By Anthony Bosco
Playing without their leading rusher, the Holy Cross varsity football team never got into an offensive flow, falling in the CHSAA ‘AA’ semifinal battle, 12-7, Saturday at the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point.
Woody Aime, the leading rusher for the Holy Cross with 789 yards, was declared academically ineligible less than a week before the Knights’ playoff match-up against the St. Peter’s Eagles.
“We knew last week it was his last game,” Holy Cross head coach Tom Pugh said of Aime. “The grades went into effect Monday. We didn’t have him on offense. He’s good for 100 yards per game. It’s not hard to figure out. Our offense suffered.”
The Eagles (9-0) opened the scoring on the third play of the second quarter when quarterback Dan Davanzo scored on a six-yard bootleg. The run capped a short six-play drive following Derrick Valentine’s interception on Dan Meara and 53-yard return to the Knights’ 37.
But St. Peter’s would not hold the lead for long.
Starting on their own 20, the Knights quickly marched down the field to take the lead, 7-6, on a one-yard run dive by lineman Thomas Arroyo, who lined up in the backfield for the play.
The 80-yard, 12-play drive featured Aime’s replacement, sophomore Kavelle Gordon, and senior Dwayne Franklin carrying the ball. A second-and-nine run by Franklin for 44 yards to the Eagles’ 4 set up the score. Eric Giron booted the extra point.
As solid as the Cross offense was on its lone scoring drive, the unit still struggled mightily, especially on passing downs, when St. Peter’s unleashed its blitz.
“The offense couldn’t pick up the blitz,” Pugh said. “The blitz killed us. Offensively, you got to score. We didn’t do anything offensively. You got to score points.”
Three of the four times the Knights touched the ball in the second half, the team penetrated into St. Peter’s territory, but could not get into the end zone.
After stuffing Justin Mucci’s attempt on fourth-and-one at the Eagles’ 40, Cross took over with a short field. Holy Cross got as far as the 26 before a penalty and a sack forced the Knights into fourth-and-12. The Knights attempted to fake a punt, but failed.
The Eagles took over at their own 26 and carefully mixed their run and pass games to eat up big chunks of yardage. The Knights’ defense stiffened in the red zone, but a crucial roughing call on third-and-seven inside the 10 set up Valentine’s second rushing touchdown of the day, a three-yard bootleg around the right end, making the score 12-7.
“The roughing gave them a shot at the end zone,” Pugh said. “The kid was going all the way. He was coming hard. I don’t understand that call.”
Cross (4-6) got the ball back at midfield following a superb return by Rashann Simon and the Knights, behind Gordon, got inside them a first-and-10 from the 16. But a holding penalty and two sacks ended the Knights’ best chance to retake the lead with 2:46 remaining in regulation.
St. Peter’s will play Stepinac, 20-13 winners over Holy Trinity, in the ‘AA” championship game .
Reach Sports Editor Anthony Bosco by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 130.
