SAN FRANCISCO – In a game which quickly turned from a defensive battle to a blowout, Bellarmine’s rushing attack led the Bells past St. Ignatius 37-3 in each team’s first WCAL game.
After exchanging punts for the first few possessions, Bellarmine’s offense took off, as senior running back Brendan Manigo found a gap in the defense and exploded for a 67-yard touchdown to put the Bells on the board first.
Big plays were key for Bellarmine on Saturday afternoon. Early in the second quarter, senior running back Austin Ajiake broke free for a 70-yard touchdown run to put the Bells up 14-0.
“We put a lot of emphasis on our running game,” Bellarmine coach Mike Janda said. “We started slow, a little sluggish. But we started getting the running game going and that was huge to our victory.”
But the Bells weren’t finished.
Later in the second, Manigo erupted for another long rushing touchdown – this one for 51 yards to extend the Bellarmine lead to 20-0, following a missed PAT.
“What was working for me was blocking,” Manigo said. “This week, we changed a few things around and it really worked. Every time I ran to the hole, my blockers were in front of me. They made it really easy for me.”
Near the end of the third quarter, senior fullback Jackson Burrill bulldozed his way into the end zone for a three-yard score to put the Bells up 30-3. Early in the fourth, senior quarterback Ike Ogbogu found a seam on the sideline and coasted to a 35-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 37-3 and seal the victory for Bellarmine.
The Bells offense rushed for a total of 388 yards and scored all five of their touchdowns on Saturday.
The stingy Bellarmine defense also showcased their toughness and athleticism, holding the Wildcat offense to just 178 total yards and only three points.
“I think our defense played very well,” Janda said. “They played scrappy, they rushed the passer, and we tackled well. I think our guys were ready to go and they played very hard.”
The Wildcats struggled to get anything going on offense, as their only points came from Dearan Roche’s 32-yard field goal late in the second quarter.
“They did their job, and we didn’t necessarily do ours as far as execution goes,” SI coach John Regalia said. “They’re really good at what they do, and they’re a good team. A combination of those things is tough. I think that’s why the score ends up the way it does. We’ve got work to do. And regardless of the outcome today, we still have work to do.”
St. Ignatius (2-2, 0-1) travels to Kezar Stadium to play Riordan under the lights on Saturday. That game is scheduled to kick off at 7:00 p.m.
Bellarmine (3-1, 1-0) hosts St. Francis on Friday night at 7:00 p.m.
