Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Bishop McLaughlin tastes success at midpoint

Win comes vs. a fellow first-year varsity program thanks to the fourth quarter.

By STEVE LEE
Published October 11, 2005

HUDSON - For the second straight season, Bishop McLaughlin won its fifth game after an 0-4 start.

As a first-year varsity team, however, the Hurricanes get four more cracks at another victory. Bishop McLaughlin's junior varsity finished 1-4 last season.

"Last year, it was good to get that first win," coach Jim Ceccarelli said. "This year, it's like our first season all over again."

Friday's 30-28 win came against St. Petersburg Canterbury, another first-year team which fell to 0-6.

Bishop McLaughlin, which had seven points coming in and had been shut out three times, blew a 17-7 lead and trailed 21-17 heading into the fourth quarter. Cal Kuenzel's third touchdown, a 4-yard run, put the Hurricanes ahead for good.

"At that point, I knew it was gut-check time for these boys and I was very proud of the way they responded," Ceccarelli said of his team, which outscored Canterbury 13-7 in the fourth. "I knew they were going to fight 'til the very end, I just didn't know how much they had left in the tank."

Ceccarelli was rewarded on perhaps the game's most crucial play. Late in the fourth quarter with his team leading by eight points, the coach called a timeout to discuss a fourth-and-10 situation with the ball on Canterbury's 37-yard line.

"When you're 0-4, sometimes you've got to make it happen," said Ceccarelli, who planned a quick kick but was convinced by his offensive players to go for a first down.

Rob Gallagher completed a halfback-option pass to wideout James McCarragher for 22 yards and the Hurricanes ran out the clock.

"I told them, "I'm going to leave it up to you,' and they said, "We want to go for it,"' Ceccarelli recalled. "Then they said, "What are we going to do?"'

Ceccarelli called the trick play and the Hurricanes soon had their first win.

"The safest thing would have been to quick-kick it, but we hadn't stopped them after the half," he said.

Kuenzel, a second-year starter, set school records with 147 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He scored on a 39-yard run and a 63-yard pass from Coleman Hengesbach, who completed 6 of 7 for 129 yards.

McCarragher got things started with a 23-yard field goal and Chris Redfield accounted for the Hurricanes' final points with a 15-yard touchdown run.

Ceccarelli lauded the consistent efforts of his offensive line, anchored by tackles Jason Kern and Anthony Hagbartsen. And backup center Todd LoCascio filled in admirably for injured starter Paul Padilla.

[Last modified October 11, 2005, 01:58:15]