Bishop Guertin started off the game on a convincing first drive which ended in a touchdown. They would not slow down from there.
In the first quarter CM introduced its new wildcat offense, which on its first trial produced a decent sized gain. After punting later that drive, Donald Bland recovered a fumble to give the Knights the ball back only down 10-0. After a good drive down to the 10 yard line, Tom Byrnes was clearly run into on his field goal attempt but there was no call made by the officials, much to the absolute astonishment of the CM faithful.
The second quarter was highlighted by Donovan Henry's kickoff return which he brought back for a touchdown. The Cardinals added to their lead with a 2 yard touchdown run to give themselves a 24-7 lead. CM manufactured a stop late in the first half and after a screen pass from AJ Doyle to Joey McCarthy CM tried a 57 yard field goal. Kicker Tom Byrnes missed the field goal by about 3 feet which is amazing to even get that close. Most high school kickers don't have the power to even entertain the thought of attempting such a long field goal.
The second half spelled doom for the Knights' previously undefeated season as the Cardinals pulled away scoring four more touchdowns. However Donovan Henry would once again spark the CM sidelines with another touchdown on a kickoff return as the Knights' last memorable play of the night. In this game the Knights never quit for one second. Despite terrible calls, cheap hits, and freezing conditions the Knights still fought back for all 48 minutes. Keshaudus Spence and Mark Glynn were both very vocal on the sidelines trying to keep their team in the game. On defense Spence and Donald Bland delivered big hits with regularity as they have done all season.
Games like this are games when you learn about your identity as a team. When facing a huge deficit, do you give up? Coach Campea must be pleased with his team's effort throughout the game. Tonight was a mixture of the Knights having a sub par game, and Bishop Guertin executing with great consistency.
I'm not someone who likes to point out the refs, but in this case I don't feel like I would be doing Coach Campea or the football team justice by ignoring it. In the first half there were dozens of unbelievably bad calls or no calls. The one that sticks out the most in my mind was a late hit on wide receiver Joey McCarthy. He jumped for a catch and was cleanly hit in the legs. But then, after the whistle a Cardinal safety came in and it was blatantly obvious that he was trying to injure McCarthy. There was no call. Beyond the affect that the refs had on the final score, they have to realize that they have a responsibility to keep the players safe. Often times there are stories in the news about football players being paralyzed, well the hit on McCarthy is exactly how that happens.
No, the refs did not decide the game. But they did change the entire complexion of the game with their antics in the first half.
Next week the Knights look to get their season back on track as they return home to face the Malden Catholic Lancers.
Mike Slonina '11
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