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Cadets score homecoming win
(Published October 17, 2005)

By DAVID STEINBACHER
Special to The Common Denominator

St. John's won its homecoming football game in convincing fashion with a 26-6 victory Oct. 15 against the visiting McNamara Mustangs, improving to 3-4 overall and still harboring hopes of gaining a spot in the WCAC playoffs.

"We're going to have to get our running game going, and we're going to have to minimize the turnovers," said second-year Cadets' Head Coach Joe Patterson, a 1993 St. John's graduate and the youngest head football coach in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference.

St. John's finished 7-4 overall last season in Patterson's initial campaign. The top four teams in the WCAC all qualify for the post-season. Currently, perennial powerhouse DeMatha leads the field, but spots two, three and four will be decided between Good Counsel, Gonzaga, St. John's, Paul VI and O'Connell
in the next three to four weeks.

St. John's hosts O'Connell on "Seniors' Day" Oct. 22.

"All good teams peak late in the season, at the right time," optimistic Cadet Mike Ward said.

In their homecoming game, the Cadets got on the scoreboard first, when senior running back Stephon Hampton punched it in from seven yards out.

"It was a ‘39-sweep' – fullback Pat Scorah made a real nice kick-out block," Hampton said.

Following senior Ryan Whyte's successful conversion kick, the Cadets led 7-0 and never looked back.

"We wanted to establish our running game today," said Coach Patterson. "We struggled in that regard in last week's loss to Paul VI."

The red-and-white Cadets took a decisive 13-0 lead in the second quarter when junior quarterback Josh Johnson connected with senior wide receiver Derek Waddy on a 25-yard touchdown strike. Though the PAT was no good, the Cadets were in control.

McNamara, coached by Bryce Bevill, made things interesting late in the second quarter when freshman running back James Brown punched the pigskin into the endzone from four yards out. The maroon-and-gold visitors missed the PAT, but had narrowed their deficit to 13-6.

St. John's, before a near-capacity home crowd, took the air out of the Mustangs' resurgence before halftime when Hampton scored yet again. This time, the senior torched the Mustang defense from 30 yards out.

"We realized that … we really had to bring a lot of intensity to this game," Hampton said.

Senior Alex Hemming added the PAT and the Cadets' lead stood at 20-6.

"It doesn't matter who is back there in the offensive backfield – they can all run the ball," said senior tri-captain/offensive tackle Mike Ward, who anchored the Cadets' offensive line along with junior tackle Peter Falcone, senior guard Ryan Whyte, freshman guard Peter White and senior center Triston Cappel.

Following a McNamara punt shortly after the third quarter commenced, St. John's embarked on a 10-play, 42-yard scoring drive. The Cadets struck pay dirt for the final time in the game when junior quarterback Josh Johnson scored from one yard out.

"We like to run the ball on offense. We realized that we had to go out there today and be physical," Johnson said.

Down the stretch, the Mustangs punted from their own 49-yard line, threw an interception from their 48-yard line, picked off by Hampton, and then threw one final interception that was hauled in by St. John's senior defensive back Andrew Harris.

"It seems that in the games we've won, we've been ahead in the turnover battle, and the games that we've lost, we've been behind in the turnover battle," said Coach Patterson. "Today, we were ahead three to one in the turnover battle."

McNamara Coach Bevill gave credit to St. John's for having "a good team" and "a lot of good-quality athletes."

"Mistakes hurt us today," he said of his team's loss.

On the day for the Cadets' ground game, Hampton had 16 carries for 110 yards and two touchdowns, sophomore Antwon Bailey had 11 carries for 50 yards and junior Philip Bush had two carries for 40 yards.

Bailey credited the Cadets' offensive line for helping him move the ball with the "real good push" the line displayed in the game.

Quarterback Johnson completed five of 13 passing attempts for 108 yards and one score. Bailey had two receptions for 11 yards, junior Delonte Armstrong caught one for 60 yards, Derek Waddy had one for a 25-yard score and Hampton caught one for 12 yards.

On the day offensively for McNamara, James Brown had 19 carries for 90 yards and the Mustangs' one touchdown, Earl Harris had three carries for 18 yards and Rayvon Williams had two carries for 14 yards. Mustangs quarterback Harris completed four of 15 passing attempts for 36 yards with two interceptions. Aaron Anderson had two receptions for 19 yards, Jonathan Wingfield had one reception for 12 yards and Kelvin Smith had one reception for five yards.

Defensively for St. John's, both Hampton and Harris recorded interceptions; sophomore Aaron Richardson caused a fumble and senior Ian Glebes recovered a fumble.