Box Score WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Catholic football team once again took an early lead thanks to a defensive touchdown, but ultimately fell in a non-conference tilt at Cardinal Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Kean Cougars (1-2) came to town and earned a 33-14 win over the Cardinals (1-2) who were down starting quarterback Madden Lowe.
The junior signal caller missed Saturday's game with an injury, putting sophomore John Whelan under center for Catholic. Whelan completed 22 pass for 166 yards and his first career touchdown, but the sophomore was intercepted four times.
A physical Kean front prevented the Cardinals from getting much going on the ground, holding Catholic to just 18 net rushing yards.
After forcing the Cougars to punt on their first offensive possession of the game, the opportunistic Cardinal defense struck gold on the Cougars second try. Robbie Nungesser dropped back to pass on 3rd-and-1, but his pass popped up in the air and was picked by sophomore corner Aidan Long who took it back 52 yards for a game-opening score. This is Long's second consecutive game with a defensive touchdown after taking a fumble to the house against Randolph-Macon.
The Cougars got on the board later in the first quarter as they went 44 yards on 11 plays to put George Chrissafis into field goal range. Chrissafis nailed his first of four field goals in the contest to make it 7-3 with just over four minutes left in the opening quarter.
The second quarter was all Cougars as they outscored Catholic 17-0 to take a 20-7 halftime lead. Nungesser found his fullback Jay Adams early in the second for the first Kean touchdown of the contest to take a 10-7 lead.
With 5:31 to play in the first half, Whalen was intercepted by Jamma Ndiaye on a play blown up at the line-of-scrimmage. The Cardinal defense held steady, pushing Kean back a yard and forcing another Chrissafis field goal to make it 13-7. Kean scored once more in the quarter as Nasir Williams ran in in from four yards out with 53 seconds left on the second quarter clock.
The Cardinals continued their strong third quarter play in 2022, once again tightening up on defense while also finding the end zone. Sophomore Malachi Hansen put the Cardinals in great field position after a 25-yard punt return to the Kean 16. Whelan was sacked on first down, but a completion to sophomore John Maynes made a more reasonable 3rd-and-9. Junior Jared Colletti gained six yards on third down, allowing the offense to stay on the field for a manageable fourth down situation. Whelan found Hansen for a gain of four and a fresh set of downs, setting up the eight-yard score to senior Preston Jeffrey two plays later.
Now back within a score, the Cardinals held Kean to another field goal, making it 23-14 entering the fourth.
Whelan was intercepted twice in the fourth while Kean played keep away, adding 10 more points to the total in a 33-14 final.
Senior Joe Nazzaro had nine tackles for the Catholic defense while sophomore Mason Stillwell added seven. Senior Huey Bodger and freshman Lawson Haylock combined for a sack.
Catholic hits the road for back-to-back weeks, traveling down to Christopher Newport next weekend before opening up NEWMAC play at MIT on October 1st.
