Lyons' opening-drive touchdown proved to be just enough to defeat Badin, as the Lyonites earned a 6-0 win Sunday.
The Lyonites (1-1) started from their 48-yard line after a Badin punt and pushed the ball down the field quickly. The drive ended when freshman receiver Mary-Sue Kaetzer pulled down a long touchdown pass in the right corner of the end zone to put the Lyonites on the board. Senior captain Christina Bramanti said scoring first was important for the Lyonites after they were shutout last week.
"I think that gave us the confidence to keep going," Bramanti said. "I thought we were finally the team I thought we could be."
Lyons displayed stout defense as well. Bramanti returned an interception more than 70 yards, and the duo of freshman defensive lineman Alexa Lodenquai and senior defensive lineman Aurora Kareh dominated the line of scrimmage.
Fifth-year quarterback Carli Fernandez returned to the field for Badin (0-2) after missing the team's first game. Badin senior captain Tommasina Domel said Fernandez helped the team settle down on offense, although the Bullfrogs were unable to score.
"It helped having our regular quarterback back," Domel said. "She's been our quarterback the last four years, and I could move back to receiver, where I belong."
The Bullfrogs showed potential on offense, as junior receiver Jane Herrmann made several receptions for long gains.
In the end, though, the Lyons defense dominated, as it preve
nted Badin from scoring on a final drive in the last minute of the game.
Both teams will face Breen-Phillips next. Lyons will try to keep rolling against the Babes on Tuesday, while Badin will look for its first win when it plays Sunday.
Contact Stephanie Zuba at szuba@nd.edu
Cavanaugh 13, Howard 0
By CASEY KARNES
Sports Writer
In a battle of vaunted defenses, Cavanaugh pulled out a hard-fought 13-0 victory over Howard on Sunday.
Cavanaugh (3-0) had not allowed a touchdown going into the game, but Howard (1-1) challenged its shutout streak with several strong offensive drives. Despite Howard's offense, Chaos senior cornerback Michelle Young and senior defensive lineman Tegan Chapman repulsed the Ducks' red zone attack, as they made several goal-line stands.
"We've been practicing really hard, playing really physical, and focusing really hard," Young said. "We've been getting the job done."
Howard's defense displayed similar aggression , stifling Cavanaugh's aerial attack. Sophomore linebacker Claire Kozlowski played a major role in stopping the Chaos' rushing attack.
Late in the first half, Cavanaugh senior quarterback Rosemary Kelly broke through Howard's defense, finding sophomore receiver Marielle Blumenthaler for a long touchdown pass.
Despite the strong play of junior quarterback Clare Robinson, the Ducks were never able to recover from the initial deficit.
"We need more practice," Howard junior center Amelia Vojt said. "We have a very young team, and I'm hopeful for the future, but now we need to work on our communication."
Cavanaugh's second touchdown came on a Kelly run in the final minute of the contest, which iced the game for the Chaos. Blumenthaler said she was proud of her team's performance.
"Our quarterback Rosemary [Kelly] played awesome, and our defense is just the best," Blumenthaler said.
Cavanaugh will look to remain undefeated when it plays Pasquerilla West on Sunday, while Howard will look to rebound when it faces Badin on Tuesday.
Contact Casey Karnes at wkarnes@nd.edu
Pangborn 13, McGlinn 0
By DONG-HYUN KIM
Sports Writer
In a battle of undefeated teams and preseason favorites, Pangborn bested McGlinn in a 13-0 shutout Sunday afternoon.
McGlinn (2-1) got off to a shaky start when senior quarterback Emily Golden threw an early interception. Pangborn's offense capitalized on the interception, as sophomore quarterback Caitlin Gargan dished passes to senior receiver Kristin Ruekert and junior receiver Molly Shawhan. Gargan finished the drive by scoring a 15-yard rushing touchdown for the Phoxes (2-0).
The Shamrocks could not answer in the first half, as the Phoxes pressured Golden with constant blitzes.
Soon after the half, Gargan ran for another touchdown, giving the Phoxes a 13-0 lead. The Shamrock offense struggled through the rest of the game. Golden threw two interceptions in the game and saw her receivers miss several catches in the second half.
Despite the struggles, Golden did not place any blame on her receivers, instead putting the blame on her shoulders.
"I think it was many things I could have done," Golden said. "It wasn't one thing."
With the win against McGlinn, Pangborn has not allowed a single point this season, as the Phoxes beat Farley 20-0 in their first game.
"We knew McGlinn was a solid team, but we just came out better," Pangborn senior coach Magan Ngoto said.
McGlinn had to quickly regroup for a Monday matchup with Ryan, while Pangborn will try to remain undefeated when it faces Ryan on Sunday.
Pasquerilla East 7,
Lewis 7
In a battle of winless teams, Pasquerilla East and Lewis fought hard until the end but neither team could pull away, as the contest ended in a 7-7 tie.
Pasquerilla East (0-1-1) was aggressive on its first play, whe
n sophomore quarterback Macy Mulhall ran for a first down. On the ensuing play, Muhall threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to sophomore receiver Alex Good.
Lewis (0-1-1) responded quickly, as senior quarterback Connaught Blood penetrated the Pyros' defensive line with her rushing.
Blood attempted five of her seven rushes in the first half, scoring the game-tying touchdown on one of them.
"I knew they were blitzing and coming around the sides, so I rushed through the middle line," Blood said.
With the game tied, the defense took over for both teams. Late in the game, the Pyro defense, led by junior Caroline Kuse, pressured Blood and forced her to throw an interception to senior safety Anna Perino, who ran 40 yards for the touchdown, but the play was called back for a roughing the passer penalty.
Lewis faced an emergency late in the game when Blood went down. Junior running back Colleen Haller took over as quarterback for the rest of the game.
Despite the draw, Lewis senior coach Gabe Delatte saw several positives in the game.
"We spent this past week learning about the fundamentals," Delatte said. "Now we need to actually execute the things we learned."
Pyros senior coach Purt Justilien also saw the draw as an improvement from the team's last game.
"We made improvements from last game, and now it comes to the small details," Justilien said.
Pasquerilla East will look for its first win when it faces Welsh Family on Sunday, while Lewis will meet Farley the same day.
Contact Dong-Hyun Kim at dkim16@nd.edu
Walsh 20, Breen-Phillips 6
By GREG HADLEY
Sports Writer
In a matchup of two teams looking for their first wins, Walsh used its experience to earn a 20-6 victory over Breen-Phillips on Sunday.
Early on, it appeared that the youth of Breen-Phillips (0-1) would not be a factor, as its secondary shut down Walsh (1-1) on its initial drive. Walsh quickly recovered on its next drive, as the Wild Women took advantage of several long rushes and costly penalties by the Babes to move down the field and score on a scramble by senior quarterback Kat Leach.
From that point on, the Wild Women never looked back, as their defense intercepted four passes. Senior cornerback Lindy Navarre added to Walsh's lead with an interception return for a touchdown.
"It was great to get a defensive touchdown obviously," Navarre said. "That hasn't happened at Walsh in a while. Our offense got into a good flow too."
Walsh's offense sealed the victory when senior receiver Carmen Lopez ran for a touchdown just before the half.
The Babes, however, were not too discouraged by the result, since their roster consists largely of freshmen playing in their first interhall game.
"We haven't been playing together very long," junior captain Molly Toner said. "We just need to work on communication on defense and memorizing plays."
Toner said the Babes will look to take away positives from the game, such as the defense's second half shutout of the Wild Women.
Moving forward, the Babes will look for continued improvement as their players develop more familiarity with each other, while Walsh will try to keep up its momentum.
"We're just taking it one game at a time," Navarre said. "Obviously we want to keep winning ... but we need to stay focused."
Breen-Phillips next plays Farley on Sunday, while Walsh will face Pasquerilla West on Tuesday night.
Ryan 7, Welsh Family 6
In a game featuring two stout defenses filled with talent and depth, Ryan managed to come from behind and steal a 7-6 victory from Welsh Family on Sunday afternoon.
For most of the game, it appeared Welsh Family's first-possession touchdown would allow the Whirlwinds (1-1) to emerge victorious. Whirlwinds senior quarterback Victoria Moreno rushed the ball in for a score after orchestrating an impressive opening drive of mixed passes and runs,
After Moreno's touchdown, the game took on a defensive tone, with both defenses preventing any big plays.
With less than two minutes in the game, Ryan (2-0) drove furiously down the field, utilizing a previously dormant passing attack. Senior quarterback Maya Pillai then connected with junior receiver Maddie Swan for a short passing touchdown to tie the game. On the ensuing extra point, Pillai and Swan connected again to give the Wildcats the lead.
"They have some great safeties ... but we were able to use the line a little more," Swan said about the scoring drive. "It was great just to come out with a win."
The Whirlwinds, on the other hand, felt the regret of wasted opportunities on offense.
"It wasn't that we weren't driving," Moreno said. "We just couldn't finish."
The Whirlwinds saw several promising drives ended by big plays from the Ryan defense..
Despite the loss, Welsh Family's defense was encouraged by its strong defensive effort.
"They played a slow game but we kept our eyes open and adjusted," senior linebacker Lynn Tasker said.
Contact Greg Hadley at ghadley@nd.edu
