WOMEN'S INTERHALL GOLD LEAGUE: Bulldogs tame Lions, win 12-6
By MATT MOONEY and BRIAN LONG
Sports Writers
The first play set the tone.
When Badin sophomore quarterback Erin Zachary went deep and connected with wideout Amy Marshall, the Bullfrogs established a trend that would continue throughout their 12-6 victory over Lyons on Sunday.
"We wanted to give our [young] quarterback some confidence. We had nothing to lose and wanted to go for it," Bullfrog Molly Norton said.
Though Lyons prevented a score with a goal line stand, they could not stop the Bullfrogs' next drive. Marshall again plagued the Lions as she took the ball on an end around and scrambled untouched into the endzone.
The Bullfrogs would add another touchdown in the second half, and Lyons never mounted a significant charge.
Badin had the crucial edge of field position. While the Bullfrogs often found themselves deep in their opponent's half of the field, Lyons had trouble advancing the ball.
"Our defense did a good job of holding off their offense," said Norton. "It set up our offense and gave us opportunities."
Badin's offense put the team in a position where, even if it didn't score, it still pinned Lyons deep in its own territory. Unable to muster anything against the Bullfrog defense, Lyons either punted or turned the ball over on downs on four of their five possessions.
"Mentally, it took us awhile to get into the game. We had some penalties that hurt us and we had a short fourth down we didn't convert on," junior Lion Sarah Jenkins said. "But we're still optimistic. Last year it took us three games to score and we still came back and made the playoffs."
Lyons' lone score in the contest came off the game's only turnover.
Near the end of the second half, sophomore Meghan Barloco picked off a Badin pass. Lyons managed to avoid the shutout as they put together their only sustained drive of the day. Quarterback Jenkins hooked up with Roxie Terevino on a short touchdown pass. A failed three point conversion ended the game.
Afterward, Bullfrog Molly Norton said, "Our offense found its niche [in this game]. We had trouble in our first game. But we put in a lot of hard work in practice and it paid off."
Welsh 18, Pasquerilla West 0
Welsh Hall is back in the saddle.
Despite the "rebuilding year" label that was slapped on the Whirlwinds, the reigning champs added another victory on Sunday, putting away the Purple Weasels of Pasquerilla West 18-0.
Welsh, now 3-0 on the season, used an intricate offensive attack coupled with a tenacious defense to overpower PW.
Just two plays into the game, PW was already playing catch-up. Two Lauren Hoeck passes, for 18 and 42 yards, and the Whirlwinds found themselves up by six.
The Weasels were not able to gain control on offensive either, as Welsh captain Vanessa Lichon intercepted a PW pass on the next possession.
Again, the Whirlwinds scored, taking advantage of Hoeck's cannon arm and a productive group of wide outs.
PW, after giving up the quick strikes, settled down defensively. The offense, however, was unable to get anything going throughout the entire game.
"We never really found our rhythm on offensive," said sophomore quarterback Leslie Schmidt.
The lack of rhythm can be attributed to the Welsh defensive unit. A relentless pass rush was the key as several players, including Kat "El Gato" Wolohan, recorded sacks for the Whirlwinds.
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, September 25, 2001
