2) got the ball back later and stayed in control as senior quarterback Kat Leach threw a touchdown pass to senior receiver Maggie Davis.
Walsh maintained control and most of the possession through the second quarter and sophomore receiver Kathleen Hough caught a critical touchdown pass to seal the game. Howard's offense was dynamic and aggressive in response to Walsh's offense. The Ducks (1-3) went for many fourth downs in the second quarter, and freshman receiver Maria Ianni stepped up and was critical in getting the Ducks yardage and first downs. Sophomore quarterback Lauren Gabel made her first start, filling in for senior quarterback Clare Robinson, who was out for the week with a finger and rib injury.
"There were only 11 people in attendance," Howard senior coach Ryan Robinson said. "Participation and attendance will be key for our next game."
The Wild Women took advantage of the Ducks' shaky offense with three interceptions. Later on, Davis caught her second touchdown pass for the Wild Women, and just three minutes later Leach threw a 25-yard pass to a wide-open Davis that sealed the game.
Walsh looks to get over .500 tonight against Badin, while Howard attempts to rebound Sunday against Pasquerilla West.
Contact DH Kim at dkim16@nd.edu
