Two tests down, one to go for Eastside Catholic.
The second-ranked Crusaders backed up their victory from a week ago over perennial Metro League power O’Dea by defeating the new contender on the block, No. 4 Garfield, 30-10 at Memorial Stadium on Friday night. Eastside Catholic remained unbeaten while handing the Bulldogs their first loss of the season — as they did against the No. 3 Irish eight days ago.
Eastside Catholic turned a tight game into a rout only after the halftime break.
“They’re good,” Crusaders coach Dom Daste said of the Bulldogs. “They’re really good.”
During a dominating second half, the Crusaders (6-0, 5-0 Metro) took advantage of Garfield mistakes that set Eastside Catholic up with short fields time after time to pull away.
Brady McKelheer threw two touchdown passes, Adam Jacobs added two of his three field goals and the Crusaders defense clamped down on a Garfield offense that averaged of 46 points a game.
“We had confidence in our game plan,” McKelheer said. “It was crazy. They came out physical. But we were able to make some adjustments.”
Three of Eastside Catholic’s four scoring drives after the half began in Garfield territory. McKelheer threw scoring passes of 37 and 21 yards. Jayden Reyes caught the first, with 9 minutes, 20 seconds left in the third quarter, to give the Crusaders the lead for good, 17-10.
After a 30-yard field goal from Jacobs, Branden Ganashamoorthy grabbed a 21-yard TD reception from McKelheer and Eastside Catholic took a 27-10 advantage into the fourth quarter.
Still, for a half the Bulldogs proved Daste’s concerns valid.
Garfield (5-1, 4-1) dominated possession in the first half, but could make little headway out of it. The Bulldogs put together a long drive that erased just over eight minutes off the clock, finally taking a 7-0 lead thanks to EJ Caminong’s 4-yard run on the first play of the second quarter.
“They took the fight to us a little bit in the first half,” Daste said. “I was concerned about leaving our defense on the field. We are well conditioned. We had to stay the course.”
The lead was short-lived, thanks to the first of three special-teams miscues.
Eastside Catholic went three-and-out on its ensuing drive, forcing the Crusaders to punt. Garfield got just a single first down itself on its next possession, and also attempted to punt.
The Crusaders crashed through the line and blocked the kick. LJ Imo picked it up and rumbled toward the end zone, and was brought down at the Garfield 2-yard line.
Masen Uribe scored on the next play as Eastside Catholic tied it at 7-7 with 8:31 to go in the first half, despite having run a total of six offensive plays. It didn’t get much better offensively for the Crusaders.
After another punt miscue from Garfield, which was recovered by Eastside Catholic at the Bulldog 20, the Crusaders couldn’t get in the end zone. They settled for a 20-yard field goal and the lead, 10-7, with 5:07 left in the half.
“We thought we could get after them,” Daste said of the punt teams. “That was part of our plan. But you don’t expect to count on something like that.”
Eastside Catholic ran just nine total plays in the first 24 minutes.
On Garfield’s ensuing possession, Caminong found Reggie Witherspoon III for 71 yards, but the Bulldogs couldn’t capitalize with a touchdown. A 35-yard field goal with 1:58 left tied it again, 10-10.
With five seconds on the clock, a bouncing punt from the Crusaders touched a Garfield player and was recovered at the 19 by Eastside Catholic. But a 36-yard field goal attempt was short and sent the game to the break in the tie.