Howard vs. Farley
Dominic Iannelli
Howard (1-1) defeated Farley (2-1), 20-19, on Tuesday night at Riehle Fields.
Part of the game was played Monday, Sept. 21, but the game was postponed due to an injury to Howard sophomore Annie Duffey.
In the first half on Sept. 21, Howard started with possession. Working an option offensive attack under the direction of senior quarterback and team captain Stephanie Peterson, Howard struck first with a 20-yard quarterback run for a touchdown.
Junior Farley quarterback Lizzy Moulton orchestrated the Finest’s offense on the ensuing drive, completing several long passes, including a 26-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Renee Griffin. [Editor's note: Renee Griffin is a Sports Writer for The Observer.]
Howard had an immediate answer, as Peterson connected with senior receiver Maria Ianni for a 50-yard touchdown.
Farley began their next drive with two huge plays before the injury to Duffey. The paramedics arrived and carried her to an ambulance on a stretcher. Officials decided to postpone the remainder of the game until Tuesday.
Duffey recalled the frightening injury and explained how she’s recovering.
“I remember being hit and then putting a neck brace on,” Duffey said. “After that, I only remember being put on the stretcher. I had a really bad headache for the past week, so I’ve been in and out of doctor’s offices, but other than that I’m doing great. It’s all good.”
Farley continued where they left off on Tuesday. A long drive mixing quarterback runs and passes ended on a touchdown run by Moulton making the score 20-12.
Then, with less than a minute left, Farley scored on a late touchdown pass. Down by one point, the Finest went for the win but failed on the two-point conversion.
Senior Farley co-captain Michelle Summers had no regrets about the decision to go for two.
“I’m really proud of the way we stuck in the game and never gave up,” Summers said. “We fought through to the end. We could’ve gone for the tie ... we went for the win.”
Howard co-captain Peterson thought the game was a little too close for comfort.
“We were lucky to hold on” Peterson said. “It was unfortunate that they scored that touchdown because it made it a lot more intense, but we held them off on the point after which was what we needed.”
Howard’s next game will be against Lewis on October 11, and Farley will take on Pasquerilla East on Sunday at 4 p.m. at Riehle Fields.
Ryan vs. Welsh Family
Maureen Schweninger
Ryan emerged victorious against Welsh Family with a 28-20 win in the sister dorm showdown on Tuesday night. It was a tough back-and-forth battle for both teams.
The Wildcats struggled to get started offensively, while Welsh Family scored on its first possession. Senior receiver and captain Erin Clark said she was proud of Ryan’s mental resilience.
“It would have been really easy for us to get down on ourselves,” Clark said. “But we came back at them tough as ever. Just pushing through everything and getting those first downs was key.”
Welsh Family’s junior cornerback and captain Sharon Chiang said she was pleased with her team’s first half performance. The Whirlwinds had a 20-14 edge going into the third quarter.
“Our defense played so hard,” Chiang said. “[Ryan had] a lot of good passes and a lot of tall girls. Their movement, the cutbacks, are things we need to revisit.”
The Wildcats suffered a costly injury in the third quarter, though. Freshman Jenny Moore went down on her knee while running a quarterback sneak and could not return to the game.
Moore was seven of 10 passing with two touchdowns on the day. Clark said Moore’s future status is unknown.
“Things do look pretty serious right now,” Clark said. “She’s going to the hospital tonight to get it looked at. Most important thing is getting her healthy.”
It was Clark who stepped in under center for the rest of the game. She threw for two subsequent touchdowns. Clark had not played quarterback since her freshman year, but she said she emphasized the “next man in” mentality to her team.
“[Next game] will definitely be interesting if we are losing our starting [quarterback],” Clark said. “It’s important everyone is coming still ready to play even if we have to switch things up a little bit.”
Ryan will play Walsh on Sunday at 6 p.m. at Riehle Fields, while Welsh Family has a bye.
