Shamrocks pull out a nailbiter

Top ranked Portland St Patrick travelled up to Mount Pleasant on Friday, September 13th for a rivalry game against the 2-0 Sacred Heart Academy Irish. It was a offensive battle, with Saint Patrick trailing much of the game, but the Shamrocks stopped them when it mattered and outlasted the Irish, winning the game 56-49.

The first quarter looked different than the rest of the game, with both teams finding its legs. The Shamrocks got the ball first, and marched down the field, only to have an interception in the end zone which ended their drive. Augustus Teachworth put the Shamrocks on the board first, with a 32 yard pass from Brady Leonard, followed by a successful Brody Beckhold extra point. The Irish matched the score on the next series, leaving the score 7-7 after the first.

The second quarter saw far more scoring and offense, with the Irish opening the quarter with a touchdown, and the Shamrocks returned the favor when Brady Leonard punched it in from 13 yards. Sacred Heart marched back down and answered, before St. Patricks again had Brady Leonard punch another one in, making the score 21-21. The Irish managed to kick two field goals to end out the quarter, and the score was 27-21 Sacred Heart going into the half.

After the half, Sacred Heart opened up on the first drive and broke loose to put the score 34-21. St. Patrick kept up the pace, answered immediately when Hudson King scampered for a 41 yard touchdown pass from Brady Leonard. Sacred Heart answered with a long pass, before Brady Leonard rushed from 25 yards away. Another long pass for Sacred Heart was answered when Brady Leonard again broke for a big one, powering his way to a 47 yard touchdown. A two point conversion by Brady Leonard, and another extra point from Brody Beckhold made the score 46-42, with Sacred Heart leading going into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter brought more high blood pressure for fans and coaches alike, as these two quality football teams continued to beat each other up. Sacred Heart opened up with a long drive before the Shamrock defense finally figured out how to stop someone, holding the Irish to a field goal, leaving the Shamrocks down 49-42 with 7:43 left to go in the game. The Shamrocks wasted zero time, scoring in about 1 minute and 30 seconds when Brayden SImon bulled his way into the end zone on a 5 yard blast. Brody Beckhold made the extra point to tie the game with 5:53 left to play. The next series, another big play by the Shamrock defense allowed Brayden Simon to recover and fumble and give the Shamrocks a chance to take the lead. A few plays later, and Brady Leonard again punched his ticket with a 20 yard touchdown run, followed by another money ball from Brody Beckhold, making the score 56-49. The Shamrock bent, but did not break to successfully keep the Irish from scoring to end the game.

Offensive leaders for the Shamrocks were Brady Leonard who had 15 carries for 192 and 5 touchdowns and went 4 for 8 with 2 touchdowns. Hudson King had a breakout game as well, carrying 10 times for 172 yards. Brayden Simon also carried the ball 11 times for 61 yards and 1 touchdown.

Defensive leaders for the Shamrocks were Ben White with an astonishing 23 tackles, Charlie Thelen also had a stout 10 tackles 1 sack and 1 tackle for loss.

The Shamrocks have a massive game against Morrice, next week, home on Saturday, September 21st. The Shamrocks are currently ranked #1 in the Coaches poll, and Morrice is undefeated and highly ranked as well. The game starts at 7, come early and tailgate in the parking lot.