By MARY GREEN
Sports Writer
In a game dominated by the defenses in the first half, it was Welsh Family's offense that broke free in the third quarter en route to a 27-7 victory over Farley on Monday.
The Whirlwinds (4-1) stopped an early threat from the Finest (0-4) with senior linebacker Lynn Tasker's red zone interception, but a pesky Farley secondary prevented Welsh Family from capitalizing.
Riding the momentum from their defensive stand, the Finest found the end zone first with a bizarre 15-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Lauren Ladowski that bounced off the head of junior receiver Wendy Hatch and landed in the waiting arms of sophomore running back Madison Nelson.
"Our offense did a good job of keeping calm under pressure tonight and allowing us to score early," Nelson said.
The Whirlwinds, however, quickly responded with a touchdown of their own, as senior quarterback Vicky Moreno scored on a four-yard rush to close the first half tied at seven.
A different Welsh Family team emerged from the sidelines in the third quarter, though. On its second play of the half, Moreno connected with senior receiver Kirsten Groody for a 65-yard touchdown that began the team's scoring torrent.
"We started off slow, but we didn't put our heads down," Moreno said. "I told the team that we had to get it done because every game is important."
The Whirlwinds responded and scored on all three of their possessions in the second half. Moreno tacked on a pair of touchdown passes to sophomore Natalie Branch and senior Grace Corrigan that solidified the win. Moreno, who finished with 198 passing yards, said the victory gives the team confidence heading toward the end of the season.
"We lost a tough one to Ryan [on Sept. 23] but we've gone forward, and we're looking forward to playing McGlinn, which is our big rivalry," Moreno said.
The Whirlwinds face their West Quad adversaries Sunday, and the Finest seek their first win against Pasquerilla East the same day.
Contact Mary Green at mgreen8@nd.edu
Pangborn 14, Pasquerilla East 0
By ALEX WILCOX
Sports Writer
After a frustrating defeat last week, Pangborn bounced back and won in familiar fashion, shutting out Pasquerilla East 14-0 on Monday.
The Phoxes (4-1) have shut out their opponent in three of five games. Pasquerilla East (0-2-2), meanwhile, leaves Monday's contest still searching for its first win of the year.
The first half was largely a back-and-forth defensive battle between the two squads. The Pangborn offense finally found its rhythm with less than two minutes remaining in the first half. The Phoxes marched on a five-play, 67-yard drive that was capped off with a two-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Caitlin Gargan to junior receiver Molly Shawhan. Gargan executed the two-minute drill to perfection, going 4-for-4 for 49 yards and the touchdown. The Phoxes converted the two-point conversion and went into halftime leading 8-0.
"[The touchdown] was huge," Pangborn senior captain Colleen Bailey said. "Going into the second half up eight points helped us stay focused. It was good for team strategy and morale."
Pangborn's defense responded to the late first half touchdown by not allowing a yard on Pasquerilla East's drive to start the second half. Bailey said she was impressed with her defense.
"To have our defense come out so strong and shut them down gave us confidence and good field position," Bailey said. "Whenever we have a strong showing from one side of the ball, it motivates the other to step up."
The offense stepped up indeed, as Gargan connected with senior receiver Meredith Angell for a touchdown to make it 14-0.
The Pyros had a strong defensive stand late in the fourth quarter when senior captain Anna Perino intercepted a pass on the Pyros' own goal line, preventing a touchdown. Although Pasquerilla East went on to lose, Perino found some positives in the Pyros' performance.
"Defensively, we were able to make some adjustments which led to the interception, and offensively we were able to string some plays together," Perino said. "I think we played well against a really good team."
Pasquerilla East plays Farley on Sunday at 5 p.m. at LaBar Fields, while Pangborn doesn't play until Oct. 28 against Lewis.
Contact Alex Wilcox at awilcox1@nd.edu
Walsh 7, Badin 6
By RICH HIDY
Sports Writer
In a thrilling Tuesday night defensive showdown, Walsh edged Badin by the narrowest of margins, stopping a late extra point attempt to earn a 7-6 victory.
After both teams traded interceptions to start the game Walsh drove the ball down the field, and senior quarterback Kat Leach found an open receiver in the middle of the end zone to give the Wild Women (2-2) a 6-0 lead. Sophomore receiver Meredith Kelly then secured the extra point on a rollout pass by Leach.
Early in the second half, Badin sophomore cornerback Melissa Whelan intercepted a Leach pass and took it the other way for a touchdown. The Bullfrogs (1-3) were stopped short on the subsequent extra point though, leaving Walsh with a 7-6 lead.
With two minutes left in the game, Badin started to drive the ball methodically down the field. The Bullfrogs were stopped short of the end zone, however, as Walsh sealed the win with an interception.
Walsh senior cornerback Lindy Navarre said she was extremely impressed with her team's effort.
"We played with a lot of heart tonight," Navarre said. "We really wanted to win this game and it was a great battle on both sides."
Navarre said she was particularly pleased with the play of the secondary.
"On defense we had some key interceptions," Navarre said. "Our safety play was tremendous with a couple of picks."
On the other side, Badin senior receiver TommasinaDomel said she was upbeat even after the heartbreaking loss.
"It was a really close game that could have gone either way," Domel said. "We put up a valiant effort, and we had a couple of really close plays on offense. We had a lot of opportunities that we didn't cash in on both sides of the ball."
Walsh will look to extend its winning streak when it plays Lyons on Sunday, while Badin will look to rebound when it battles Cavanaugh on Oct. 28.
Contact Rich Hidy at rhidy@nd.edu
Breen-Phillips 20, Lyons 18
By ALEX WILCOX
Sports Writer
Finally, the girls of Breen-Phillips know what a win feels like. The Babes won their first game in over three years, as they defeated Lyons 20-18 Tuesday night.
For the team's seniors, the game marked their first interhall victory.
"The seniors have never won before, the juniors have never won before, so all the upperclassmen are really excited, and the freshmen now have something to build off of," Breen-Phillips junior captain Molly Toner said.
The Babes (1-2) opened the game with the look of a defeated team, as they allowed Lyons (1-3) to march down the field and score a touchdown on its first drive.
After an offensive turnover-on-downs, the Babes slowly began to make a comeback. They intercepted Lyons senior quarterback Erica Miller on the next play and scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive to take a 7-6 lead with six minutes left in the first half. After allowing another touchdown to Lyons, Breen-Phillips received some defensive help, as freshman cornerback Stephanie Campo stepped in front of Miller's pass and took it back for a score just before halftime. The Babes went into the half with a 14-12 lead, which they would not relinquish for the rest of the game..
"[The interception] was huge," Toner said. "It made our offense work better and everybody was more confident. When you have a big play like that early in the game, everybody plays better."
Breen-Phillips widened its lead in the second half, scoring on a one-yard touchdown run by Toner on the opening drive to go up 20-12.
Lyons put the game's outcome in doubt when it scored a touchdown with just two minutes left in the game, closing the Babes' lead to 20-18. On the Lyonites' ensuing three-point conversion attempt, Miller's pass intended for senior captain Christina Bramanti fell incomplete, securing the victory for Breen-Phillips.
Breen-Phillips will go for back-to-back wins Sunday against Cavanaugh, while Lyons will look for a win when it plays Walsh on Sunday.
Contact Alex Wilcox atawilcox1@nd.edu
