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North Huskies vs Mater Dei Wildcats - at Reitz Bowl Sept 18 2015

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Game Recap

WILDCATS OVERWHELM HUSKIES 42-14

The Huskies lost to a much better team in a 42-14 loss to Mater Dei at Reitz Bowl Friday night.  By every yardstick in which games are measured, North failed to meet the test that the Wildcats represented.  Mater Dei led in total yards (434 to 192), time of possession (27:50 to 20:10), and first downs (18-8).

WILDCATS OWN THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE

For North, the play along both lines of scrimmage was won by the Wildcats.  For the first time this season, the defensive front seven could not provide pressure on the opponent’s offense.  As a result, North’s ‘press’ style coverage by its cornerbacks led to mismatches in the backfield that Mater Dei’s experienced quarterback exploited at will.

Mater Dei scored three times through the air on completions of 21, 39, and 51 yards.  They had two more completions that were 25 yards or longer that did not go for scores, but set up touchdown runs later in the drive.  No amount of blitzing nor personnel changes could change the equation—Mater Dei’s line met every challenge.

GREAT MATER DEI FIELD POSITION

When North had the ball, the power running game which had been so dominant in earlier contests faltered.  The Huskies could only convert one of the first five third-down-situations they faced and the ensuing punts that those failures-to-convert brought about did not sufficiently “change the field”.  The Huskies provided the Wildcats the ball either at midfield or in North territory five of six first-half possessions.

The key to winning football games comes from forcing your opponent to face long fields in which they must convert multiple first downs if they are to score.  Mater Dei’s average field position in the first half was the North 49 yard line.  North’s, by comparison, was their own 24 yard line.  Mater Dei scored four first half touchdowns in five possessions and North scored one in six possessions. 

NORTH MAKES A CHARGE

North’s single score came on a magnificent 65 yard dash by junior Shawn Coane and it was a thing of beauty.  Slicing through one of the few nice sized holes he would find Friday, Coane slipped from the middle of the field to the hash marks, juke-stepped a defender, and then scampered along the North sideline to the end zone. 

When Thomas Samuel booted the extra point, it appeared that North may have righted-the-ship with the score at 21-7.  Mater Dei recovered a poorly executed Husky on-sides kick and took over at the North 46 yard line. A 29 yard pass took them to the Husky 17 and only a fumble caused by senior Marquail Harvey and recovered by fellow senior Bryce Brown at the five yard line prevented another Wildcat score.

HIGH TIDE FOR THE HUSKIES

The Huskies went ‘three-and-out’ from the five yard line, but North got a great punt and Mater Dei had to start from their own 32 when they committed a personal foul on the punt return.  The Wildcats completed a 25 yard pass on first down and moved the ball into North territory easily.   When senior linebacker Trais Lowe nailed a receiver for a loss on a third-and-four pass into the flat, it appeared that the Husky fortunes might finally be changing.

Mater Dei chose to go-for-it on fourth down with a minute forty seconds to go in the half, lined up in shot gun formation, and efficiently completed a 39 yard touchdown pass.  The kick made it 28-7 and the game was essentially over at half time.

THE “BACK BREAKER”

If that fact wasn’t immediately evident, Mater Dei settled the issue 12 seconds into the third quarter. 

When a 26 yard kickoff return gave them the ball at their 49 yard line, it took only one play for the Wildcats to score.  Taking the snap and dropping back three steps, the Mater Dei quarterback arced the ball deep down the left side of the field in front of the home stands.  A receiver caught the ball in stride and outraced his Husky defender to the end zone.  In barely two minutes of play, the Huskies had gone from down 14 with “momentum” on their side to down 28 and facing a hopeless struggle.

The Huskies did manage a late score when the Wildcats liberally substituted on defense while leading 42-7 in the fourth quarter.  Senior Trevor McDowell ran for a 36 yard touchdown run with 8:11 to play and set the final at 42-14.  Both teams played their reserves after that point and Mater Dei simply ran out the clock.

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