Sophomore Alex Duke was a frequent ball carrier and target on the pass for the Cardinals Saturday.
A disasterous start to the homecoming football game was too much for Bishop Ireton to overcome Saturday before a big crowd that included the returning champions from the 1992 and 1993 football teams, in a 44-21 drubbing at the hands of the PVI Panthers (2-6) in Alexandria.
Paul VI took the opening kickoff and scored on their third play, a 61-yard quarterback draw by junior Ryan O’Connor to give the Panthers a quick 7-0 lead. It almost immediately became 14-0 when Jamon Cofield intercepted an Andrew Latrash aerial on the 28 yard line and raced untouched into the end zone with 10:38 left in the opening quarter. When the Cardinals were forced to punt on their next series, the Panthers went back to work and drove to the Ireton 22 yard line where O’Connor found senior tight end Andrew Gorczyca with a perfectly placed pass that the 205-pound Panther hauled down for a touchdown on fourth down and nine. The PAT by Caleb Hutson was wide, the only kick he missed on the day and the first period ended with the Cardinals trailing 20-0.
Early in the second period, Paul VI capped their third drive of the game with a six-yard touchdown run by Cofield, his second score of the day, to expand the advantage to 27-0. The Panthers soon had the ball again and an illegal block penalty slowed that drive, with Hutson settling for a 30-yard field goal. Though the Cardinals generated some offense in the opening two periods, they headed to the locker room staring at a 30-0 deficit.
Ireton did move the ball quickly in their opening drive of the third quarter, with a Latrash to Alex Duke pass putting the Cardinals in the “red zone” for the first time in the contest. Two plays later Duke grabbed a Latrash toss and scampered 6 yards for Ireton’s first touchdown. Matt Bocchi added the PAT and the sideline stirred.
The Panthers quickly responded with another score of their own. Aided by a personal foul deep in Ireton territory, Colfield rambled the final 6 yards for a score and a 37-7 lead. Cofield scored his fourth touchdown on a 54-yard ramble early in the final period to stake the visitors to a 44-7 lead.
The Cardinals countered with a 76-yard bubble screen to junior Drew Smith, who outran the Panther defenders to the end for Ireton second touchdown of the day and Smith scored again to cap a 75-yard drive on a 14-yard pass play, earned on the strength of Duke and Latrash rushing and a key screen pass on fourth down to continue the drive.
Bishop Ireton (2-6) drops their fifth straight and now heads to McLean to face another punishing ground game at the Potomac School (6-1) and the area’s leading rusher in Jalen Broome. Kickoff is set for 2pm.
Processing your request, Please wait....
