Huck's Fantasy CL Title Game
Prep-Carroll -- Who Would Win?
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   Ed "Huck" Palmer is one of our trusty statisticians/observers. He is not to be confused with Tom "Puck" McKenna. (Huck is normal. Puck is not even close). He will make occasional reports on games he sees. You may contact him at TEDDYCAT10@aol.com.

   Enough is enough!!! It is time to see who is the true Catholic League champion. For three years now football fans of the Delaware Valley have been left out in the cold for a title game. Things have been really heated the last two years, as Archbishop Carroll of the smaller Blue Division has been beyond dominant in winning consecutive crowns. Things became extremely intense last season between Carroll, and Catholic Red power St. Joe's Prep, but a game was never produced.
     The battle lost a little of its steam last year when the Prep was surprised by the Kevin Jones-led Cardinal O'Hara Lions, in the CL Red title game. Nonetheless, a game between Carroll and O'Hara could have been just as memorable. I would have loved to see Carroll's vaunted defense go up against RB Kevin Jones and QB Mike Lomas. Also, it would have been intriguing to see if Carroll's highly proficient offense could have the same success against a defense from the Red.
     This year, things are very similar to last. Carroll rolled itself through league play, and then the playoffs for yet another championship. SJ Prep was equally as impressive, as they dismantled every opponent, including teams like Judge, O'Hara (2), and Bonner (2). Both teams finished perfect in league play, and were convincing champions.
     The following is one man's look at how a game between Carroll and Prep would end up. This will be complete with statistics, defensive stands, and scoring drives. So if you are interested in reading about the game, go get a snack and a cold beverage.
    Kickoff is just a few minutes away . . .


DECEMBER 8, 2001:
     Live from Charlie Martin Memorial Field in Northeast Philadelphia. Tonight we bring you the Philadelphia Catholic League championship game between Archbishop Carroll, of Radnor and St. Joseph's Prep, of Philadelphia. It is a pristine Saturday night for football and we should have dandy of a game. A crowd of roughly 6,500 have come out to watch two of the more dominant football programs in the Philadelphia area wage war against one another for right to be call Catholic League Champs.

1ST QUARTER:
---Carroll squibs the opening kickoff and Prep returners Danny Jones and Pat Kaiser have trouble deciding who will pick the ball up at the 13. Finally Kaiser grabs hold and is taken down after just a 6-yard gain. The Prep begins at the 19-yard line. The Patriots are fired up, as the their defense storms the field.
   PREP- Runs by RB Kyle Ambrogi and QB Vince Gallagher net 6 yards bringing up 3rd and four. Prep's Gallagher drops back to pass and flushed out by a heavy rush, and is finally sacked by AC John Vanak for an 8-yard loss. Prep's P Peter Welsh comes on to kick.
   AC- Welsh punting from inside the 10, sends the punt down the middle of the field. There waiting is MVP Maurice Stovall. Stovall fields the punt at his own 48. He starts left, but quickly reverses field getting a good block from LB Mike Cutone. Stovall takes the punt up the right sideline 52 yards virtually untouched giving the Pats the early lead with 9:36 to play in the quarter. The point after attempt is blocked by LB Brian Tracz. CARROLL 6 PREP 0. (9:36)
   PREP- After the speedster Jones returns the kick 28 yards, the Prep starts their next drive on their own 36.
---On first down, Ambrogi takes the counter 13 yards out to the 49, DB Mike Malandra just trips him off saving a possible score. Gallagher then scampers 6 yards, Amborigi goes 3 setting up a 3rd and one from the Carroll 42. The Prep gives it to the MVP, Ambrogi, who ekes out two for the first down. Next, Gallgher hits TE Brian Tucci underneath who carries Carroll defenders for another Hawklet firstdown to the Carroll 29. After an incompletion, and a 3-yard run by Ambrogi. Gallgher hits WR Jim Lachman for an 11 yard gain, and another Prep first down. On first down, Ambrogi takes the ball up the middle for seven. A four yard run by FB Tracz gives the Hawklets a first-and-goal at the Carroll four.  On a run blitz, AC LB Paul Rambo stops Ambrogi for a 3-yard loss. After an incompletion, the Hawklets faced a third-and-goal from the seven. Gallagher went back to pass, but was flushed from the pocket by DE Pat Kelly. As he raced towards the cone, he was met by LB Mitch Yanak who prevented the score at the one. It was decision time for Head Coach Gil Brooks, but he didn't waste time thinking about it. He elected to go for it, and on fourth-and-one after a beautiful fake to Ambrogi, Gallgher waltzed into the endzone untouched on a bootleg. K Kaiser boomed the extra point, and Prep had taken the lead. Capping a 14-play, 64 yard drive, that ate up 7:11of the clock. PREP 7 CARROLL 6. (2:25)
   AC- Deciding to kick away from the dangerous Stovall, teammate Malandra fields the kickoff at the six, and is only able to take it out to the 16. This is where the Patriots offense will take over for the first time.
---Bruising RB James Roderick carries twice on first and second downs, but can only manage 3 yards. Carroll gets their first firstdown of the game when RB Chaz Scott takes the ball while in motion on a counter for a 14 yard gain. After a 4-yard run by Malandra, the quarter ends with Carroll facing a second-and-six from it's own 37.

SECOND QUARTER:
---Roderick is stymied again, and loses two yards. On third down, QB Pat Brochet goes back to pass, but under heavy pressure is sacked by blitzing LB Adam Hepp. Carrol was now forced to punt.
   PREP- Jones called for a fair catch, and fielded the punt at his own 33.
---The Prep converted a third-and-12, when Gallagher hit WR Pete Chromiak down the sidelines for 23 yards. However, a 22 yard run by Ambrogi was negated by a holding call, and the Prep subsequently stalled having to punt.
   AC- Punting away from Stovall, the Prep's Welsh angled the punt out of bounds. Carroll takes over at their own 24.
---Roderick runs for eight, and then RB Curtis Costa goes for three giving Carroll  a first down at their own 35. On firstdown, Brochet hits Stovall for a 16-yard gain, as he leaps over the smaller DB Solomon Patterson. Carroll is driving at the Prep 49, and we are under five minutes to go in the half. After runs by Roderick and Malandra, Carroll is faced with a 3rd-and-four from the 43. Brochet goes deep down the sideline to Stovall who is doubled covered by Gallagher and Paterson. The ball is batted in the air, and Patterson intercepts it, returning it 26 yards to his own 34.
   PREP- On first down, Ambrogi gains 14 yards on a draw. Next, Gallager gains 7 on keeper, putting the ball at the Carroll 45 with just over two minutes to play in the half. RB Jones gains 12 on a speed sweep. The Prep calls timeout. Gallagher scrambles for five, then throws an incompletion setting up 3rd-and-five from the 28. Gallgher hits a wide open Lachman in the middle of the field, and he tackled at the 7. The Prep calls another timeout. After an incompletion, Ambrogi takes the ball up to the two for a gain of 5. The Prep hustles up to the line, Gallagher fakes a handoff to Ambrogi and drops back. He is forced out of the pocket and sacked by DE Vince Lynam for a 7 yard loss. The Prep calls it's final timeout, and sends on the filed goal unit. K Kaiser easily nails a 26-yarder to extend the Prep lead. PREP 10 CARROLL 6. (:11)
   AC- The Hawklets squib the kickoff, but the ball travels further down field than planned. An up-man pitches the ball back to Stovall. Stovall bobs and weaves, but is brought down just shy of the 50 to end the half.

SECOND HALF
---Carroll receives the opening kickoff. Scott takes the ball at the three, and brings it out to the 27.
AC- Roderick gains three on first down. Malandra gains two. On third down, Brochet drops back to pass, but is hammered by DT Mike Mailey, who jars the ball loose. LB Tim Giangiulio recovers the ball at the Carroll 24.
   PREP- On first down Ambrogi goes for four. Then Tracz grinds out three more. Ambrogi follows OL John Connors for five, giving the Hawklets a first down on the 12. After a Ambrogi 3 yard gain, and an incompletion the Prep is faced with 3rd-and-seven from the nine. Ambrogi receives the sweep and heads left, stopping suddenly and throwing back to a wide open Gallagher, who catches the ball on the five and easily scores. Kaiser adds the extra point to extend Prep's lead. PREP 17 CARROLL 6. (8:14)
---Still trying to keep the ball away from Stovall, Kaiser shanks the kickoff out of bounds at the Carroll 38.
AC- Scott takes the handoff and gains seven. Then Brochet hit TE Evan Dittler for 9. A completion to Scott for 16 yards has Carroll back in business at the Prep 30. Roderick rumbles up the middle for seven. Brochet runs for 5 for yet, another Carroll firstdown. A Roderick run of 2, and a Malandra run of 4 sets up third-and-four. Brochet sees a seemingly open Stovall, but DB Jones closes ground nicely to bat down the pass. Not wanting to try the filed goal, Head Coach Dan Bielli keeps his offense on the field. Bielli calls a play that sends Stovall and Scott into separate parts of the endzone, leaving the middle of the field open for Dittler. However, Brochet was under heavy pressure from Mailey and DE John Quinn and had to rush his pass. The ball arrived sooner that expected, Dittler was unable to secure it, turning the ball over on downs to the Prep.
   PREP- Takes over at their own 12. Ambrogi goes 10 yards to the 22. On the next play, Gallagher drops back and hits a streaking Chromiak down the middle of the field. The speedy receiver hauls in the pass and is off to paydirt. The 78-yard bomb gives the Prep a commending lead. Kaiser adds the kick. PREP 24 CARROLL 6. (3:31).
---Kaiser kicks the ball deep and Malandra handles the ball at the seven. He races to the right and gives the ball on a reverse to Stovall. The burner takes the ball up the left sideline and into Prep territory before being tackled at the 42. Prep coach Brooks is irate at the lack of discipline on special teams. Telling his troops that their is plenty of time left to stop celebrating.
   AC- On first down, Brochet hits Stovall for 15 down to the 27. Scott then runs 6 to the 21. Malandra goes three to the 17. On third down Roderick goes up the middle to the 8, giving the Pats first-and-goal. After a Costa 3 yard run, Bielli called Roderick's number once again, and the 260-pounder carried three defenders into the endzone giving his team some life. The two-point conversion attempt failed. PREP 24 CARROLL 12. (:55)
---Kaiser accepts the ball at his own 10, and takes it out to the 26.
PREP- Gallagher throws an incompletion on first down, then Ambrogi carries for 8 ending the quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER:
---On thrid-and-two, Ambrogi is slammed for a loss by Vanak and Rambo. Forcing a Prep punt. Welsh got off a short punt, and Carroll took over at midfield.
AC- Scott runs for 8. Roderick for 3, giving  Carroll a firstdown at the 39. Then, Brochet hit Stovall for 27 down to the 12, and the Carroll faithful could feel the momentum turning. A 4-yard run by Roderick, and an incompletion set-up third-and-six from the 8. Carroll lined up Stovall to the wide side of the field. Brochet threw a beautiful ball on a fade pattern and Stovall easily out-jumped the smaller Jones for the score. K McGoldrick added the point-after, pullin Carroll within five. PREP 24 CARROLL 19 (9:52)
---Kaiser took the kickoff at the 11, and had a nice return out to the 40.
PREP- Ambrogi ran for 2, then Jones took another speed sweep for 19 yards down to the Carroll 39. Tracz ran for 5. Ambrogi for 2. On third down, Gallagher hit Lachman for 13 yards to give the Prep a first down at the 19. Gallagher ran for three, and then Ambrogi for 6. Gallgher on a keeper got the first down to the five. Tracz carried for two, and then Ambrogi bulled his way in from the three for the score. The 10-play drive covered 60 yards, and ate up 4:32 off the clock. Kaiser added the kick. PREP 31 CARROLL 19. (5:20)
---Taking no chances the Prep once gain squibbed the kick. An up-back fell on the ball at the 38.
AC- With time not on their side Carroll went into their hurry-up offense. Brochet completed a 5-yard pass to Malandra. After an incompletion he hit Scott for just four yards. On fourth down, they gave Roderick the ball and he got the first down with a gain of three. After two more incompletion's, Brochet once again connected with Stovall for 21, putting the ball at 29. Scott caught a short pass for four yards, followed by an incompletion. On third down, Brochet was sacked once again by Mailey for a loss of 11. this brought up another fourth down, and under heavy pressure Brochet's pass was incomplete, turning the ball back over to the Prep.
PREP- The Hawklets took over at their own 36 with just 2:27 to play. Gallagher kept for a three yard gain. On the next play, Ambrogi closed out his exceptional career by breaking out of a pack of would-be tacklers for a 61-yard jaunt to the house. Kaiser's kick made the score. PREP 38 CARROLL 19. (1:52)
---Malandra retuned the kick to the 33.
AC- Brochet completed a 12 pass to Malandra. That was followed by two incompletion's. On the next play, Brochet was intercepted by Jones, who fell down at his own 41.
PREP- Backup RB Kaiser carried twice for 7 yards, and FB Billy Addis carried on the last play of the game for 4.

CITY FOOTBALL
CATHOLIC LEAGUE FINAL
SJ PREP 38, CARROLL 19
ARCHBISHOP CARROLL        6       0       6    7  -   19
ST. JOE'S PREP                         7     3     14  14    -   38
   AC-  Stovall 52 yard punt return. (kick failed).
   SJP- Gallagher 1 run. (Kaiser kick).
   SJP- FG Kaiser 26
   SJP- Gallagher 9 pass from Ambrogi. (Kaiser kick).
   SJP- Chromiak 78 pass from Gallagher. (Kaiser kick).
   AC- Roderick 5 run. (pass failed).
   AC- Stovall 8 pass from Brochet. (McGoldrick kick).
   SJP- Ambrogi 3 run. (Kaiser kick).
   SJP- Ambrogi 61 run. (Kaiser kick).

                                       Carroll           SJ Prep
First downs                           14                   18
Rushes-yards                      28-85               43-230
Passing yards                       133                  157
Total offense                          218                  387
Passes                                10-23-2            7-15-0
Return yardage                      187                   114
Punts                                   1-31.0               2-32.5
Fumbles lost                           1                       0
Penalties-yards                       2-10                 3-25

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
AC: Roderick 13-49, Scott 4-35, Malandra 5-15, Brochet 4- -20,
Costa 2-6. SJP: Ambrogi 22-149, Gallagher 11-25, Tracz 5-14,
Jones 2-31, Kaiser 2-7, Addis 1-4.

PASSING
AC: Brochet 10-23-2-- 133. SJP: Gallagher 6-14-0--157, Ambrogi 1-1-0--9.

RECEIVING                                                      
AC: Stovall 5-87, Dittler 1-9, Scott 3-24, Malandra 2-17. SJP: Tucci 1-11,
Lachman 3-45, Chromiak 2-101, Gallagher 1-9.
                                                      
INTERCEPTIONS
SJP: Patterson, Jones.
                                                       
RETURNS
AC: Stovall 3-114, Malandra 3-49, Scott 1-24. SJP: Kaiser 3-51, 1-28, Patterson 1-26
                                       
RECOVERIES OF OPPONENT'S FUMBLES
SJP: Giangiullo.

TACKLING LEADERS                                              
AC:  O' Shea 9, Malndra 7, Rambo, 6. SJP: Tracz 8, Hepp 6, Mailey, 5, Patterson 5.