On Friday, September 20th, the Detroit Catholic Central Shamrocks faced off against St. Mary's Preparatory in what would become their closest and most intense game of the season. In a packed St. Mary's arena, the Shamrocks secured a hard-fought 27-22 victory, extending their record to 3-0.

The game kicked off with the Eaglets taking an early lead. St. Mary's wasted no time, scoring quickly to go up 7-0 with 10:26 left in the first quarter. The Shamrocks' defense, however, responded in a big way. A crucial interception by Benny Eziuka gave the Shamrock offense the spark they needed. Shortly after, Samson Gash broke free for a 45-yard rushing touchdown, tying the game at 7-7 with six minutes left in the quarter.

St. Mary's fought back, regaining the lead 14-7 with just two minutes remaining in the first quarter. The Shamrocks had possession at midfield as the quarter ended, looking to answer once again.

Early in the second quarter, Jaden Pydyn delivered, rushing for a 38-yard touchdown to bring the score to 14-14. The Shamrock defense tightened up, holding St. Mary's scoreless for the remainder of the half. With just 36 seconds left before halftime, Skylar Hunter connected with Matthew Williams on a deep pass. Williams was brought down just shy of the goal line, and after a fumble, Nico McBride pounced on the loose ball in the end zone for a Shamrock touchdown. At the half, the Shamrocks led 21-14.

The third quarter saw St. Mary's push back once more. Late in the quarter, with just 1:12 remaining, the Eaglets found the end zone and successfully converted a two-point attempt to take a slim 22-21 lead.

In the fourth quarter, the Shamrocks leaned heavily on their rushing attack. A crucial third-down run by Hunter set up Lee Kreuger for a short touchdown run. Catholic Central opted for a two-point conversion, but the attempt fell short, leaving the score at 27-22.

With time running out, the Shamrock defense was called upon twice to stop St. Mary's from mounting a late comeback. They delivered, securing the victory in enemy territory.

After the game, Coach Cessante praised his team, saying, "I was so proud of my boys for how they prepared for this game mentally and physically, and the team took care of business."

The Shamrock faithful, who traveled in force to support their team, were treated to an exhilarating contest as their team moved to 3-0 on the season.

Offensive Players of the Game

SR RB/FS - Jaden Pydyn

• 19 Carries, 95 Yards Rushing, 1 TD
• 4 Receptions, 34 Yards Receiving
• 1 Completion, 42 Yards Passing

JR WR/C - Samson Gash

• 3 Carries, 50 Yards Rushing, 1 TD
• 2 Receptions, 44 Yards Receiving

 

Defensive Players of the Game

SR LB/RB - Lee Kreuger

• 7 Tackles, 4 Assists, 1 TFL

JR C/WR - Luca Genrich

• 3 Tackles, 3 Assists, 2 PBU

 

X Factors of the Game

SR QB - Skylar Hunter

• 7/14 Completions, 92 Yards Passing
• 6 Carries, 32 Yards Rushing, 5.3 YPC

SR OL/DL - Danilo Guberinich

• 2 Tackles, 1 Assist, 1 TFL