| AWAY | HOME | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| CATHOLIC | VS | JOHN PAUL II CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL | |
| 13 | 19 | ||
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 |
| John Paul II Catholic High School | 0 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
Unofficially, Rion Roseborough rushed for 123 yards for the John Paul II Catholic High School football team on Thursday evening, and none was more important than his final one as he scored on third-and-goal from the 1 with 1:27 left in the game, lifting the Saints to a 19-13 victory in their home opener against Catholic High School from Virginia Beach.
Xae Lang’s interception at the JPII 30 with 44.5 seconds remaining sealed it for JPII, which improved to 3-0 overall. Catholic dropped to 1-1.
“It was a great win for our kids,” JPII Coach Sean Murphy said afterward. “Playing a tough, close game against a good opponent will only make us better for the rest of the season.”
JPII had a 7-0 lead at halftime on the strength of a 53-yard burst by Keiveon Moore with 6:04 left in the second quarter. Will Wright’s PAT was good.
The Saints extended their advantage to 13-0 on a 4-yard touchdown run by quarterback Brody Mitchell with 3:14 left in the third. The PAT was blocked.
Catholic, which twice in the first half drove inside the JPII 15 but came away empty both times, answered immediately on a 2-yard run by Nate Hathaway with 1:17 left in the third. The Crusaders went for two, but their pass attempt fell incomplete.
Penalties plagued JPII on its next possession as the Saints faced long-yardage situations repeatedly before losing the ball on a fumble at their own 24. That led to a 7-yard touchdown run by Alex Rios as the Crusaders pulled even at 13-13 after making the PAT kick.
That set the stage for JPII’s final drive. Ryker Butcher got the Saints started with a nice kickoff return to the JPII 43. Roseborough’s 6-yard run on fourth-and-1 from the Catholic 48 kept the drive alive.
Defensively, Quinn McCaffrey and Nick Wojciechowski also came up with interceptions for JPII, ending Catholic possessions. Lang and Moore also played key roles on offense, as each had their share of big runs.
Official stats will be released after the coaching staff reviews game film.
