By KIT LOUGHRAN
Sports Writer
In Sunday's regular-season finale, Ryan defeated Pasquerilla East 7-6 to secure its playoff berth.
The Wildcats' and Pyros' defenses were put to the test in this low-scoring battle.
"Our defense came to play today," Ryan freshman receiver Erin Clark said. "They made some great plays and had some great flag pulls."
With two minutes left in the first half, Ryan junior linebacker Kelly O'Brien intercepted the ball, paving the way for the Wildcats (4-2) to score. Senior quarterback and captain Maya Pillai threw a 30-yard pass to Clark for a touchdown.
Early in the second half, Pillai suffered a knee injury, and Clark came in as her replacement, making her debut as quarterback.
Midway through the half, the Pyros offense finally broke the Wildcats' defense. Sophomore quarterback Macy Mulhall completed a 40-yard pass to put the Pyros (1-4-1) in scoring position. Mulhall then completed a quick 10-yard pass to sophomore receiver Nicole Ameli in the end zone. The Pyros went for a two-point conversion, but Mulhall's pass fell incomplete.
For the remainder of the game, the Wildcats ran the ball down the field, as junior running back Leah Fisher accumulated over 40 rushing yards in the second half alone. Fisher ran the ball into the end zone, but the touchdown was called off due to an illegal contact penalty on the Wildcats.
Although the Pyros have reached the end of their season, they made a great appearance on the field today and played well, senior captain and linebacker Anna Perino said.
"We moved the ball really well today, and our defense was tough the entire game," Perino said.
The No. 8 Wildcats will look to continue their winning streak when they meet No. 1 Pasquerilla West in the first round of the playoffs next Sunday.
Contact Kit Loughran at kloughr1@nd.edu
Lewis 20, Pangborn 12
By: SAMANTHA ZUBA
Sports Writer
Lewis and Pangborn put on an aerial display Sunday, but the Chicks came out on top, as they defeated the Phoxes 20-12 in the final regular-season game for both teams.
The quarterbacks for both teams played aggressively, firing long passes and rarely handing off the ball to their running backs.
The Phoxes (4-2) struck first on an opening drive that included two 15-yard pass plays. Pangborn's passing game looked strong, and Lewis (2-3-1) initially struggled to respond, as the Chicks went three-and-out on their next possession. A turnover-on-downs by Pangborn, however, gave Lewis good field position and Chicks senior quarterback and captain Connaught Blood capitalized, as she completed a 24-yard pass to start the drive and a 5-yard pass for the touchdown.
Lewis scored again to start the second half, but the Phoxes responded quickly to tie the game at 12. The Chicks went ahead in the closing minutes of the game on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Blood to senior receiver Caitlin Connelly. Blood said she was proud of her team's effort after a rough season filled with close losses.
"That's how the whole season should've been," Blood said. "It feels good to end that way and to have a senior catch the winning pass."
Pangborn senior captain Ragan Todd said the Phoxes would hold their heads high despite the disappointing loss and the team's mistakes, which included an interception that led to Lewis's final scoring drive.
"It would have been nice to win," Todd said. "I think they were a little more prepared, but we're not down about it. We're looking forward to the playoffs."
With the loss, Lewis's season is over, but No. 6 Pangborn will look to survive and advance when it plays No. 3 Cavanaugh in the first round of the playoffs next Sunday.
Contact Samantha Zuba at szuba@nd.edu
Howard 26, Breen-Phillips 0
By KYLE FOLEY
Sports Writer
Sunday's matchup between Howard and Breen-Phillips proved to be a one-sided affair, as the high-powered Ducks offense cruised past the Babes by the count of 26-0 in the final game of the season for both teams.
Howard (2-5) set the tone early, as junior quarterback Clare Robinson completed a 40-yard pass that set up a quick score on the first possession of the game. Robinson led the offense for the Ducks, as she went 8-for-17 passing and scrambled to keep the Babes defense on their toes.
Robinson hit her targets with pinpoint accuracy, finding freshman receiver Maria Ianni twice in the corner of the end zone. Ianni helped the Ducks on defense with multiple tackles and an interception that killed any momentum Breen-Phillips (1-5) was trying to generate.
"Our team showed up big today," Ianni said. "It's just unfortunate this is the last game of our season."
On the other side of the ball, Breen-Phillips junior quarterback Molly Toner carried the Babes, as she evaded the Ducks defense on multiple running plays. Toner completed 4 of 12 passes but was unable to get the ball in the end zone.
Despite the loss, Toner said the Babes were very satisfied with the results of their season.
"In our hearts we won," Toner said. "We had more wins this season than in the last three combined, so it was successful. The Babes are back."
Sunday's game marked the end of a challenging season for Howard..
"It was an up-and-down year for us," Ianni said, "We will continue this winning streak next year."
With the season over for both teams, Howard and Breen-Phillips will look to rebuild for next year.
Contact Kyle Foley at kfoley2@nd.edu
Cavanaugh 32, Badin 0
By MEG HANDELMAN
Sports Writer
Cavanaugh dominated Badin en route to earning a 32-0 victory in Sunday's matchup.
Cavanaugh's offense put on a stellar performance to pull off a win.
Senior quarterback Rosemary Kelly ran for the team's first touchdown early in the first half. Her touchdown was closely followed by an interception by junior Meaghan Ayers, one of three she had on the day. Ayers's interception led to Cavanaugh's second touchdown, scored by sophomore Caroline Gerstle.
Chaos senior coach Ted Huntington said he was proud of players on both sides of the ball.
"It was a great win." Huntington said. "We had a suffocating defense and the offense looked great."
Freshman receiver Katie Martin caught Cavanaugh's third touchdown, while sophomore receiver Olivia Dietzel hauled in the fourth one.
Kelly said she was thrilled at the performance of the Chaos (5-1) on Sunday.
"Our offense broke through and learned to relax," Kelly said. "They have greatly matured over the season and have made big steps in growing as a team."
After a disappointing performance, Badin (2-4) plans to revamp the team in preparations for its playoff run next week. The Bullfrogs were without several players, including fifth-year quarterback Carli Fernandez, for their game against Cavanaugh.
Senior captain Tommasina Domel said she was disappointed at her team's performance but knows it can do better.
"This was not Badin football," Domel said.
Badin senior coach Colin King maintained pride in his team despite its struggles.
"I am very proud of all of our girls and couldn't be coaching a better team," he said.
King said the Bullfrogs would work hard in striving toward the championship, even if it means a complete change in their offensive philosophy.
"We plan to completely revamp our offense to an Oregon spread offense." King said. "We'll be looking like the female version of the Ducks in the playoffs."
No. 3 Cavanaugh will face No. 6 Pangborn, while No. 7 Badin will square off against No. 2 McGlinn in the first round of the playoffs next Sunday.
Contact Meg Handelman at mhandelm@nd.edu
Pasquerilla West 27, Lyons 0
By D.H. Kim
Sports Writer
Behind a dominant offense and defensive line, Pasquerilla West kept its undefeated record intact Sunday, as it shut out Lyons 27-0.
The Purple Weasels (6-0) were led by senior defensive tackle Meghan Schmitt, who had two sacks and an interception. Senior receiver Kirsten Danna and senior receiver Alice Yerokun each caught two touchdowns from sophomore quarterback Lauren Vidal to power the Purple Weasels' offense. Danna recovered from a shaky start in which she failed to catch three consecutive passes.
"We were great overall and the only thing we could work on is catching the ball," Pasquerilla West junior coach Jake Wrigley said. "But Danna is a great receiver and will come back."
Vidal supplemented her strong arm with some strong rushes, as she ran for a total of 60 yards in the second half to move the Purple Weasels down the field.
"Our offense was great today, and we came out strong like any other game," Vidal said. "We are going to continue that going into the playoffs."
The Lyonites (1-5), who have several freshmen on their roster, will look to apply their experiences from this season to next year. Freshmen Maddie Hahn and Alexa Lodenquai played important roles for the Lyonites on Sunday, as they helped Lyons's defense to contain Pasquerilla West's running game.
The Lyonites struggled with pulling flags and finding pass routes, which allowed the Purple Weasels to spread their offense.
Despite the loss in her final game, senior quarterback Erica Miller said she would cherish the memories from this season.
"It was a different year from last year and all of them have been so memorable and special for me," Miller said. "We are younger, and I am sure the many young players next year will mature and develop Lyons football."
Although the season is over for Lyons, No. 1 Pasquerilla West will look to remain undefeated when it meets No. 8 Ryan in the first round of the playoffs next Sunday.
Contact D.H. Kim at dkim16@nd.edu
McGlinn 19, Farley 0
By LESLEY STEVENSON
Sports Writer
Playoff-bound McGlinn rode a strong passing game and stout defensive line to earn a 19-0 victory over Farley on Sunday.
McGlinn (5-1) came out strong in the first half with a touchdown catch by sophomore receiver Emma Collis. Senior quarterback and captain Emily Golden found Collis again later in the half to put the Shamrocks up 12-0.
Midway through the second half, McGlinn secured its lead with a pass from Golden to senior receiver Katie Ritter for a touchdown. Golden was 4-for-7 passing in the second half.
"Passing was working really well," Golden said. "My receivers were catching and everyone was gelling and it was awesome."
The Shamrocks clinched a playoff berth after their last matchup against Welsh Family, which McGlinn won 14-6. Golden said that her team is hoping for a high seed but will remain focused on playing well.
"We're just going to do our normal thing," Golden said. "It's been working for us so far, so we're going to keep it up and try to get a little more focus."
The Finest (0-5) struggled to make offensive progress. Junior quarterback Lauren Ladowski was intercepted in the first half by McGlinn senior cornerback Caitlin Day.
Ladowski went 2-for-8 passing in the second half, but the game ended by mercy rule after an interception by McGlinn sophomore linebacker Laura Thomas stopped Farley's last offensive drive late in the second half.
"We just couldn't put anything together today really," Ladowski said. "Their defense was really good."
Although Farley did not qualify for the postseason, No. 2 McGlinn will look to take the next step toward a second consecutive title when it meets No. 7 Badin in the first round of the playoffs next Sunday.
Contact Lesley Stevenson at lsteven1@nd.edu
