BP rallies in second half for win
By RACHEL BIBER
Sports Writer
It might have taken a while for the Breen-Phillips Babes to get rolling, but their game heated up in the second half en route to a 13-0 shutout over the Wild Women of Walsh in Sunday's first-round playoff matchup.
No. 1 seed BP looked sluggish in the first half and could not piece together a productive offensive drive. Walsh's defense, led by Shaunti Althoff and Rebecca Craig, was effective in extinguishing any offensive spark that BP displayed, keeping a normally potent BP offense quiet.
Babes' quarterback Jenny Choi could not connect with any receivers for the majority of the first half and was limited to gaining yards on the run.
"We didn't have a terrible first half," BP coach Kevin Shannon said. "But it wasn't good either."
The second half did not look to hold much promise for the Babes when their first offensive possession ended in a interception by the Wild Women defense. But the ball was relinquished when BP's Jill Schuler intercepted a pass from Walsh's quarterback Melissa Beiting, finally awakening the Babes' silenced offense. Schuler's defensive heroics did not do unnoticed by Babes' coach Shannon.
"Jill Schuler had a great game on defense," Shannon said.
Schuler's key interception not only fired up the Babes, but it also led to their first score of the game. BP's ensuing drive featured a huge pass from Choi to receiver Kelly Landaus who ran the ball in for a touchdown.
The Wild Women stood confused as the Babes celebrated six points, while Landaus' flags lay at midfield. The ruling by the referees, however, confirmed that the flags were released because of a defensive grab to the clothing, and the touchdown was awarded to the Babes. The Babes converted for an additional point when Choi connected with Erin West in the end zone, making the score 7-0.
BP struck again during its next possession when Choi completed a touchdown pass to West, increasing the Babes' lead to 13-0, and effectively putting the game out of reach for Walsh. West attributed the second half revival of the Babes' offense to their coaches.
"We had a slow start," West said. "We picked it up in the second half because of our inspirational coaches."
Katie Leicht eliminated any chance of a Walsh comeback, with an interception after Walsh recovered the ball, and Schuler locked up the win when she picked the ball off for the second time of the day as the last seconds of the game ticked away.
The Wild Women were disappointed as their season game to a close, but they put in a high class effort. Walsh's defense was poised throughout the game, and its offense was highlighted by quarterback Melissa Beiting and receiver Kelly Perry. Walsh coach Steve Dillenburger was satisfied with the play of his team, despite the loss.
"Everyone is disappointed, but I'm happy with the way they played," Dillenburger said. "It was a close game, but we just let it slip away."
Cavanaugh 6, Lyons 0
Sunday's matchup between the Lions of Lyons Hall and the Chaos of Cavanaugh was a fierce battle, but the Chaos snuck out alive, shutting out the Lions by a score of 6-0, and locking up a first round playoff win.
Lyons looked on its way to an early score when Crissy Scotti intercepted a pass from Chaos quarterback Mandy Reimer and ran the ball deep into Chaos territory. But an interception in the end zone by Whitney Thompson on an attempted pass from Lyons quarterback Katy Yanez dashed any hopes of a touchdown. The missed effort for six points proved key in procuring a win for the Chaos.
"It really was a key play on the goal line," Cavanaugh captain Melissa Tacey said.
The game's only score came in the second half after an interception by Chaos defensive player Heather Hoffman set the team up for a touchdown.
Six points ensued when Reimer connected with receiver Katie Burdick in the end zone. The 6-0 lead was all the Chaos needed in securing their first playoff win.
The ball was exchanged between the offense of each team for the remainder of the game, but neither side was able to put together any threat of scoring. The Lions could only watch as the Chaos ran the clock out in the final minute of the game, and walked away disappointed as their season came to a close.
"We were very disappointed," captain Katy Yanez said. "I feel like we played as well as could be expected."
Cavanaugh's defensive performance was critical in shutting down Lyons offense and preventing any risk of a Lyons score. The defensive line, led by Meghan Rhatigan and Brigid Laird, put in a solid day's work and were gratified by shutting out their opponent and allowing for a Chaos win.
"Defensively we played tremendous," Cavanaugh coach Matt McCoyd said. "Our defensive line got a lot of pressure on their quarterbacks."
The defensive effort of the Chaos also stimulated the offense, causing a better second half performance
Being a favorite in the playoffs has been an unknown role for the Babes in past years, but they were able to fulfill the role successfully after the defense got the offense fired up.
"Offensively we looked timid in the first half," McCoyd said. "In the second half we played outstanding on both sides of the ball."
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, November 2, 1999
