By Allen Kha/Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
The St. Anne’s-Belfield football team has allowed 20 points or less in all six of its wins, conceding a shade under 14 points per game. Against third-ranked Christchurch Friday, the Saints were in no mood to buck that trend.
The top-ranked Saints (7-1, 2-0 ODFC), who once again played without star junior running back Branford Rogers, forced four turnovers — two interceptions and two fumbles — in thier 20-13 win over the Seahorses (6-2, 2-1). Although the Saints were outgained 264-190 in total yards, they managed to shut down Christchurch when it mattered the most and virtually clinch a spot in the VIS Division II playoffs.
STAB jumped out to a 13-0 lead early in the second quarter off a 50-yard touchdown reception from senior wide receiver Nicco Freeo and four-yard run from junior running back Charles Sipe. Christchurch scored 13 unanswered points to tie the game through two touchdowns from junior running back Carlos Gray, leaving the game all square at 13 going into the fourth quarter.
Less than two minutes into the fourth quarter, however, Saints senior quarterback Charlie Murray connected with senior wide receiver Andrew Crockett on an underthrown fade pass for a 22-yard touchdown. Murray threw seven straight incompletions at one point prior to that touchdown throw, but rebounded to hit Crockett on the game-winning score.
“Charlie is so resilient. For a first-year quarterback, he has really stepped it up, done a great job of staying composed and becoming this team’s leader. When we needed him most he stepped up,” STAB coach John Blake said.
Murray added that he has worked hard to become the leader of a team plush with young playmakers.
“The past three games, we’ve passed the ball really well. All of the credit goes to the [offensive] line and the receivers, who are catching the balls I throw. I know that with Branford [Rogers] out, I needed to step up, but it’s a team effort and win,” Murray said.
STAB’s defense held firm after the Crockett touchdown, quashing the Seahorses’ final two drives on a fourth-down sack from junior Antione Currie and an interception from senior linebacker Erik Allen.
“I feel like our defense can get us to the championship,” Currie said. “On that [fourth down] play, the coaches were just screaming, ‘Rip-‘em, rip-‘em,’ so that’s what I did. We were prepared and are ready for anything that comes our way; we played well.”
Blake added: “Our defense, well we’re pretty good there. This defense has been consistently good and credit goes to the players and [defensive coordinator] Tom Paquette. We wouldn’t be where we are without them.”
Seahorses coach Ed Homer, on the other hand, bemoaned his teams’ 12 penalties — totaling 97 yards — noting that they turned an even game in STAB’s favor.
“I’m not going to lie, I was skeptical of many of those penalties and it wasn’t really fair to be completely honest. Now that’s not an excuse necessarily, since STAB was just a bit better than us, but we came here knowing that we could beat this team,” Homer said.
“And perhaps we will have another chance to play them again [in playoffs].”
STAB hosts rival Blue Ridge next Friday at 6 p.m. hoping to clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Christchurch looks to rebound next Friday when it hosts Covenant. Game time for that game is 1 p.m.
