Thursday night, merely a few steps from the Athletics tower, the boys in blue played in Postell Stadium, some for the last time this season. The opponent for this game was the Irving MacArthur Cardinals.
“We were hoping to be challenged this week by MacArthur, and we wanted to come out and play our best game of the season”, said Head Coach Bob Wunderlick.
The first to take the field was Blue Team, which was looking for a big win to boost its record. The first half was a blur of Jesuit offensive gains and defensive authority over the Cardinals. Throwing four touchdown passes and rushing one into the end zone, QB Alek McGlone ’18 led the offensive charge in the first half, with two completions to Marshall Rodegast ’18, a third to Will Fynes ’18, and a fourth to Connor Thomas ’18. Coach Wunderlick explained that “defensively, the Blue squad pitched a shutout”, a big contribution to the Ranger dominance. Rallying the defense, linemen Phillip Villalba ’18 and Kyle Bulger ’18 both had crucial sacks in the MacArthur backfield, and behind them, linebacker Omar Dibba ’18 and defensive back John Jackson ’18 locked down the Cardinal pass and run game. Jesuit went into the half with a whopping 28-0 lead over MacArthur.
Coming out of the halftime break, the Blue Team maintained its authority, with the defense putting a few additional points on the board. Villalba broke through the offensive line and blocked a punt, setting up a goal for the Rangers. Later, an interception by Jackson led to a 23-yard scramble and resulting touchdown by McGlone.
The final score of the game was 34-0 Jesuit, boosting the Blue Team’s record to 6-1, with high hopes of making it 7-1 after the team faces its next opponent, Highland Park.
The Gold Team took the field by storm against the Cardinals A-Team. In the first half the Rangers came out swinging with a 16-0 lead over MacArthur. Showing the depth and diversity of its talent, the Gold Team lead was composed of a 7-yard pass by quarterback Jagger LaRoe ’18 to receiver Fletcher Rosenbleeth ’18 for a touchdown, a phenomenal pick-six by linebacker Nicky Prendergast ’18, and a spot-on field goal by kicker Israel Ollarzabal ’18. While the offense moved the ball, the Jesuit defense formed a curtain around the MacArthur offense.
Coming out of the halftime break, Jesuit Gold sealed the deal with a 60 yard bomb to receiver Jack Tabor ’18 and a 2 yard push by running back Hank Clements ’18, both resulting in Ranger touchdowns.
The game ended with a score of 37-15 Jesuit. This continued the Gold Team’s flawless season, and with only one game left, things look promising for both Blue and Gold Team.
Coach Wunderlick said of the freshmen teams, “The coaches were very pleased with how both teams played. It was a true team effort in both games, and everyone contributed. With one game remaining for both teams, the freshmen have a chance to end the year on a high note”.
Photo by John
