A big play in the late stages of both the first and second half was all the St Benedict Bears would need, evening their record at 1-1 with a 14-3 win over the Lasalle Lancers in Senior Boys football action Friday afternoon at the James Jerome Sports Complex.
Trailing 1-0, the Bears grabbed the lead in the final minute of quarter two when linebacker Andy Snow stepped in front of a pass and returned it 55 yards to the end zone.
That 7-1 score remained intact until the final three minutes of play. After St Benedict surrendered a safety to avoid punting from their end zone, the Bears defense came through with yet another turnover on downs with the field flipped.
Dylan Nelson scampered 45 yards to provide the necessary cushion as Mateo Bedoya made good on both of his convert attempts.
"I read the quarterback was throwing short," said Snow of his timely pick-six. "I just kind of went to the ball, put my hands up and hoped for the best. Then I tucked it and ran and tried to figure it out."
"I was just wishing that somebody had my back, somebody would block for me," Snow continued. "If I go down, I go down - but I was looking for the end zone."
An 18 year old in his third year with the team, Snow moved up one level this year, stepping forward from his former position at halfback to a new linebacking role. His experience in pass coverage was just one of the contributing factors to what amounted to the game-winning score.
"My football IQ is picking up more and more as I play," Snow suggested. "That's probably the area I have most improved, just being able to read and react to what is going on at all times."
The first game of the day was the closest as the Lo-Ellen Park Knights looked much more like three-time city champs in a 43-3 shellacking of the St Charles College Cardinals (after edging Lively 28-23 in week 1).
Quin Mazzuchin and Steven Sola scored two touchdowns apiece with Max Arnold and Jonah Gibson joining them in the TD department as QB Noah Parsons threw for five TD passes.
Luca Cucullo added three PATs and two rouges, with Sola capping things off with a two-point conversion while a Braxton Ragogna field goal accounting for all of the Cardinals scoring.
The Confederation Chargers made it back to back convincing victories, blasting the Lively Hawks 36-0 as Quentin Harris reached the end zone twice, with teammates Braden Beggs, Tucker Lalonde and Evan Doyle doing it once each.
Week three features some very compelling matchups with Lasalle and Lively going toe to toe in a game that could decide the fourth and final playoff spot while the unbeaten tandem of Confederation and Lo-Ellen close out the evening with a rare 5:30 p.m. start (first game on Friday begins at 1:00 p.m.).
