Wilson can’t keep up with Roman Catholic, gets routed in season opener
Things spiraled badly out of control for Wilson late Friday night.
For three quarters the Bulldogs clung tightly to a highly talented Roman Catholic team; it was still a one-possession game when Ben Rada booted a short field goal.
Then the Cahillites went into warp speed, took advantage of five late turnovers and scored four touchdowns in an 11-minute stretch to rout the Bulldogs 46-15 in their season-opener at Gurski Stadium.
It was a humbling start for a proud program but not something the Bulldogs haven’t experienced before.
They took their lumps throughout the first half of last season yet rebounded to reach the District 3 Class 6A championship game.
A year earlier they were flattened by Nick Singleton and a powerhouse Gov. Mifflin team 48-7 in their season opener; they didn’t lose again that season.
Bad as it was at the end Friday, senior linebacker Nate Capitano was not beaten, only determined to turn this thing around.
“That scoreboard doesn’t mean anything,” he said. “It’s just a number up there.”
His only concern as the Cahillites kept tacking on late scores was to make sure his guys fought to the end.
“I just wanted to make sure our pride was still up,” he said, “make sure we’re not giving up, still pushing 100 percent.”
The Bulldogs didn’t have a lot left to push with. They were down at least five starters due to injury, including four on the defensive side. That began to show deep in the game.
Wilson’s defense came up with three straight three-and-outs to start the game but at the end they couldn’t stop the Cahillites, who rolled up a whopping 457 total yards — triple what the Bulldogs produced.
“They beat us up front, plain and simple,” said Wilson coach Doug Dahms. “And when you have the skills kids they have, you’ve gotta win the trenches, and we didn’t.”
The Bulldogs started fast and led 12-0 early in the second quarter but the mounting injuries and a whopping seven turnovers took their toll.
The Bulldogs played most of the game without lead tailback Cleveland Harding, who suffered an apparent ankle injury after just two first-quarter carries. In the second quarter they defensive end Nick Weitzel, their best pass-rusher, and tight end/defensive end Brady Kline. Linebacker Nick Crocona went out in the third quarter. Landon Farrell, their best linebacker, didn’t play because of a knee injury.
The Bulldogs got a pair of early Cam Jones touchdowns, the second on a stirring 77-yard punt return just 17 seconds into the second quarter.
The Cahillites looked undisplined at the start and their special teams looked shabby. Eventually freshman quarterback Semaj Beals because to settle down and quicksilver tailback Mao Howell began to wear the Bulldogs’ defense down.
He broke off a 34-yard touchdown early in the second quarter to put Roman on the board and ignite what became a 17-carry, 153-yard night.
Jamir Robertson, part of Roman’s effective RPO package, ran for 161 yards on 18 carries.
Beals threw for 135 yards, including a 38-yard strike to Tyseer Denmark — the top-ranked junior in the state. Denmark took a short slant, split through two defensive backs, then went into hyperspeed. There was no catching him.
“They’ve got skill guys out the wazoo,” said Dahms. “They handled us. What are you gonna say?”
Tommy Hunsicker started at quarterback for Wilson and went most of the way. He made some good reads and fakes on the run-option and led the team in rushing. But it was for just 41 yards. Plus, he threw three interceptions, a couple on rushed plays trying to make something out of nothing.
“He threw some bad balls that he shouldn’t have thrown,” said Dahms. “With a young quarterback, you’re gonna have mistakes.”
Roman’s Jah-Jah Boyd put the game away with 5:15 left when he jumped a sideline route and went 90 yards with a Pick-Six to give Roman a 33-15 lead. Wilson was outscored 46-3 over the final 35 minutes.
Dahms realized early that his guys might be in for a long night. Wilson was leading 12-6 midway through the second quarter when it faced a fourth-and-1 at it own 34. The Bulldogs went for it with Kline, the H-back, taking a direct snap through the middle of the line.
“It was fourth-and-a-foot,” Dahms said. “We (ran behind) our best two linemen and they stoned us. They stoned us. Right then and there I knew we were in trouble.”
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Roman Catholic | 0 | 20 | 6 | 20 | 46 |
| Wilson | 6 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 15 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Wilson | Jones, 4 run (kick failed) | 1:42 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Wilson | Jones, 77 punt return (run failed) | 11:43 |
| 2 | Roman | Howell, 34 run (run failed) | 10:35 |
| 2 | Roman | Howell, 2 run (run failed) | 2:03 |
| 2 | Roman | Denmark, 38 pass from Beals (Howell run) | 0:55 |
| 3 | Wilson | Rada, 21 FG | 5:38 |
| 3 | Roman | Robertson, 4 run (pass failed) | 1:19 |
| 4 | Roman | Boyd, 90 interception return (Whittle kick) | 5:15 |
| 4 | Roman | Howell, 6 run (Whittle kick) | 3:06 |
| 4 | Roman | Edwards, 23 fumble return (pass failed) | 2:46 |
Team statistics
| Roman Catholic | Wilson | |
| First downs | 14 | 14 |
| Rushes-yards | 41-322 | 29-49 |
| Passing yards | 135 | 81 |
| Total yards | 457 | 130 |
| Passes | 13-24-1 | 8-22-3 |
| Fumbles-lost | 1-1 | 5-4 |
| Punts-average | 4-30.5 | 3-41.3 |
| Penalties-yards | 14-135 | 3-20 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Roman Catholic: Robertson 18-161, Howell 17-153, Woodley 1-1, Baker 2-0, Beals 1-(-6).
Wilson: Hunsicker 15-41, Jones 2-7, Woods 2-6, Welmaker 5-5, Fiorini 1-3, Harding 2-2.
PASSING
Roman Catholic: Beals 13-24-1–135.
Wilson: Hunsicker 7-20-3–70, Woods 1-2-0-11.
RECEIVING
Roman Catholic: Denmark 6-59, Figueroa 2-10, Woodley 2-6, Edwards 1-34, Watson 1-20, Roberson 1-6.
Wilson: Case 2-19, Jones 2-16, Valukevich 1-22, Thenga 1-11, Welmaker 1-8, Kline 1-5.
INTERCEPTIONS
Roman Catholic: Montgomery, Boyd, Vedomey.
Wilson: Capitano.
