Cardinals top St Stephens 41-17

Junior Aaron Speight rushes against St Stephens in Cardinals 41-17 win

For the second consecutive week the Cardinal football team made a short and enjoyable trip to play a talented Alexandria rival, claiming a 41 – 17 victory over St. Stephen & St. Agnes on Saturday, September 27, 2014.

Bishop Ireton students and fans claimed a large part of the stands, getting behind the visiting team from the opening kickoff until they joined the team on the field. It was a great win for a tenacious squad that picked up its fourth victory of the season and third in a row.

Drew Smith got the Cardinals on the scoreboard first, hauling in a Joe Dickinson spiral with a sensational one-handed catch on his left hip. Junior kicker David Cooper made the lead 7 – 0, but the hosts stormed back in the second quarter to claim a 10 – 7 lead after a Matthew Fischer field goal and a 38 yard dash from running back Isaiah Davis, a University of Maryland commit.

Senior offensive linemen Andre Robinson and Michael Commeree answered the challenge, leading the Cardinals on a three-minute drive that senior Andrew Latrash capped off with a one yard QB sneak.

Dan Cheek and Nick Barth led a swarming kickoff team down the field and the hosts set up shop on their 20 yard line with less than a minute before their Homecoming halftime. Faced with a third and 10 play the Saints fumbled a snap and Latrash burst through to “scoop and score”, giving the redbirds a 21 – 10 lead.

Ireton opened the half with one of its best drives of the year, using a mix of its power running game and quick passes to “matriculate the ball down the field.” Sophomore Perris Jones blasted in from the one yard line to give the visitors a 28 – 10 lead.

The “bend, don’t break” Ireton defense made the Saints work for every yard; forcing a red zone fumble and a key fourth down sensational stop by junior linebacker Bernie Hayes as the third quarter wore on. St. Stephens opened the fourth quarter with an impressive drive that ended with another Davis touchdown to cut the lead to 28 – 17.

From there a deep Ireton squad took control on both sides of the ball; Perris Jones made his way back into the end zone before junior cornerback Corey Johnson ended any Saints hope of a comeback with an impressive interception that led to Aaron Speight putting an exclamation point on the afternoon with a four yard rushing touchdown.

The victory helped Bishop Ireton move into second place in the Virginia Independent School Athletic Association playoff race at the halfway point of the 2014 season. The Cardinals return to Fannon Field on Friday, October 3 to host the tenacious Flint Hill Huskies. Kickoff is set for 3:30 to cap off homecoming festivities for the student body as the School heads to celebrate its 50th anniversary Homecoming week, one culminating in a Gala for faculty, friends and alumni Saturday, October 11th!