NOV. 28
SEASON RECAP
Tommy Coyle and his Crusaders
have something to be thankful for this year around the holidays.
Although they didn’t advance in the PCL Playoffs like last year,
their 7-4 record is a good sign for a team that’s full of returning
players. With guys like Andrew McHale, Josh Carfagno, Paul
Volpe, Dave Smith, and Chris Dowling still
around, as well as sophomores such as Tom Ryan, Tim
McCaffrey, Joe Swallow, Josh Jaskowiak, and Tim Ott
(just to name a few) the varsity team should be a powerhouse next
season. However, they are losing a great deal of talent in captains
Jim Lavelle and Joe Thompson. The
defensive line is taking a hit too with the loss of Kevin
“Cookie” Keenan, Ryan Kreider, and Mike Murphy.
The team started out strong
with a solid 3-1 record, losing only to Council Rock North by a mere
6 points in the pre-season opener. They then steamrolled past
Northeast Public, Neuman-Gorretti, and Cardinal O'hara, which at the
time was the #4-ranked team in the city. The Crusaders then
struggled through their next few games, losing 3 straight to the
toughest 3 teams in the league, La Salle, North Catholic, and the
Prep. With a 3-4 record facing them, they managed to come back and
turn their losing record into a 6-4 season with big wins over Roman,
Bonner, and Archbishop Ryan. Facing its rival Oblate school in the
first round of the playoffs, Judge couldn’t get past Daryl
Robinson and the Falcons of North Catholic in a tough 30-27
loss.
The season ended with the
traditional Turkey Bowl game between Judge and Lincoln High School.
The fans showed up a little later than expected (anticipating the
game to be rained out) but the blue and red faithful were in full
force by the end of the first quarter. The Crusaders aren’t used to
losing in this game (their record is 27-3-1 against the
Railsplitters) and this year wasn’t any different. Judge started
things off quick with a touchdown pass to Andrew McHale
in the opening minutes. Andrew would go on to visit the end zone
another 2 times during the course of the game, once in the air and
once on the ground. Along with a rushing touchdown by senior captain
Joe Thompson, the Crusaders found themselves in a cruise
control by the second half. Even with the amazing performance by
McHale, all the Judge fans were talking about as they went home to
their Thanksgiving dinner was the amazing shutout by the Judge
defense. The combined efforts of seniors All-Catholic Seniors
Ryan Kreider, Kevin Keenan, and Mike Murphy, along
with standout Junior Josh Carfagno, won the
defensive line the MVP of the game award. The sportsmanship award
was given to Andrew McHale.
KingDom King of the Game:
Andrew McHale (2 recieving TDs, 1 rushing TD).
Kings of the Year:
Josh Carfagno and Andrew McHale
who had amazing seasons and weren't awarded All-Catholic Honors.
NOV. 11
CATHOLIC RED FIRST ROUND
N. Catholic 30, Judge 27
The first round of the
Catholic League Red playoffs started out the same way that the
Oblate Bowl ended. It became the Daryl Robinson show. Daryl
had 209 total yards in the game (154 rushing, 55 receiving). But
even more impressive than that (if you can believe it) was the 195
rushing yard game by Terrell Oglesby, which he managed to do
on just 12 carries. The combined effort was just enough to top the
Crusaders by a mere 3 points in their 30-27 victory.
North took the first drive, but penalties and a solid Judge
defensive line kept them modest in the opening minutes, forcing them
to punt. However, the speedy Daryl Robinson got it back with
an interception that put North within field goal range. The stellar
Crusader defense kept them from reaching the end zone, but a
successful field goal put the Falcons ahead, 3-0.
Back and forth possessions going nowhere ended when a North fumble
was recovered by standout junior d-linemen Josh Carfagno. On
the other side of the ball, however, Judge was struggling to get a
drive together because of Paul Volpe getting no time in the
pocket. Judge ended up turning the ball over on downs. A 74 yard TD
run by…you guessed it, Daryl Robinson gave the Falcons a
comfortable lead, 10-0. But don’t count the Crusaders out yet. A 47
yard run by senior co-captain Joe Thompson put Judge in enemy
territory. Another run by Thompson put the ball in the end zone and
the Crusaders on the scoreboard, 10-7, with 3:16 left in the half. A
nice drive that included a 58 yard run to the future Temple Owl (Daryl
Robinson) put them close, but a missed field goal gave Judge the
opportunity to take the lead. They couldn’t take advantage though,
and time expired with Tommy Coyle’s Crusaders down 10-7.
The second half started out with the Daryl Robinson show in full
effect as he picked the ball and gave North yet another opportunity
to run away with the game. But another solid performance by the
d-line including another fumble recovery by Josh Carfagno,
his second of the night, gave the ball back to Judge. More back and
forth possessions saw the versatile junior Andrew McHale take
back a 70 yard punt return to the house which put Judge in the lead
14-10. Once again, North took advantage of the situation with a 35
yard run by Terrell Oglesby, followed by a short TD run by
Robinson, giving the Falcons the lead back. But a bad snap cost them
the extra point, giving North a 16-14 lead. Sophomore Tim Ott
returned the kick for Judge to midfield. The back and forth
“ping-pong” game continued with a 30 yard TD pass to senior wide out
Tom Hayes. The score put them ahead 20-16. Literally 20
seconds later, Oglesby took a 79-yard run to the house. In case
you’re not keeping score, NC-23/FJ-20. Another scoreless drive saw
the ball in the hands of North with a drive full of steam coming off
the most recent score. Sophomore quarterback Den Louge aired
it out for a 52 yard touchdown reception to…yep, Daryl Robinson.
Desperate to get back the lead, Judge took the field and marched
right downfield with Volpe completing a 30 yard reception to
standout wide out (ha ha that rhymed) Tom Ryan. Another 30
yard touchdown pass to McHale put the Crusaders within 3 points of
North with only 4:25 left in the game. Tough defense from the
Crusaders put North to a quick 3-and-out. With only minutes left,
Judge tried to continue the momentum from the last drive. A 15 yard
completion to Tom Ryan got it going, but an interception by
Ryan McCullough ended the game and Judge’s hopes for
advancement in the playoffs.
Kings of the Game:
North: Daryl Robinson (209 total yds off) and
Terrell Oglesby (195 rush yds)
Judge: Josh Carfagno (2 fumble recoveries) and Andrew
McHale (1 punt return TD, 1 receiving TD).
SEPT. 22
CATHOLIC RED
Judge 35, O'Hara 28
Wow. That’s the only way I can
put to words last night’s game between the Crusaders of Father
Judge, and the Lions of Cardinal O’Hara. Judge, a 10 point underdog
according the Philadelphia Inquirer, stuck first blood after a
highlight reel caliber catch by soph wide out Tom Ryan that
only required 1 hand to take the lead against the #4 ranked team in
the city (also according to the Inquirer). A quick drive going
nowhere for the Lions gave the Crusaders a chance to end the first
quarter with a comfortable 2 possession lead. Another huge catch by
Ryan that went for 39 yards put them in O’Hara territory. A quick
pass to Tom Hayes for 11 yards put Judge in field goal
territory. From the 32 yard line (a 49 yard field goal), Dan
Luberski missed a field goal, giving O’Hara a chance to play
catch-up. Speedy Chris Smith answered the call with a 60 yard
run that went yard into the end zone, but it was called back on a
holding.
The second quarter started with a sack by powerhouse junior Josh
Carfagno, which pushed back O’Hara even farther. However, a 30
yard pass to the 6’6 wide out Mark Wedderburn gave the Lions
a chance to continue the drive. The play wasn’t without a lot of
controversy though. A “questionable” at best call from the refs saw
that a fumble go to the home team Lions. That call was just what the
doctor ordered for O’Hara. They kicked it into gear and followed up
with an 18 yard run by Steve Werner, then back to back 20
yard receptions by Wedderburn that ended in the end zone, giving
them a 14-7 lead. The kickoff was returned by sophomore Tim Ott
for 10 yards. A 67 yard run by Chris Dowling and an 8 yard
touchdown run by Jim Lavelle tied it up once again at 14,
ending the half.
Judge kicked off the first half in high speed with a kickoff that
was fumbled and recovered by John Carfagno. A 23 yard run on
a screen pass to Tom Hayes found the Crusaders on the O’Hara
13. Unable to get the first, Judge went for the first but another
questionable call found the Crusaders coming up short. However, a
fumble on the Lions was recovered by Joe Thompson on the
O’Hara 9 yard line. A slant pattern saw Tom Ryan recording
his second touchdown of the day. O’Hara returned the kick to the
Judge 45. A TFL by sophomore Adam Nowak brought up 2-12, but
the Lions fired back with a 47 yard touchdown pass to Chris Smith.
The PAT was no good, and Judge held on to a slim 21-20 lead. Judge
tried to establish a drive but a fumble on a quarterback keeper was
picked up by the Lions. Joe Swallow picked up a huge sack that
brought up a 4-10 situation.
An offside penalty found the Lions staring down the Crusaders on a
4th and 15 with the game on the line. They took the conservative
route and punted it away, pinning Judge at their own 20. A 3 and
out, mixed with a holding against the Crusaders, saw the ball go
back to O’Hara on their 31. ANOTHER 3 and out gave Judge the ball
back. Jim Lavelle accelerated his game and got 68 yards on
just 2 carries. An 8 yard run by Dan Keenan brought up first
down for the Crusaders. Chris Dowling finished the drive with
a 2 yard end zone trip. A 50 yard pass followed by a diving catch in
the end zone from 5 yards out was the answer back from the Lions.
The 2 point conversion to Wedderburn tied it up at 28 with only
minutes left in the game.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more interesting, junior
Andrew McHale took a 90 yard kickoff to the house to put the
Crusaders on top, 35-28. O’Hara tried to recover, but sacks from Kev
Keenan and Ryan Kreider ended all hopes. Judge prevailed as
the underdogs took out the favored Lions, 35 to 28.
Today’s KingDom “King” of the Game: Jim Lavelle (170 rushing yards,
1 Touchdown)
SEPT. 9
NON-LEAGUE
Judge 27, Northeast 7
Judge started off big in the
first quarter of last week’s game against Northeast Public.
Quarterback Paul Volpe threaded the ball beautifully to where
it had to be play after play in the first. The game picked up fast
with a 20 yard pass to promising sophomore wideout Tom Ryan.
Another 16 yard pass to Ryan put Judge in Northeast’s territory, but
a fumble recovered by the defense for 62 yards pushed the Crusaders
inside their own 20. Judge held Northeast to a field goal attempt,
but a roughing the kicker call gave the offense an automatic first
down. A 3 yard touchdown run by James Rousseau allowed
Northeast to strike first blood and go up 7-0. Judge started their
second drive out inside their own 20, but a 30 and another 20 yard
pass to wideout Tom Hayes quickly put Judge in scoring
position. Another 40 yard streak to Tom Ryan who made an
amazing catch put the Crusaders in the end zone to end the first
quarter all tied up, 7-7.
The second quarter started the
same way the first ended. Northeast started to establish a nice
drive with a 15 yard quarterback keeper run by the speedy Michael
Small and a 12 yard pass to Malik Stokes, but a
devastating interception for Northeast by captain Joe Thompson
that was taken back 50 yards ended whatever hopes of taking the lead
they had at that point. It would soon turn out to be the turning
point of the game. Chris Dowling ended the drive with a short
run into the end zone giving FJ a 14-7 lead. Northeast tried to
capitalize but failed to get into a rhythm and were forced into a
quick 3-and-out, pinning the Crusaders at their own 22. Paul Volpe
again proved to be the star with a 25 yard run on the quarterback
keeper. A few plays later, Chris Dowling recorded a 31 yard dash
getting Judge to the Northeast 35 yard line. Right after, Andrew
McHale used his quickness and capitalized on great blocking to
take a screen pass all the way to the Northeast 5. Another TD trip
by Chris Dowling gave Judge the opportunity to walk away with the
game. A missed point after attempt made it 20-7 in favor of the
Crusaders. A bad kickoff put Northeast on their own 38. Desperate to
catch up before the end of the half, Northeast tried to throw
downfield, but 2 incompletes, followed by a huge sack by Ryan Kreider
forced Northeast to punt. Back and forth
unsuccessful drives ended out the first half, Judge 20 Northeast 7.
Northeast started out the
second half utilizing their running game which included a 17 yard
run by Andrew Vu, but another sack by big man Ryan Kreider
followed by yet another loss of yards gave Northeast a 3rd and 20. A
lot of times, this would probably end up being a draw play followed
by a give up punt. However, quarterback Michael Small made yet
another fabulous run that went 43 yards for a touchdown! But
wait…holding on Northeast. The play got brought back and gave NE a
3rd and 35. They gave a give up run and punt. Not trying to run up
the score, Judge ran the ball with a combined effort of Chris
Dowling and team captain Jim Lavelle. But even that couldn’t
keep the Crusaders from blowing the game wide open. Judge finally
reached the end zone with a 4 yard run by Lavelle. A bad kick gave
Northeast good field position to try and score. Trying to march
downfield, however, proved near impossible as Jim DiLisio
picked off a poorly thrown ball. Judge took the opportunity to drain
the clock, but facing 3rd down, they passed which ended with an
interception by Andrew Vu. With the clock winding down, Judge sent
in the second string, which gave sophomore Tim McCaffrey a chance to
record 41 yards on just 2 carries, including an unbelievable 31 yard
run on a halfback draw, breaking about 8 tackles along the way,
ending the game.
Dom’s King of the Game: based on overall performance, it’s too hard
to choose 1 player, but based on standout plays, the Kingdom will be
split this week between Judge sophomores Tom Ryan (for his
tremendous end zone catch) and Tim McCaffrey for his bull
dozing of a 31 yard run in the 4th taking out more than half of the
Northeast defense.