By PAUL GOTHAM
HILTON, N.Y. — An 11-play drive coming out of halftime produced the eventual game-winning touchdown.
The means by which helped the McQuaid Jesuit Knights stop opposing momentum and remain undefeated on the season.
John Harding found the end zone with his second touchdown of the game on a six-yard run, and McQuaid (6-0) went on to defeat Hilton (5-1), 24-21.
“I’m really proud of the way our guys had that first drive in the second half,” McQuaid head coach Bobby Bates said. “That was huge. That was a huge score to get.”
After building an 11-point lead with three scores in the first quarter, McQuaid was clinging to a 17-14 lead when they received the kickoff to open the third quarter.
Starting at their own 35-yard line, the Jesuit Knights responded with four running plays to put the ball deep in Hilton territory.
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“That’s the approach we wanted to take coming into the second half,” Bates said. “It was ‘all right, let’s run the darn ball here and go with that.’”
Harding rushed for nine yards on the first play and his 16-yard scamper gave McQuaid the ball at the Hilton 40-yard line. The senior running back’s 10-yard rush set up McQuaid at the Hilton 29.
Three straight passing plays gained just three yards putting McQuaid in a fourth and six at the 20-yard line.
Junior quarterback Will DiMarco rolled out for six yards and a first down.
“We had an out route which is just stop route out wide,” DiMarco said. “Hilton’s a great team. They did a good job of defending it.”
Out of a shotgun formation, DiMarco looked left for his first option. He rolled to his right but didn’t find an open receiver.
“I was just trying to make a play. I know the down and distance in the situation. In that play, it’s trusting my instincts and trusting the guys around me to help me out as much as they can. I just had to roll out and make a play. I saw an open lane and I took it.”
Three plays later, Harding was in the end zone. The point after made it a 24-14 game.
“I’m happy with the way our guys played resilient football,” Bates said. “That’s what you need to do. You have to win these types of games if you want to have an opportunity down the road. That’s what our guys were able to prove to themselves tonight. Given a tight game on the road, they’ve been here now and they know what it takes to win in those situations. Nothing is going to be given to you, but you know what it takes to win. That’s the type of resiliency you need to have.”
The drive had seven rushing plays which went for a total of 61 yards.
“We saw some things in the first half that we liked, but weren’t able to get to them,” Bates said. “I needed to scheme it up a little bit at halftime and really look through what we were doing to make sure it was good.
“That drive really helped kinda catapult the second half.”
The score was the same when Hilton took possession with three seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Cadets put together a nine-play, 85-yard drive that included Colton Thorp connecting on a 47-yard strike with Luke Lockhart and a 23-yard pass to Lowry.
Lowry scored from five yards out to make it a 24-21 game.
“They move it,” Bates said of Hilton. “They have some weapons over there. They do some really good things.”
The Cadets stopped McQuaid on fourth down and took possession at their own 28 with 4:04 remaining in the game.
“If we get the ball last and have a chance, that’s all we can ask for in a game like this,” Hilton head coach Rich Lipani said. “Our kids played their rear ends off against a great, great team.”
Hilton took advantage of a pass interference call and eventually had the ball inside the McQuaid 20-yard line, but did not convert.
“We hung in there and made some big plays,” Lipani said. “This is a great group of kids and hopefully we can take this and use it to get ourselves a little bit better.
“McQuaid is a great, great team. They took it to us early. We had a little better second half.”
McQuaid stopped Hilton three-and-out on the first drive of the game. Eoin Meyer capped a seven-play drive with a run from 18 yards out to get McQuaid on the board.
Hilton’s Robert Lowry took the ensuing kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown.
McQuaid responded with a field goal.
The Jesuit Knights forced a fumble in Hilton territory. Five plays later, Harding scored for 17-6 advantage.
Hilton went 78 yards on 16 plays in a drive that had two fourth-down conversions. Thorp found Conner Bellanca in the back of the end zone. Hilton had moved within three at 17-14 with 1:01 remaining in the half.
CORRECTION from previous post that has since been deleted: Colton Thorp hits CONNER BELLANCA in the back of the end zone to cap a 16-play, 78-yard drive. 2-point conversion is good. @AthleticsMcQ 17 @HiltonCadets 14 pic.twitter.com/uiTQlYbAou
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) October 7, 2023
McQuaid moved quickly into Hilton territory and looked poised to score until Lockhart intercepted a pass on second down with :13 seconds remaining in the half.
“I wish we were able to put points on the board right before half and double dip – score on our last possession before the half, score on our first possession coming out of the half,” Bates said. “That would have really changed things, but it didn’t happen that way.”
HUGE PLAY. Second and 2 at the Hilton 23 with 13 seconds remaining in the half, Luke Lockhart makes the interception. @AthleticsMcQ 17 @HiltonCadets 14 @SecVFootball pic.twitter.com/qD39yH4ujZ
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) October 7, 2023
DiMarco completed 11-of-19 passes for 107 yards in the win. Harding rushed the ball 12 times for 118 yards. Meier gained 66 yards on seven carries and led the defense with 7.5 tackles. Zach Couch had 5.5 tackles.
Hilton’s Lowry finished with 92 yards rushing and 216 all-purpose yards. Thorp completed 10-of-17 passes for 147 yards and rushed for 35 yards on 10 carries. Lockhart had four receptions for 65 yards. John DiBattisto led the Cadets’ defense with 10 tackles. Thorp finished with nine tackles.
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