2009 - GAME 8

  Catholic 19, St. James 13

CAT           13       6       0       0          19
 
STJ              0       7       0       6          13

SCORING SUMMARY:

CAT  (1)   6:06   J. Clark 6 run                             (Cochrane kick)    0 -  7
CAT  (1)   0:20   Shipman 2 run                                  (kick failed)    0 - 13
STJ   (2)   7:54   Slayton 1 run                                   (Taylor kick)    7 - 13
CAT  (2)   6:58   Holman 21 run                                   (run failed)    7 - 19
STJ   (4)  10:08   Ostrye 65 yard interception return   (kick failed)   13 - 19

October 16, 2009    Carlisle Field   Game conditions:  Cloudy, breezy, cool  Game temperature:  56  Wind:  NW 12

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Nick Ostrye (# 19) intercepts a Thomas Wucjik pass and returns it 65 yards for a fourth quarter Trojan touchdown.

Montgomery Catholic took advantage of good first half field position and several interceptions on their way to 19 points before halftime, and they made it hold up as the Trojans could only score one defensive touchdown in the second half as the Knights defeated St. James for the first time in Carlisle Field since 1991 with a 19 - 13 victory.

Neither team got anything going on its initial drive, but Catholic started with good field position at midfield after a short punt on their second possession.  On the second play, on what amazingly would be the only pass play a quarterback would complete to his own team member throughout the game, Thomas Wucjik hit Brandon Holman on a screen pass and excellent blocking paved the way to a 43 yard pickup.  Three plays later, Jacob Clark on his first carry of the night went in from 6 yards out, and Christopher Cochrane's extra point gave the Knights an early 7 - 0 lead midway through the first quarter.

M.L. Shipman was the do-it-all for Catholic on this night, picking up 167 yards rushing, making 11 tackles, and on the next drive he intercepted his first of two passes, returning it to the Trojan 23.  Here, the St. James defense stiffened, and a 37 yard field goal attempt drifted wide right.  However, Shipman's next interception came two plays later, and he returned it to the Trojan 9.  This time, the Knights would not be denied.  It took four plays, but Shipman just snuck into the endzone from two yards out on fourth down.  This time the extra point failed, but Catholic was up quickly 13 - 0 with just seconds remaining in the opening quarter.

The Knights attempted an onside kick trying to catch the Trojans off guard, but it was kicked into the sure hands of Nick Ostrye, and St. James finally had good field position.  From midfield, Ostrye and John Slayton alternated carries for 41 yards.  An encroachment penalty and a 4 yard run by Lee Ketzler gave the Trojans first down at the Knights 1.  It took three plays, but Slayton finally snuck it in for the first St. James score of the night.  Forrest Taylor, backup kicker, successfully converted the extra point and the lead was cut to 13 - 7 early in the second quarter.

After a good kickoff and short return, it appeared St. James finally had the advantage in the field position battle.  However, from its own 18, the Knights drove 82 yards in a mere four plays.  Holman carried for 17 yards on a troublesome reverse play, and Shipman broke loose for 44 yards on the next play with Taylor making a touchdown saving tackle.  After an incomplete pass, Shipman went around right end for the final 21 yards for his first touchdown of the game.  The snap on the extra point was bad, but Catholic had built a 19 - 7 lead with about 7 minutes remaining in the half.

The Trojans used a Crawford Steinberg kickoff return to midfield to again start in great field position.  Slowly but surely, with the help of some Knights encroachment penalties, St. James trudged down the field.  However, on fourth down and two from the Knights 7, Ostrye was stopped a yard short of a first down, and Catholic merely
ran out the first half clock with their 12 point lead.

The Trojans made good defensive adjustments at halftime, preventing any more Knight scores, but the offense continued to sputter, as turnovers ended their first two drives of the second half.  A 47 yard punt by backup punter Wilson Adams pinned Catholic back at their own 29 on the last play of the third quarter.  Holman picked up 34 yards on that troublesome reverse play several plays later, and Catholic was set up at the Trojan 36.  After Clark ran for 4 yards, the Knights tried to salt up the game with a pass from a bunched formation, but it was read and intercepted by Nick Ostrye who had clear sailing toward the endzone, cashing in the fifth longest interception return for a touchdown in St. James history, a 65 yarder, and suddenly the St. James sideline and fans were back into the game.  Taylor's extra point appeared to be good, but apparently was wide left, so the margin was cut to 6, at 19 - 13, with still 10 minutes remaining in the final quarter.

The Knights were stopped on three plays, one of those a fumble which Catholic was lucky to recover, and a Slayton punt return gave St. James possession at their own 42.  Four runs by Slayton and Ostrye moved the ball down to the Catholic 27, before the Trojans committed their fifth turnover of the night, a fumble recovered by the Knights at their 25.  However, Catholic was most gracious in returning the favor on the very next play, as the Trojans fell on a loose ball at the 24.  However, St. James got no closer as they lost a yard on the first play and three consecutive incomplete passes followed.  Despite over 5 minutes remaining on the clock and St. James having all of its timeouts, Catholic managed to run out the remainder of the clock.  Two key third down runs by Shipman, of 15 and 20 yards, were the backbreakers.  A face mask penalty, the only penalty St. James would be assessed in a relatively penalty-free game (sans the Knights encroachment issues), added to the last carry gave Catholic first down at the St. James 6, and Wucjik simply downed the ball twice as Catholic celebrated its second straight victory and the Trojans dropped their second straight to a city rival.

GAME EIGHT SIDELINE STATISTICS

ST. JAMES      RUSHING    42 attempts  133 yards  1 TD  (3.17 yards per carry)

                        20   Slayton     20 / 62  (1 TD)      19   Ostrye         15 / 56
                          6   Ketzler       6 / 19                  34   McCabe        1 / - 4

                        PASSING      0 completions  7 attempts  3 INTs   0 yards  0 TDs  (no sacks of)

                          6   Ketzler             0 - 3 - 3
                        14   Poe                  0 - 2 - 0
                        20   Slayton             0 - 1 - 0
                          7   Olsey               0 - 1 - 0

                        TOTAL YARDS:   133

                        KICKS:  XP  1 / 2                FG  0 / 0
                        2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                        KICKOFFS:   3  (32,46,42)                                     PUNTS:   3  (21,14,47)
                        KO RETURNS:   4  (9,0,16,0)                                PUNT RETURNS:  3  (8,6,11)
                        INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  1  (65TD)
                        FIRST DOWNS:   10  (8 rushing, 2 penalty)
                        FUMBLES:  4, lost 2
                        TURNOVER MARGIN:   - 3
                        POINTS OFF OF TURNOVERS:  6
                        PENALTIES:  1 / 6 yards
                        TIME OF POSSESSION:  24:22

CATHOLIC      RUSHING    46 attempts  251 yards  3 TDs  (5.46 yards per carry)
                        PASSING       1 completion  7 attempts  1 INT  43 yards  0 TDs  (no sacks of)
                        TOTAL YARDS:   294

                        KICKS:  XP  1 / 3                FG  0 / 1  (37 missed)
                        2 POINT CONVERSIONS:  0 / 0
                        KICKOFFS:  4  (46,10,26,33)                               PUNTS:  4  (30,27,29,32)
                        KO RETURNS:  3  (6,2,15)                                  PUNT RETURNS:  0
                        INTERCEPTION RETURNS:  3  (6,17,0)
                        FIRST DOWNS:   13  (12 rushing, 1 passing)
                        FUMBLES:  3, lost 1
                        POINTS OFF OF TURNOVERS:  6
                        PENALTIES:  5 / 24 yards
                        TIME OF POSSESSION:  23:38

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