Knights win 15th straight over Manor
By KEVIN BERCHOU
The defending champion Keenan Knights upended Morrissey, 14-0, Sunday in the season's opening contest.
Keenan's 15th-consecutive victory did not come easily, however.
As Morrissey got the ball back on their second possession, the Knights' defense flexed its muscle. After breaking up a pass and stuffing a rush attempt up the middle, Keenan left Morrissey facing third-and-long.
Determined to get his offense on the field, senior Doug Kraft bolted into the backfield from his defensive end position, sacking Morrissey quarterback Dan Sullivan.
"It's a lot easier to play defense early in the season," Kraft said. "The offenses are generally disorganized, so you can just kind of play an attack style."
Neither offense could generate much of an attack in the first half. After being sacked by Kraft to bring out the punting unit, Sullivan was picked off by sophomore defensive back Tom Corr on the next possession.
Keenan quarterback freshman Billy Ellsworth returned the favor when Morrissey junior Mark Berndt intercepted his pass just two plays later.
The half ended when Korr intercepted Sullivan one more time, stalling another drive, and sending both teams into the break, tied at zero.
The second half was a different story.
Keenan finally took advantage of Morrissey mishaps. Early in the third quarter, Kraft pounced on a fumble deep in Morrissey country. Three plays later, junior tailback Nick Costanzo rumbled in from 13 yards out for the game's first score.
Sophomore kicker John Rossi's successful kick made it 7-0.
Still up by the same score midway through the fourth period, the Keenan defense once again came up huge, stuffing a fourth-and-short at midfield. Ellsworth followed with a perfect strike to Costanzo, who moved the ball all the way to Morrissey's 12- yard line.
After three unsuccessful attempts, Ellsworth rolled left on fourth down and hit senior wide out J.J. Frigge for the touchdown that proved to be the nail in the coffin.
Morrissey's last gasp attempt was snuffed out quickly, as senior Joe Klopp came up with yet another interception.
The grin of senior player and coach Dong Min told the story of Keenan's 14-0 victory.
"Morrissey was tough," Min said. "If our defense can play like that every game, and keep the points low, we'll always be right in there. We were lucky to take advantage of their mistakes. It was a good way to open up."
Fisher vs. St. Ed's
It certainly wasn't pretty.
But, a win is a win, and that's just what Fisher's Green Wave got, opening the season by beating St. Ed's, 7-0.
It was a sloppy affair, very much what one might expect from teams that have had only two weeks of practice.
St. Ed's first play from scrimmage set the tone for the rest of the game. The exchange from center to quarterback was muffed and Fisher recovered the ensuing fumble.
Soon after, Fisher quarterback, junior Zack Allen, called his own number, then bolted around the right side for a 12-yard score.
"My line gave me a huge hole," Allen said. "They executed well and gave me a lot of room to run."
That score proved to be all Fisher's defense would need.
Sophomore defensive lineman Dahx Maars took over from there, making big play after big play to quell one St. Ed's drive after another. When St. Ed's special teams unit rose to the occasion blocking a punt in the third quarter, it was Maars who swung the momentum back to Fisher, applying pressure and forcing an incompletion.
From that point on, it was up to Allen to finish off St. Ed's. He moved the ball up field and killed time. A 30-yard scamper all the way down to the St. Ed's 10-yard line exhausted all that was left on the clock and allowed Allen and his teammates to break into celebration.
Pleased with their victory, the Fisher men said they know they have along way to go.
"We need to eliminate our mistakes," said Maars. "We'll go back to practice this week and get ready for the next game."
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, September 21, 1999
