Print
E-mail
Comment
Early big plays end Strake’s playoff run
By MIKE TENNEY
Last week, when Strake Jesuit defeated Mayde Creek in the first round of the playoffs, the Crusaders took full advantage to every miscue the Rams made.
Friday night, though, the tables were turned with Madison making the most of a few Strake Jesuit mistakes to defeat the Crusaders, 35-23, in a Region III, Division II Area Round playoff game before a packed house at Crusader Stadium.
The Marlins, who will play the winner of the Clear Brook-La Porte game Friday or Saturday in the Region III semifinals, made two big plays early on that set the tone for the game.
On the fourth play of the game, Marlin tailback Jeffrey Lewis, who rushed for 147 yards on just 12 carries, sprinted through a huge hole in his offensive line and outran everyone for a 68-yard touchdown only 76 seconds into the game. After the point-after kick, they led 7-0 with 10:44 left in the first period.
The teams then traded punts after three-and-out offensive series, but on Strake Jesuit’s second possession of the game, the Crusaders fumbled on the first play from scrimmage, and a Madison defender raced 38 yards with the loose ball for the touchdown, making it 14-0 after the PAT with 5:14 to play in the first quarter.
“We just start the game and all of a sudden it’s 14-0, and we’re looking around wondering what’s going on,” said Strake Jesuit head coach Ron Counter. “We were at home and we had the crowd behind us and we just off to a bad start, and we’re playing from behind the whole game. We couldn’t really imagine a worse way to start.”
The Crusaders did close the margin to 14-7 midway through the second quarter with a 10-play, 59-yard drive that ended with wide receiver Kellan Bellenger pulling in a 12-yard touchdown reception from quarterback James Scott.
Scott’s 17-yard run and 14-yard pass to Klein Kubiak were the highlights in the drive, along with a fourth-down conversion just inside the Madison 20 that kept the team moving.
But the Marlins answered with their own touchdown, after a long kickoff return. Then a Strake Jesuit personal foul penalty put Madison at the Crusader 35. Keeping the ball on the ground, it took six plays to move that distance, and a Broderick Thomas two-yard sneak on a keeper made it 21-7 with 49 seconds to go in the half.
Strake came back for a field goal just before halftime to get a little closer.
Using two 15-yard Madison penalties and two passes to tight end Wes Williams, the Crusaders traveled quickly from their own 24 to the Madison 11. Kicker Alex Wilkins nailed a 29-yard field goal on the last play of the second period to make it 21-10.
The Marlins widened the gap with a touchdown on the team’s first drive of the second half, which followed a 30-yard punt return, setting them on the opponent’s side of the field.
Madison needed 10 plays to go 41 yards for the touchdown with Thomas bullying two yards for the score with 6:49 to play in the third period. Converting a fourth-and-nine situation at the Crusader 27 was a key in keeping the drive alive..
However, the hosts came right back, going 80 yards on 11 plays for a touchdown with a little more than two minutes left in the third period.
Scott and Kubiak hooked up on a 29-yard pass on a fourth-and-two play at the Madison 30, putting the Crusaders at the Madison 1-yard-line. Scott then carried the ball over on the next play to make it 28-16.
Strake tried to cut the lead to 10 with a two-point conversion, but the pass fell incomplete.
Madison’s final touchdown came on a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown with exactly five minutes to play.
Strake’s last TD completed a 14-play, 56-yard drive in which Scott ran four yards for the touchdown. The extra point kick closed the gap to 12 with 2:26 showing.
“We just didn’t play well,” said Counter. “We really gave them the three touchdowns with the two turnovers and the big play. And those were the two things we talked about all week in practice. We couldn’t turn the ball over, and we couldn’t give up the big play and we did both of those things.
“But I give Madison a lot of credit. I thought they played much better against us than they did in their first playoff game, and even their coach said so after the game. So they played well and we didn’t, and that happens sometimes.”
Strake Jesuit ends the season with a 9-2 record.
Friday night, though, the tables were turned with Madison making the most of a few Strake Jesuit mistakes to defeat the Crusaders, 35-23, in a Region III, Division II Area Round playoff game before a packed house at Crusader Stadium.
The Marlins, who will play the winner of the Clear Brook-La Porte game Friday or Saturday in the Region III semifinals, made two big plays early on that set the tone for the game.
On the fourth play of the game, Marlin tailback Jeffrey Lewis, who rushed for 147 yards on just 12 carries, sprinted through a huge hole in his offensive line and outran everyone for a 68-yard touchdown only 76 seconds into the game. After the point-after kick, they led 7-0 with 10:44 left in the first period.
The teams then traded punts after three-and-out offensive series, but on Strake Jesuit’s second possession of the game, the Crusaders fumbled on the first play from scrimmage, and a Madison defender raced 38 yards with the loose ball for the touchdown, making it 14-0 after the PAT with 5:14 to play in the first quarter.
“We just start the game and all of a sudden it’s 14-0, and we’re looking around wondering what’s going on,” said Strake Jesuit head coach Ron Counter. “We were at home and we had the crowd behind us and we just off to a bad start, and we’re playing from behind the whole game. We couldn’t really imagine a worse way to start.”
The Crusaders did close the margin to 14-7 midway through the second quarter with a 10-play, 59-yard drive that ended with wide receiver Kellan Bellenger pulling in a 12-yard touchdown reception from quarterback James Scott.
Scott’s 17-yard run and 14-yard pass to Klein Kubiak were the highlights in the drive, along with a fourth-down conversion just inside the Madison 20 that kept the team moving.
But the Marlins answered with their own touchdown, after a long kickoff return. Then a Strake Jesuit personal foul penalty put Madison at the Crusader 35. Keeping the ball on the ground, it took six plays to move that distance, and a Broderick Thomas two-yard sneak on a keeper made it 21-7 with 49 seconds to go in the half.
Strake came back for a field goal just before halftime to get a little closer.
Using two 15-yard Madison penalties and two passes to tight end Wes Williams, the Crusaders traveled quickly from their own 24 to the Madison 11. Kicker Alex Wilkins nailed a 29-yard field goal on the last play of the second period to make it 21-10.
The Marlins widened the gap with a touchdown on the team’s first drive of the second half, which followed a 30-yard punt return, setting them on the opponent’s side of the field.
Madison needed 10 plays to go 41 yards for the touchdown with Thomas bullying two yards for the score with 6:49 to play in the third period. Converting a fourth-and-nine situation at the Crusader 27 was a key in keeping the drive alive..
However, the hosts came right back, going 80 yards on 11 plays for a touchdown with a little more than two minutes left in the third period.
Scott and Kubiak hooked up on a 29-yard pass on a fourth-and-two play at the Madison 30, putting the Crusaders at the Madison 1-yard-line. Scott then carried the ball over on the next play to make it 28-16.
Strake tried to cut the lead to 10 with a two-point conversion, but the pass fell incomplete.
Madison’s final touchdown came on a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown with exactly five minutes to play.
Strake’s last TD completed a 14-play, 56-yard drive in which Scott ran four yards for the touchdown. The extra point kick closed the gap to 12 with 2:26 showing.
“We just didn’t play well,” said Counter. “We really gave them the three touchdowns with the two turnovers and the big play. And those were the two things we talked about all week in practice. We couldn’t turn the ball over, and we couldn’t give up the big play and we did both of those things.
“But I give Madison a lot of credit. I thought they played much better against us than they did in their first playoff game, and even their coach said so after the game. So they played well and we didn’t, and that happens sometimes.”
Strake Jesuit ends the season with a 9-2 record.
Submit a Comment
|
You must be logged in to post a comment.
|
Not yet a registered member?
Click here to become one. Comments to stories and articles on the Web site are not edited or pre-approved before appearing online. Readers posting comments are solely responsible for those comments. Comments must be germane to the story to which they apply. Online comments that are libelous, profane or personally attack another site participant can be reported as abuse using the link provided on each comment. Comments reported as abusive will be reviewed and may be removed from view, as will off-topic comments. BE CIVIL. Individuals continually posting abusive comments to the site may have their registrations revoked. |
