Marmion makes finale memorable for linemen
Marmion made the most of its final game of the season on Friday at Fichtel Field.
A couple of linemen also made the most of plays they’ll never forget.
Linemen Ricardo Fernandez and Patrick Bakala each scored on short runs and the Cadets buried an undermanned Walther Lutheran team, 49-6.
Fernandez, a soccer player who had never played football prior to this season, will most definitely forget his lone carry of his high school career.
“I wanted to give football a try in my last year and I’ll never forget it,” Fernandez said. “I’m going to miss this team a lot, but I’m happy with how we finished.”
Bakala scored about five minutes after Fernandez in the second half as the Cadets turned a 28-6 halftime lead into a big-time rout.
“I had never scored a touchdown or touched the ball before and I’ve played for 10 years,” Bakala said. “We practiced the package on Tuesday but I thought it was kind of a joke at the time.”
Marmion (4-5) jumped ahead 14-0 on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Charlie Faunce to Jake Ruddy and a 32-yard run from Jordan Glasgow (8 carries, 77 yards) as they weren’t joking around in the least.
“We’ve really played these last three games with a lot of hustle and intensity,” Marmion coach Dan Thorpe said. “It says a lot about their character.”
Walther Lutheran (2-7) didn’t do much of anything offensively against the Cadets. The Broncos did manage to convert eight first downs but their lone score came on a kickoff return.
Charlie Clohecy, Tyler Eberth and Jake Ruddy all intercepted passes and the Cadets also recovered a fumble.
“Last game of the year and I was happy with what we were able to do,” Ruddy said.
“Our defense stuck with it out there. We had good stops, but there was nothing we could do on that one kickoff.”
After the first pair of TDs, junior quarterback Brock Krueger connected with Seth Sevenich on a 17-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter to make it a 21-6 contest.
In the second half, after Fernandez and Bakala’s late scores, Feltz added a 3-yard run.
Although his PATs meant little in the blowout, Thorpe made it a priority to point out the effort of kicker Eddy Graham, who connected on all 7 PATs and missed just once this season.
“He’s been great and I have to thank (soccer) coach (Ricky) Del Toro,” Thorpe said. “He’s been a tremendous boost with those extra points and the direction kicking.”