MEN'S INTERHALL GOLD LEAGUE: Kangaroo defense hops over Manorites
By MATT FURRIE, KATIE KINNER and ANTHONY BISHOP
Sports Writers
Amidst the wind and rain, Keough's defense was just strong enough to pull off a 7- 0 victory over Morrissey.
"I thought it was a really good first game," said Keough quarterback Andy Hess. "We executed our base offensive sets and played extremely well on defense."
The Kangaroo defense was on top of its game. By the time the game was over, it had picked off two passes, forced two fumbles and sacked Morrissey quarterback Rick Ysasi three times.
"Our defensive backs did a good job of keeping their quarterback in check all game long," said Hess. "Brian Adams and James Waechester were especially key with their interceptions."
The first quarter of the game went by quickly with each team's defense controlling the tempo. But with the start of the second quarter, it began to rain, and with it came the first scoring opportunity.
Following a Morrissey punt, Keough was set to start from its own 20. Two plays later, halfback Clay Nuelle broke free and trotted up the sideline for a 75-yard touchdown run.
"The offensive line did a great job," said Nuelle, a freshman. "They blocked off the whole right side and I saw a opening so I took it and ran has hard as I could. Next thing I know I scored."
The half ended with the Kangaroos up 7-0 after each team's defense dominated the rest of the half.
The second half opened up with a rejuvenated Morrissey offensive attack. Freshman halfback, Edward Hernandez III, got his first carries and made several impressive runs picking up much needed yardage.
Despite this new attack, the results were still the same for the Manorites.
Several well-orchestrated drives ended up in great field position, but none yielded any points.
Coming into the final minutes of the game Keough was still up seven, but again their defense was being put to the test.
Morrissey quarterback Ysasi, 5 of 11 passing, had put his inside the 10 after proving to be quite elusive in the pocket. But yet again Keough's defense rose to the occasion.
After nearly recovering a fumble inside of the 5 on second down, they came back and sacked Ysasi on third down. The game ended with Nuelle being pulled down just yards short of the end zone.
"I thought we played extremely well," said Morrissey coach Andy Baulm. "Unfortunately, they were able to break it open on the one big play and score. We'll do some fine tuning and stay hungry for a win next week."
Keenan 6, Stanford 0
An early touchdown may have proved decisive, but in a game plagued by 16 penalties and dominated by the run, it didn't seem to be the score that mattered.
In Keenan's 6-0 victory against Stanford on Sunday, it was a battle of who hit harder, who made fewer mistakes and who wanted it more.
Keenan scored on its opening drive despite three personal fouls. Freshman quarterback Patrick Downey scored a touchdown on a six-yard run.
Staying focused was important in a game filled with penalties, according to Keenan captain Brent Morlok.
"We did a good job keeping our heads in the game," he said.
Griffin penalties led to their defeat, according to Dave Dilworth.
"I felt like we spotted them six points and started off in a hole and were never able to get our offense going," Dilworth said.
Neither team was very successful on the offensive side of the ball, as both quarterbacks secured only two completions each. The running game was the focus for both teams.
Running back Tom Corr shouldered the load for Keenan rushing on 11 carries.
Stanford's Dan Campion and Mark McNamee had seven carries each, including key rushes on Stanford's final drive in the fourth quarter.
Campion also doubled as a defender, grabbing one interception.
Corner Greg Borchardt also contributed strongly to Stanford's defensive stand, holding Keenan receivers to two catches.
"Our defense played well, we shut them down," said Dilworth, but the offense never got off its feet.
Keenan linebacker Tim O'Brien was a key player in stopping Stanford's quarterback Nick Befera and the option attack of Campion and McNamee.
O'Brien tallied sacks on both of Stanford's second half drives, including their final attempt at tying the game.
On Stanford's final drive of the game, Keenan defenders insisted they had knocked the ball loose from the arms of Stanford's Campion on a second and five, but the referee signaled no fumble.
While subsequent penalties allowed Stanford to continue towards the end zone, Keenan's veterans took charge and ended the drive with a sack by O'Brien and an interception on third and long by Matt Hotze.
Junior O'Brien and the other veterans "did what they had to do to win the game," said Morlok.
Dillon 6, Alumni 0
In a rebirth of the Alumni and Dillon rivalry, neither team wanted to back down. It was a heated battle in which the Dillon Big Red finally took control. Scoring a touchdown early in the game, Dillon led 6-0 and never looked back.
During Alumni's first possession, the Dawgs quickly showed the opposition that they meant business. They gradually marched down the field with quick running.
However, before they could capitalize off of these runs, an interception ended any threat of a score. He was taken down with a hard hit by offensive lineman Larry Rooney.
"The interception really took some wind out of our sails," Rooney said.
A crowd of cheers and smiles quickly turned into a crowd of grimaces and groans. The fans of Alumni, or the "Dawg Pound" were quieted by Dillon for the rest of the game.
On the ensuing drive by Dillon, Alumni received a personal foul, giving the Big Red 15 yards and the first down.
That sparked the offense to march the rest of the way, winding down with a 2-yard run by Jason Visner to score the touchdown. The PAT attempt after the touchdown never made it to the goalposts, keeping the score at 6-0.
After that, the two defenses tightened up. Both offenses began drives well, showing signs of a scoring opportunity, but the defense shut them down, stopping the offenses from getting into a scoring position.
Neither team could set up a passing attack, as each team's offense could only muster two completions.
Alumni drove close within scoring range late in the game, but the Dawgs fumbled to end the drive. The fumble and the interception were both in Dillon territory.
"The interception took away some momentum, and the fumble by [runningback Alex] Roodhouse may have been the final dagger," said Alumni captain Nick Linstroth. "We're just going to move on and prepare for Keough next week."
Alumni faces Keough at 2 p.m. next Sunday and Dillon faces off against Keenan at 3 p.m. Both games will be at the southern Riehle field.
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, September 25, 2001
