In rare football matchup, Eastside Catholic dispatches Eastlake
Eastside Catholic and Eastlake high schools are less than a mile away from each other, but for 13 years, these two top football programs have not faced off on the field. That changed on Friday, in a game that saw the Crusaders crush the Wolves in a fourth quarter rout.
The two schools play in different conferences, so they rarely play against each other. But last year, Eastlake coach Scott Hare offered a rematch to Eastside Catholic as a break from the regular season schedule. In their last matchup in 2011, the Crusaders won 30-12. Hare said he planned the game to simulate an environment similar to that of a playoff game, given the caliber of Eastside Catholic’s team.
The much anticipated game began with the Wolves receiving the opening kickoff at Acosta Field, the home field of Eastside Catholic.
Gradually making their way to the end zone with a series of first downs and eating up 10 minutes on the clock, quarterback Landon Renfroe finally connected for a 14-yard passing touchdown to Kade Haroldsen to put Eastlake on the board, 7-0. Shortly after, Eastside Catholic’s Asa Thompson answered with a touchdown on an 80-yard kickoff return to tie the game 7-7.
Refusing to fall behind, the Crusaders’ aggressive play forced a fumble by Eastlake’s Myles Johnson during the second quarter.
While both teams displayed excellent defense throughout the second quarter, the field really belonged to the Crusaders. With a 1-yard rushing touchdown, Eastside Catholic’s Jeremiah Burroughs broke through the Eastlake defensive line for the 14-7 go-ahead play.
Adding pressure for the Wolves, the Crusaders’ Cody Thumlert broke the Eastlake defense not once, but twice, for two consecutive sacks.
The quarter ended with an Eastside Catholic advantage when kicker Connor Brandt added a field goal to the board for a 17-7 halftime score.
The Wolves came back to the field ready for whatever the Crusaders threw at them. On a beautifully placed long bomb, Renfroe connected with Bryson Hodges for a 75-yard touchdown pass to close the gap 17-14. Unfortunately for Eastlake, the play resulted in a Renfroe injury that took him out of the game.
Backup quarterback Ryder Barrysmith stepped in for Eastlake. Despite the lineup change, the Wolves managed to hold the Crusaders scoreless for the entire third quarter.
But the fourth quarter belonged to the Crusaders, starting with an early 2-yard rushing touchdown when quarterback Isaac Corey pushed into the end zone, widening the gap 24-14.
Taking advantage of a now shaky Eastlake offense, Crusader Liufau Loumoli stepped into the line of fire to intercept an Eastlake pass for a 22-yard return before being tackled by the Wolves. Now within close range of the end zone, Jeremiah Burroughs rushed the final 19 yards for another Crusader touchdown and a score of 31-14.
Adding to the rout, the Crusaders managed to tackle the Wolves’ kicker Daniel Ferriera on a punt to capture the ball for a 2-point safety.
The final nail in Eastlake’s coffin came in the last minute when Eastside Catholic’s Nick Jones scored one more touchdown for a final score of 40-14.
While the Wolves held their own for the first three quarters, in the end, injuries and mistakes led to a resounding 40-14 victory for Eastside Catholic.
If this was indeed a playoff test, then Eastlake may be in trouble for the season. Coach Hare indicated that this game was a learning experience.
”We watch film and then find our tendencies and improve on them,” Hare said. “We’re going back to work this Monday.”
Correction: The original version of this article incorrectly stated that on the touchback, Eastside Catholic’s Asa Thompson made an 80-yard touchdown run to tie the game 7-7. He made the touchdown run during a kickoff return.
