Whirlwinds extinguish Pyros for interhall championship
By RACHEL BIBER
Sports Writer
All of the emotion, tension, and highlights that are expected to unfold on the hallowed grounds of Notre Dame Stadium were witnessed on Sunday as the Whirlwinds of Welsh swept away the championship title from the Pyros of Pasquerilla East 18-12 in a sensational triple-overtime drama.
After a shaky start by Welsh and a quick PE touchdown, the Pyros looked to continue their winning ways. On PE's first possession, Elizabeth Plummer connected with Melissa Gorman for a quick six points. But the Whirlwinds took the blow in stride, and Welsh quarterback Katie Rak unleashed an incredible pass to wide receiver Vanessa LiChon to even the score.
PE came out firing in the second half, but was halted by the solid Welsh defense that performed tremendously throughout the whole game. The Whirlwinds effectively halted the renowned Pyro offense that had run over their opponents all season.
"The defense played tremendous," Welsh coach Dave DePoister said. "Pushing Plummer back was huge — they played phenomenal."
As the end of the second half wound down, the Whirlwinds threatened to score, but could not capitalize on their field position, forcing overtime. After a bomb from Welsh quarterback Rak to LiChon put the Whirlwinds within five yards of the goalline, the team could not overcome the barrier to the end zone. Rak attempted a quarterback sneak, but instead of ending up with six points, she was forced to the sideline with an ankle injury. Rak could only watch as quarterback Stephanie Eden took over, and the Whirlwinds lost possession after a failed attempt for a touchdown on fourth down. The Pyro defense remained strong, keeping its team in the run for the championship.
"Our defense played really well," PE coach Dong Min said. "They kept us in the game."
In the first overtime, Welsh forced PE to match its offensive spark, after Eden connected with LiChon for a touchdown. The Pyros were quick to answer when Plummer hit center Kristin Carey in the end zone to even the score at 12. Both teams failed to convert the extra point, sending the game into double overtime.
The Pyros and Whirlwinds traded interceptions in the second overtime, forcing yet another overtime where the outcome would ultimately be decided.
Welsh obtained the ball first in the third overtime, and successfully pushed ahead of PE when Welsh wide receiver Alex Callan caught a touchdown pass from Eden, making the score 18-12. The potent Welsh defense denied PE any chance of scoring when two consecutive sacks pushed the Pyro offense back nearly to midfield. On fourth down, the Pyros hoped for a miracle, but were rejected when Plummer's attempted pass was batted down outside the end zone.
Plummer's deflected pass signaled a wild celebration on the Whirlwind sideline as the team began to celebrate their first interhall championship title. The Pyros stood stunned, and watched as their bid for a third straight title was stripped from their grasp, by a team they had dominated earlier in the season.
"Our team played pretty well," Pyro assistant coach Doug Kraft said. "It was a tough game. We knew that their team had come a long way."
The Whirlwind coaches could not say enough about the effort and heart that their players put forth in the title game. Although young and somewhat inexperienced, Welsh was able to upend the heavily favored PE team.
"We are just really proud of our girls," DePoister said. "They 110 percent."
All Sports Stories for Monday, November 22, 1999
