Benedictine 27, Holy Name 23

Recap

September 15, 2012

                In this win over long-time rival Holy Name, Benedictine fell behind early and never led until 11:09 was left in the game.

That’s when Jerome Baker scored on a 40-yard pass play from Brian Schoeffler that completed a 51-yard scoring drive.

Nick Judy kicked his third extra point of the game that gave the Bengals a 27-23 decision.

The winning touchdown was set up by Matt Merimee’s 24-yard interception return. It was Holy Name’s only turnover in the game.

The Green Wave had built a 9-0 lead midway through the second quarter on three Donald Stepic field goals of 22, 36 and 35 yards.

The second quarter was a show of offensive football as each team scored 13 points. The teams scored three touchdowns in a period of just under four minutes at the end of the first half.

After the last Holy Name field goal of 35 yards, Benedictine answered with a Marshall Howell one-yard run with 3:51 left in the second. Howell was instrumental in moving the ball downfield as he caught two passes from Schoeffler that covered 52 and 14 yards. That score cut the Green Wave margin to 9-7.

But Holy Name came right back scoring on a Tre Smith two-yard run to make the score 16-7.

Then Howell added his second touchdown of the night on a two-yard run to bring the Bengals to 16-13. Jerome Baker had the big play of the drive with a 60-yard run that took the ball to the Holy Name 10.

Holy Name led at halftime 16-13 and increased their lead to 23-13 in the third when quarterback Mike Messina hit John Ehrbar on a 38-yard scoring pass and Stepic’s conversion kick. It was the biggest lead in the game.

Taking over at their own 40 after a Holy Name punt, the Bengals needed only three plays to score. It came on a 48-yard touchdown pass from Schoeffler to Howell, his third score of the game. That brought the Bengals closer at 23-20.

It remained that way until Merimee’s interception that led to the Bengals go-ahead touchdown in the fourth.

Jerome Baker had 144 rushing yards in 14 carries. Marshall Howell added six catches for 141 yards. Quarterback Brian Schoeffler was nine of 21 for 190 yards and two touchdowns. Dan Piascik had three completions in four attempts for 72 yards.

Overall, the Bengals gained a season-high 424 yards in offense.

The win over Holy Name brings the Bengals record to 2-2.

NOTES – Holy Name is one of the school’s oldest rivals dating back to the first year of football at Benedictine in 1929. That year Holy Name defeated Benedictine 24-0.

Benedictine leads the all-time series record 22-17-3.

by Wally Mieskoski ’71

Benedictine Football Historian

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