Travis Benham’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Je’Lani Clark in overtime lifted Riordan to a thrilling 26-20 victory against Saint Ignatius on Friday night.
Clark, who became the second player in Riordan history with 11 catches in a game - one shy of the school record - had 117 yards through the air, as the Crusaders (2-5, 1-3 WCAL) rallied from a six-point deficit entering the fourth quarter to force overtime and then pick up a key WCAL victory. The sophomore standout also had an interception on defense.
Max Mezie’s nine-yard touchdown reception from Marcus Williams came with 4:30 remaining in regulation, and appeared like it might win the game for Riordan, but a missed hold on the point-after attempt left the teams tied at 20.
The teams entered the second half tied at 14, but SI (1-6, 0-4) took the lead on Mark Biggins’ 13-yard touchdown run with 3:10 remaining in the third quarter to take a 20-14 lead. Biggins finished the game with 62 yards on 13 carries for the Wildcats.
The Riordan defense was stingy all game long, however, and did not allow anything the rest of the night. For the game, Saint Ignatius managed just 77 yards on the ground and 205 yards of total offense. Quarterback Charlie Katz completed 9-of-16 passes for 128 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown pass to David Woodruff in the first minute of the second quarter. That play gave the Wildcats a 14-7 lead, but the Crusaders drove back down the field, capped by Lasa Tofi’s one-yard plunge. Benham’s two-point conversion pass to Clark tied the game at the end of two quarters.
Benham, who had a 35-yard scoring run in the first quarter, finished the game as the focal point of the Riordan offense. He carried the ball 14 times for 95 yards, while completing 14-of-23 passes for 150 yards and a score.
Tofi had a huge night for the Crusaders’ defense, with 14 total tackles, including two sacks and 3.5 tackles for a loss. Jordan Fox added an eight-tackle effort.
Woodruff was the primary target in the passing game for St. Ignatius, finishing the game with seven catches for 118 yards, while Kiaran O’Keeffe led the defense with 13 total tackles.
Hulman powers Hillsdale victory
Nick Hulman ran for 213 yards and five touchdowns, four of them in the first half, as Hillsdale cruised past South San Francisco, 42-7, in a PAL-Ocean match-up.
Hulman, who carried the ball 26 times in the game, scored on runs of 5, 1, 3, and 4 yards in the first two quarters, as the Fighting Knights used a 21-point second quarter to lead 28-0 at the break. He added a 10-yard touchdown in the third quarter, and Jeremy Teteak connected with Joey Sable to complete the Hillsdale scoring later in the third, with an 11-yard touchdown pass.
Hillsdale faces co-leader Menlo this coming Friday for the division lead, in what should be a de facto league title game.
Pioneer sends Westmont to second straight loss
After starting the season 5-0, Westmont fell for the second straight time, this time losing to Pioneer, 36-21, as the Mustangs moved into a four-way tie for third place in the BVAL-Mt. Hamilton.
Pioneer senior running back Eddie Orozco had a huge night, carrying the ball 20 times for 277 yards and four touchdowns, while senior quarterback Ryan Wallace added 95 yards and a touchdown on the ground, on just four carries.
Westmont was led by senior quarterback Cameron Rottler, who completed 15-of-26 passes for 257 yards and two scores. Senior Casey Horwitz hauled in both touchdown receptions, and finished the game with four catches for 105 yards. Ryan Poirier had six catches for 106 yards.
After Rottler responded to Orozco’s first-quarter touchdown run with his own scoring jaunt, Pioneer went on to score the final 10 points of the first half, including a 59-yard burst by Orozco, leading 17-7 after two quarters. Westmont cut the lead to 17-14 early in the third on the first Rotter to Horwitz connection, but Orozco responded with a 16-yard touchdown run and Wallace then broke loose for 79 yards.
Pioneer and Westmont both look to keep pace this coming week against Santa Teresa and Leigh, respectively.
Mt. Pleasant snaps losing streak
Mt. Pleasant snapped a 15-game skid with a 21-6 win over James Lick, sending the Comets to their 11th straight loss since a win over Yerba Buena last season.
