Fun while it lasted was the 6-0 lead Leo took over St. Pat’s Friday in their Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic crossover game at St. Rita’s Cronin Field.
Quarterback Derrick Davis’ 5-yard scoot finished a 10-play, 75-yard drive in the closing seconds of the first quarter. It began when linebacker Carlin Henry denied the Shamrocks a score by stealing the ball from Jayden Miranda at the 1-yard line and running it out to the 25. The PAT kick failed, but the Lions’ 6-0 lead was not only their first of the evening but their first of this three-game season.
And it lasted about as long as it takes to spell L-E-O.
Three plays after an onside kick attempt failed, quarterback Joseph Costanzo lofted a 47-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Gavin Fitzgerald, who dashed through Leo’s secondary unimpeded. The PAT kick put St. Pat’s up 7-6.
The Lions then went three-and-out and, by interfering with Fitzgerald’s fair catch of a punt, gave the Shamrocks a short field at Leo’s 25-yard line. They needed five plays to score again, Emiliano Arteaga running it in from the 1
Finally, after yet another Leo three-and-out, Arteaga kicked a 26-yard field goal on the final play of the first half to conclude the scoring. Two pass-interference calls helped keep the drive alive. The Lions were penalized 12 times for 105 yards all told. Their inability to understand the rules was nearly as damaging as their failure to observe them.
Trailing 17-6 in the fourth quarter, Leo reached St. Pat’s 6-yard line when Javon Logan banged out a 24-yard run. It was Leo’s second longest play of the night; earlier, Marshawn Durr brought an end-zone interception back 44 yards.
A first-down swing pass to Gavin Donald failed to connect, but because the ball was thrown backwards, it was ruled a fumble rather than an incompletion. The Shamrocks realized this while the Lions didn’t – they scooped up the loose ball and ran it out to Leo’s 43-yard line. The Lions wouldn’t threaten again in falling to 0-3. St. Pat’s is 2-1.
Logan’s 16 carries produced 88 hard-earned yards. Davis scrambled his way to 51 yards on seven tries, but Leo didn’t generate much in the passing game: 7-for-12 for just 41 yards.
Costanzo’s five completions (in eight attempts) produced 112 yards, including the touchdown pass and another 50–yard strike to Fitzgerald. Miranda, a sophomore tailback, earned his lunch money with 28 carries for 114 yards.
Leo’s frosh-soph team fell to 2-1 after a 14-8 loss to St. Pat’s in the preliminary game. The Lions drew within six on Trent Watson’s 66-yard TD pass to Mark Jackson, but turnovers negated two other scoring chances.
Next up for Leo: at Marian Catholic on Friday, Sept. 20. The Spartans are 1-2, beating Rich Township but losing to Homewood-Flossmoor and DePaul Prep. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
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