- Sophomore Andrew Latrash scored and threw for a score in Benedictine game.
Anyone following the Cardinals this fall can’t fail to notice the improvement and never-say-quit attitude of the team. The “big play” has crippled Bishop Ireton’s chances for a win during the season and the homecoming setback once again saw that problem plague the hometown team. But, after falling behind 28-7 after one quarter and staring a 41-7 deficit late the second quarter, the gutty Cardinals found a way to mount a counterattack that would eventually close the gap to 41-30.
For the third straight week at home, the visiting team came out of the gate and scored on their opening possession. The Cadets Bryce Hamilton found fleet-footed freshman Scott Bracey with a 51-yard touchdown pass. Senior kicker Buddy Felch added the first of 7 PATs he would make on the afternoon and the Richmond visitors were up 7-0. It would quickly become 14-0 when senior Corey Downey bolted up the middle 55 yards for a Benedictine touchdown.
Bishop Ireton would answer almost immediately however, when Brandon Price -Williams took a screen pass on Ireton’s next possession and outran the white jerseyed Cadets 68 yards down the home side line a minute and 24 seconds after the Cadets’ score. Sophomore Ben Zegada-Hurley closed the gap to 14-7 with 6:08 still remaining in the first quarter. Benedictine, however, went directly back to work and capped their next drive with a 25-yard scoring pass to Raymon Minor and sophomore Raymon Jones bolted 59 yards for another touchdown to balloon the lead to 28-7 after one quarter of play.
Both teams then steadied their defenses, Ireton forcing Jones to cough up the ball and Justin Paige made the recovery. But neither team would yield a score until after a trade of possessions, Bracey scored his second touchdown of the day with a 59-yard sprint with 5:34 left to make it 34-7 as the PAT fluttered weakly to the right. Ireton could not sustain a scoring drive and when the Cadets again took possession they marched again into redbird territory where Hamilton would connect with Minor for the 6th TD strike of the half.
Both teams were unable to mount any offense in the subsequent drives, setting the stage for the final score of the half. With Benedictine’s -Cameron Cougill back to punt, the sophomore kicker dropped the snap and Ireton senior Geno Miller recovered the pigskin on the Cadets’ 2 yard line. Two plays later, PJ Zingler tossed a touchdown pass to Daniel Frazier and a 2-pt PAT to Andrew Latrash to close the gap to 41-15.
Ireton stopped the vistors on their first opportunity of the second half and began a drive that went deep into Benedictine territory, but an errant snap on 4th down turned the ball back to the Cadets. Ireton stopped the run attack and, with the aid of penalties on the offense, stymied any progress for Benedictine and soon the home team was in business again, taking possession on the Cadet 33. A little “trickeration” with a double pass from Zingler to backup quarterback Andrew Latrash drew defenders while Latrash calmly found Justin Paige wide open for 33 yard scoring pass. With 2:52 remaining, the Cardinals closed the gap to 41-22.
The teams traded punts as the game moved into the final period. Benedictine tried an unsuccessful short snap to fake a punt, but the Cardinals sniffed it out starting Ireton’s next scoring drive.
Key to the drive, Zingler tossed a pass to Frazier who hauled it to the Cadet 16. Penalties pushed the home team back to near midfield, where the drive looked to lose steam until Zingler found Max Sanasack on a spectacular pass reception down to the Benedictine 1 yard line. Miller would score from the one and Zingler dashed around left end to pull Ireton back with 41-30.
The enthusiasm of the possible comeback was dashed on the ensuing kickoff when junior Amani Williams fielded the ball on the 15 yard line and weaved,dodged, and sprinted 85 yards for a touchdown to push the visitors back out to a 48-30 advantage with 7:30 remaining in the homecoming game.
The fight was not out of the Cardinals at this point however, and on the next series, Price-Williams would answer the Benedictine score with a 68-yard rumble up the middle on a draw play breaking 2 tackles and getting a bone-crushing block on the last defender that sprung him off to the races. The speedy back, a sprinter for the track and field Cardinals, showed his stuff, pulling away from everyone on his way to the east endzone to again pull Ireton closer at 48-36. Ireton failed on a PAT attempt.
The Ireton faithful looked for more good fortune, but it was not to be as the Cadet’s Jones scored the game’s final touchdown with just under 2 and half minutes remaining. Ireton marched frantically down the field in the game’s final possession with Latrash tackled on the Cadets’ one yard line as time expired.
With the win, the second ranked Benedictine improved to 6-1 on the season, their sole setback an upset loss early in the campaign to Collegiate School. The Cardinals fall to 0-7 with a Friday night date for homecoming set in Fairfax as Bishop Ireton visits Paul VI (4-3) for a 7:30pm kickoff. Last year it was winless PVI spoiling the Ireton homecoming while handing the previously undefeated Cardinals their first setback of the year. PVI fell to Benedictine 24-9 two weeks ago in Richmond.  Bishop Ireton will then return home for the final time on Oct 27th, Senior Day, when the Panthers of Potomac School visit for a 2pm kickoff. The 2012 campaign closes on Nov 3 at Pope John Paul the Great with another 2pm start.
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