Jack (#24 Gold) drags defenders while he drives down the field.
The Lions stepped up in class on Friday night traveling to Penndel to play the Division II Wildcats. On a night when the Lions struggled to find their rhythm on offense, the vaunted Lions defense stepped up to deliver a 7-0 victory. It was the team’s third shutout of the season. Paul Keating’s Lions defense continues to impress giving up an average of less than one touchdown per game through the first nine games of the season.
It looked like a promising start for the Lions when Cam Tealer took the opening kickoff back to the Wildcat thirty on a brilliant zig-zagging run—unfortunately a penalty brought the play back and put the Lions in an early hole. After an unsuccessful offensive series, the Lions turned the ball over on downs at their own 15.
Here the Lions defense began to go to work. The interior defensive line of Matt Kilgariff at nose tackle and Colin Patrick and Chris Braun at defensive tackle brought a load of pressure up the middle and defensive ends Blaze Hutkin and Josh House forced the action outside helping to push the Wildcats back fifteen yards.
Once again however the Lions could not muster an offensive attack, but this time Lucas Lasher got the Lions out of trouble with a long punt. When Lions D went back on the field they continued to dominate—this time Lions cornerbacks took control with Tommy Capriotti picking off an errant Wildcat pass.
This time Lions offense began to gel behind the blocking of Tyler Brennan at center, Capriotti and Jake Harraka at guard, Ryan Keating and Max Adar at tackle, and Jake Perkins and Kilgariff at tight end. After an initial first down, a penalty stalled the lions progress and they once again turned the ball over on downs to the Wildcats.
Again the Lions defense stepped up with Tealer breaking up a potential fourth down completion and nearly picking off the pass.
This time when the Lions offense took to the field, they turned to the air. Mike Fitzgerald stepped up in the pocket under fierce pressure and delivered a bullet to Lasher who gathered it in and galloped fifty yards for the score—shaking off the last Wildcat defender at the ten-yard line. Jack McKenna then followed great blocking up the middle for the extra point and the Lions had a 7-0 lead going into half time.
The Lions took the initiative to start of the second half with McKenna recovering an onside kick and getting the Lion’s ball in Wildcats territory. The Lions offense picked up a first down but couldn’t move deep into Wildcat territory and once again the Lions defense went to work.
The Lions linebackers stole the show on this defensive series. First Tommy Lupo teamed up with House to stop Wildcats tailback for a loss on an end around. Then Andrew Wheelan came up from his outside linebacker position to level the Wildcat’s QB for no gain. McKenna continued the hit parade separating the Wildcat’s tight end from the ball on a monster hit from his middle linebacker spot. Finally Capriotti finished off the Wildcats drive with his second pick off of the game (and team leading fifth pick of the season).
A Lions turnover forced the defense back on the field quickly and this time defensive line put on the pressure. First Kilgariff stuffed the Lions tailback on a dive up the middle, then Braun delivered a huge hit in the backfield dropping the Wildcat’s fullback for a loss. Then House stayed home on a reverse forcing the Wildcats into a long yardage situation. The Wildcats went off tackle on the next play but Harraka stopped the Wildcat runner short of the first down and the Lions had the ball back.
Again the Wildcat’s were up to the challenge and the Lions had to turn the ball back over to them on downs. It was here that Wildcat’s began their most impressive drive of the game. They drove the ball down to the Lions twenty-five and might have evened the score had it not been for Alec Coburn’s touchdown-saving tackle on a third and long yardage play. The Lion’s defensive line led by a strong push from Adar and Patrick stuffed the Wildcats on fourth down with 6:45 to go in the game.
The Wildcats offense wouldn’t see the field again as the Lion’s offense rose to the occasion. First McKenna followed blocks from Keating and Perkins to pick up seven big yards. Than the Lions went to the right behind Harraka, Adar, Kilgariff and Lupo to pick up the first down.
The Lions put some fresh legs on the line with Braun and Hutkin adding their support to this critical effort. With their help, Lasher followed a crushing block on the corner by Tealer to gain fifteen yards on a counter play. The Lions then continued to pound the ball inside picking up two more first downs and running out the clock.
As the whistle blew the Lions left the field to the high fives of their supportive but sick/injured teammates Connor Schmutz (flu) and Ryan Walton (broken elbow).
This Saturday the Lions will play finish their season against conference opponent Marsh Creek after moving up and acquitting themselves quite well against two tough non-conference teams on the road.
More photos from the game are here.
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