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Sports

St. Johns Can't Keep up With Undefeated Archbishop Stepinac, Lose 35-14

Derelle Hunter finishes with 174 yards and two touchdowns for the Cougars.

Saving the best for last was more than just a cliché expression for the St. John the Baptist Cougars varsity football team Saturday afternoon, when they hosted  undefeated Archbishop Stepinac Crusaders to close out the 2010 regular season.

The Crusaders (7-0, 8-0) kept their season perfect, as they defeated the Cougars (3-4, 4-4) 35-14, in a hard-fought battle that was closer than the score implies.

"They're a great team," said Cougars head coach Keith Schweers of Stepinac. "I'm very proud that our kids showed up like that today."

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SJB held their opponent—who leads the CHSFL in offense in League AA-A play—in check for the majority of the game.

Take away a momentum-deflating final two minutes of the third quarter, and the outcome could have seen the Cougars standing victorious on senior day.

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"I'm very happy with the way we played most of the game," said Schweers. "Obviously, some mistakes came back and hurt us. If we didn't make them, I think the outcome would have been a bit different."

The two biggest mistakes came on the heals of SJB's superstar running back Derelle Hunter's game-tying touchdown late in the third quarter.

Down 14-6, Hunter punched in a four-yard touchdown—his second of the day—setting up a successful two-point conversion which knotted the score at 14.

On the ensuing kickoff, junior Austin Kraft sent two kicks out-of-bounds and floated the third attempt about 15 yards right into the hands of the Crusaders' Nick Shaw, who returned it into Cougars' territory.

Following a ferocious 24-yard run by Crusaders running back Caleb Gilligan-Evans, quarterback Tyrell Goodman hooked up with tight end Austin Taps for a 22-yard touchdown, immediately putting the Crusaders back on top.

"We try and squib the ball because we think that's going to give them the better opportunity to get down the field," said Schweers. "The ball just didn't bounce the way he wanted it to."

Another momentum killer came on the very next series. With Hunter on the sidelines due to a cramp in his back--which kept him on the ground in the end zone following his touchdown for several minutes--the Cougars were unable to gain much ground on kick return.

Deep in their own territory, sophomore quarterback Gregory Egan fumbled the snap, which linebacker Robert Kocur gobbled up and rushed into the end zone for the easy score.

"It got our momentum a little bit.," said Hunter. "Things like that, we have to bounce back from. You can't let that get in your head."

"A loss is a loss," said defensive captain Derek McMichael.

It might have been a loss in the standings, but for those who believe in moral victories, SJB gained the "W".

"Everybody was saying that we can't compete with a top-team in New York State," said Hunter. "Everybody today played their butts off. We didn't back down from them. Even though they were a good team, we didn't back down. St. John's never backs down."

"Having the game 7-6 at half, they played their hearts out today," said Crusaders head coach Mike O'Donnell of the Cougars' performance.  "We were happy to get out with a win, St. John's did a great job."

SJB actually jumped out in front of the Crusaders, when Hunter ripped off a 70-yard run for his league-leading 17th touchdown of the season early in the first quarter.

Much like the fallout of his second touchdown, however, the Crusaders instantly responded with a rushing touchdown of their own on the ensuing possession, when Evans broke free for a 16-yard touchdown.

"We talked about it at halftime that we had to pretty much just gang-tackle him," McMichael said of 235-pound Evans. "He's a big dude, we had to just keep coming at him."

The Crusaders added another touchdown late in the fourth quarter when Goodman found Nick Euvino in the back of the end zone.

"Hey, they proved that they're a great team," said Schweers.  "And our kids proved that 90-percent of the game, they could play with them."

The Cougars next challenge will come on Saturday, Nov. 6, when they host whichever team is seeded to play them—most likely Christ the King—to kickoff the CHSFL playoffs.

News & Notes:

Derelle Hunter's two touchdowns and 174 yards rushing, gave him 18 rushing touchdowns—21 including three kick returns—and 1,826 yards from scrimmage on the season.

He said that he has been getting several offers from both Division I and II schools, but has his hopes on Rutgers. Rutgers contacted Schweers and they will be meeting with Hunter in the near future.

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