CATHOLIC LEAGUE GAME OF THE WEEK:
Who: Roman Catholic at Father Judge
When: 6:00 PM Friday, September 30, 2022
Where: Ramp Playground, 3300 Solly Ave., Philadelphia, PA
Records: Roman Catholic 4-1, 0-0; Father Judge 2-3, 0-0
Most Recent Performance: Roman Catholic lost, 10-0, at mega-strong Malvern Prep; Father Judge lost at Penn Charter, 28-6.
Importance: Teams with aspirations of success in such a rugged Red Division need to win their opener and ride the momentum . . . All returning players from last year surely recall a classic mid-season battle that resulted in Father Judge surviving a 21-20 classic win by stopping Roman as it attempted a two-point conversion on the last play of the game . . . The winner of this contest will take over the all-time series lead.
All-Time Record: The series lead is tied at 18-18.
Roman Catholic Notes: After defeating their first four opponents by a collective 144-39, the Cahillites boarded some buses and battled Inter-Academic League power Malvern Prep until the end in a 10-0 defeat, which, though a loss, proved that Roman Catholic can hang with anyone . . . Six returning All-Catholics continue to wreak havoc. Along with senior Austin Ramsey patrolling the offensive line, senior Mao Howell has rushed for 324 yards and five touchdowns on 65 carries. Junior Tyseer Denmark has caught 30 passes for 540 yards and four touchdowns. Senior linebacker Jordan Montgomery has amassed 20 solo tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two interceptions. Senior linebacker Brandon Mack has been involved in 18 tackles and has a fumble recovery. Senior Jamieal Lyons has contributed 21 solo tackles and three sacks . . . A few possible future All-Catholics include senior Jamir Robertson, who leads the running game with 518 yards and six touchdowns on 85 rushes, and he has eclipsed 100 yards on three occasions; freshman quarterback Semaj Beals, who has completed 74 passes in 124 attempts for 972 yards and eight touchdowns, with three of them snared by junior Trey Woodley (12 catches for 175 yards); senior end Jason Patterson, credited with 20 tackles, four assists, and a whopping 7.5 sacks; and junior receiver-turned defensive back Jah Jah Boyd, who returned an interception 90 yards for a touchdown.
Father Judge Notes: Not pleased with their overall pre-season performance, the Crusaders appear ornery heading into this contest. A timely division win would certainly settle their ire . . . Returning All-Catholics include junior Nymeir Appling (13 tackles, three interceptions) and junior Eric Smith (punt return for a TD) . . . Over the last four games, senior Jake Marquis has rushed for 374 yards and five touchdowns on 52 carries. Junior quarterback Tyler Yerkov is a threat both passing (three touchdown throws) and running (four rushing scores) . . . Aforementioned Marquis has aided the defense with 22 tackles and 10 assists, second on the team to senior Brayden McLaughlin (24-11) . . . Senior Tearran Peete 28 overall tackles, junior Sean Broderick (27, two sacks), and senior Andrew Wenger (16) need to be accounted for.
CAHILLITE CHAT:
“It was a tough loss against Malvern Prep, and I got a lot of respect for those guys,” said senior RB/REC Eddie Figueroa. “But we’re onto Judge now.
“Going up against a team that is historically so familiar to us is always a great time. Every game we’ve played in so far has been outstanding environments, but there’s no better than a division game environment. Going into this game, we believe this is a statement to the rest of the division. Our team has an extra bit of fire under it. We feel like we have unfinished business with them.”
CRUSADER CHAT: “It’s a huge game,” said senior linebacker Brayden McLaughlin. “This game is really important for us and it will determine how we play against other teams in our division. Roman is extremely talented, but we are very motivated to win this game
“We always have the same motivation going into every game, but division games tend to be tougher teams. Especially after our loss last week, we have a lot to prove.”
Roman Catholic vs. West Catholic - PSD Photos by Krystal Williams
Father Judge vs. Archbishop Ryan - PSD Gallery by Mark Zimmaro
Prediction: Roman Catholic has benefitted from the return of numerous previously successful players, who have in turn helped younger Cahillites mature on and off the field. In their loss to Malvern, a team that can literally compete with any team in the state, the Cahillites had that “look” and “feel” about them . . . Father Judge, though, can never be taken lightly. The Crusaders realize that a victory here would wipe away a bad taste of losing close games against Olney Charter and Pope John Paul II, and a subpar performance against Penn Charter . . . Adding in the revenge factor of last year’s bitter loss, Roman Catholic starts fast and ends strong in a 30-13 victory.
*** Individual statistics courtesy of Ed “Huck” Powers. PSD Graphic by Madeleine Voss)
(John Knebels can be reached at Jknebels@gmail.com or on Twitter @johnknebels.)