SAN FRANCISCO - It was all on the line Friday night, as the Archbishop Riordan Crusaders traveled across the city to play rivals St. Ignatius Wildcats in the annual Gil Haskell trophy game.
With Senior Night festivities in full swing for the last game of the regular season, it was the Crusaders looking to play spoilers on J.B. Murphy Field. The two sides were looking to not only display the Haskell trophy on their own campus for a year, but keep their seasons alive in this do-or-die matchup.
In a hard-fought game that lasted three hours, the host Wildcats ultimately prevailed, sealing a CCS playoff berth with a 35-14 win.
“It feels good to see our guys come out and compete, execute, and put a full game together” said SI head coach John Regalia. “I’m happy for our players and our coaches. We have a tremendous coaching staff, they do a lot of work to put these guys in great positions, and teach them a lot to help them grow.”
The Wildcats found their groove late in the first quarter, as a Cooper Lucey punt pinned Riordan back at their own 2-yard line. Their defense, coming off a strong week in which they held NorCal No. 1 Serra to their lowest total since week 1, fended off a couple quick Crusader first downs to put the ball back in the hands of standout sophomore QB Soren Hummel. The Wildcats, led by the backfield duo of Cameron Jones and Jarious Hogan, marched down the field, conducting a drive that ended with the opening score of the game - a touchdown pass to Pierce St. Geme.
Things just couldn’t seem to go wrong for the ‘Cats after that, as Lucey’s kickoff landed in a hole in Riordan’s return team, just sitting there as both sidelines clamored “live ball.” It was J.J. Casey who charged down the field to secure the football, and set up the ‘Cats with just 30 yards to go for their second score.
Hummel showed just why he took over the offense as the SI’s youngest starting quarterback in recent history, using his legs to create time for himself before finding Gus Parker in the back of the end zone. Hummel capped off his impressive regular season with a three-touchdown performance, including 150 yards and a 141.0 passer rating. Even what looked like his worst pass of the night ended up in the end zone, as Monroe Barnum snagged an underthrown ball with a defender all over him.
“I’ll have to look at the film, but there’s no doubt guys were putting scheme with technique together on the field,” Regalia said. “We’ve done a really good job learning how to play with each other, and you just start to see it unfold and come into action.”
It was another incredible night for Gus Parker, who put on one of his best all-round performances with his family in attendance for Senior Night. Before his parents could fully enjoy the performance however, he gave them quite a scare. While he was hauling in a 19-yard pass for a third-down conversion, he was hit hard from the side, leaving Parker in pain on the ground.
The normally rowdy SI student section went silent, assuming the worst. Parker was escorted off the field, but much to the relief of his teammates and supporters, returned to action. Just six plays later, Parker showed just why he is a force to be reckoned with, escaping tackles and outrunning defenders en route to a 60-yard punt return touchdown. Including the touchdown reception, he managed 4 receptions for 57 yards. His high level of play will be crucial for the ‘Cats to make a run in the playoffs.
“Wind got knocked out of me pretty good, but I still made the catch so that helped me get back up,” said Parker. “When the game is on, I just lock in and give it my all. It’s all about putting in the effort.”
Despite a disappointing loss to end their season, Riordan still had their fair share of highlights. Freshman QB Mike Mitchell found his rhythm in the second half, as he passed for a total of 195 yards and two touchdowns. As he did all season, he found his receiving duo of Zachary Jones and Tyrone Jackson for 55 yards and a touchdown each. Riordan outscored SI 14-7 in the second half, but by then it was much too late. They’ll look to build on a strong foundation during their second season with coach Adhir Ravipati.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats are getting hot at the right time, and will look to continue their good run of play next weekend in the Central Coast Section playoffs.
