Lancaster Catholic can’t overcome poor first half
2024 Berks football coverage
presented by UECU
(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline, and published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)
By John Walk — LNP/Lancasteronline
MCSHERRYSTOWN — After an emotional Week One win over defending District Three Class 2A champion Camp Hill in double overtime, Lancaster Catholic football coach Chris Maiorino sent a mass email to his players Sunday morning.
“Great win,” he wrote in the email. “But you got to come back and not have a letdown game.”
The Crusaders had a letdown of a first half Friday, going into halftime down four scores at Delone Catholic.
Though Lancaster Catholic’s performance improved after intermission, the host Squires came away with a 35-21 non-league win.
With under a minute to play in the second quarter, Delone Catholic (1-1) had the ball deep in its own territory and could have been content to run out the clock and go to halftime with a three-score lead knowing it would receive the second half kickoff.
Instead, Squires running back Braden Smith broke loose for a 76-yard run down the left sideline to push the lead to 28-0 with just three seconds left.
Given the Crusaders’ improved play in the second half, the game may have been much more competitive had Lancaster Catholic (1-1) not given up the late score in the first half.
Braden Smith totaled 146 yards on 20 carries with two scores. Much of that production came in the first half.
Lancaster Catholic running back Brandon Way (14 carries, 101 yards) eclipsed the century mark thanks to a 68-yard touchdown scamper in the third quarter, the team’s first score of the night. Crusaders’ quarterback David Stefanow tallied 184 passing yards and a score.
While Maiorino admitted his team played poorly in the first half, he’s optimistic given how players responded after halftime.
“We went into the second half trying to fix mistakes we were making. And the guys played a little bit better. That’s a positive,” Maiorino said. “It shows the guys are responding to coaching … but we just dug ourselves too big of a hole (in the first half).”
