Junior Jardan Walker (11) breaks a tackle against St Mary's Ryken Friday night in Leonardtown.
Bishop Ireton’s Cardinals overcame the Knights of St Mary’s Ryken Friday night, but they couldn’t overcome themselves in a heartbreaking 27-22 loss in Leonardtown Friday night. With the loss, Ireton fell to 2-3 on the year, while St Mary’s Ryken improved to 4-1.
Turnovers over shadowed perhaps the strongest effort of the year by Coach Tony Verducci’s squad. Five miscues, including the last turnover on the final drive of the game for Ireton was more than the Alexandrians could overcome.
The game opened with both squads turning the ball over on their first possessions. Ireton then went to work with a marathon 20-pay drive that devoured much of the first quarter with a no-huddle attack. The drive finally stalled deep in Knights territory and senior Matt Bocchi kicked a 32 yard field goal to put Ireton up 3-0.
The Cardinals took over after Ryken missed a 30-yard field goal attempt and moved the ball to midfield before junior Kyle Goddard intercepted a Latrash aerial at the Ryken 46. The Cardinal defense had perhaps their finest series of the season however, and 3 plays later the home team had lost 24 yards and punted on the first play of the second quarter.
On Ryken’s next possession, however, the Cardinals other nemesis, the big play, gave the home team the lead when sophomore Damien Jones bolted 46 yards for a touchdown. Gonzalo Cardenas kicked the PAT for a 7-3 lead.
Once more a tipped pass resulted in an Ireton turnover on the next series when freshmen Nathan Proctor intercepted the pigskin, but again the defense closed the door on the navy blue clad home team.
The Cardinals got a break when they subsequently punted to the Knights later in the period and senior Hudson Sullivan covered a muffed punt on the Ryken 24 yardline. Latrash connected with Alex Duke for 18 and 2 plays later Duke bulldozed his way to the endzone and Ireton reclaimed the lead at 10-7 and took that advantage to the locker room.
Another big play by the Knights struck on the second half kickoff when Goddard corralled the kick at the 15 yard line and sprinted up the middle nearly untouched and into the end zone and a 14-10 lead.
Later in Ryken’s next drive, Ireton’s Corey Johnson snatched a bobbled pass in midair and returned the interception to the Ryken 28, but the Cardinals’ drive stalled and a 33 yard field goal attempt was just wide of the left upright. The Knights counterattacked immediately on the third play of their next opportunity with yet another long scoring play, this time a 70-yard lightning bolt by Jones, putting the hosts up 21-10.
The Cardinals would mount another good drive, only to see a fumble on the Ryken 27 stall the drive when the Knights couldn’t slow the white jerseyed Virginians down. Both squads would then battle into the final period without threatening.
The visitors mounted their next scoring drive behind a long scramble by quarterback Andrew Latrash. Duke finished the drive with his second touchdown of the game and, after a failed 2-point attempt, Ireton cut the margin to 21-16.
The redbirds forced St Mary’s into a three and out on their next possession and Latrash led the Cardinals on a 7-play, 54-yard drive capped by his 18-yard scramble, breaking tackles into the end zone, giving the Cards a 22-21 lead with 2:57 remaining in the contest.
There was still plenty of action left, and one more big play to plague the visitors. On the 5th play of the drive, the Knights’ Ryan Bowles found Goddard down the sideline for a 65-yard touchdown with 1:45 left, giving the Leonardtown school a 27-22 lead.
The Cardinals weren’t finished however, starting their final drive at their own 35. They drove the ball to the SMR 35 before the final turnover of the game befell the Cardinals.  Latrash tossed a screen pass Jairdan Walker and rangy junior picked his way inside the Knights 20 before Kolby Taylor stripped the football loose from behind and Nathan Proctor scooped up the ball, ending the drive and sealing the win.
For the Cardinals, they will regroup to head to Oakton on Saturday for a 3:30pm kickoff against Flint Hill. The Huskies topped Ireton 41-27 on Fannon Field in 2012.
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