Falcons Top Mustangs, Move to Championship
For Good Counsel it’ll be a familiar sight, a WCAC championship game at the U.S. Naval Academy on November 21st.
Photo by: Pattie Sullivan
Written by: Jeremy Moreland
OLNEY, MD- Coming into Friday's WCAC semifinal, the Good Counsel Falcons had a game from six weeks ago still fresh on their minds. It was a 21-7 victory over the Bishop McNamara Mustangs on October 3rd, a game in which the Falcons didn't play their best. This time around, a more focused Falcons team came away with a 35-6 victory.
"There was a lot more confidence on the defense and offense," said senior wide receiver Louis Young, also noting that the team did a better job of capitalizing on McNamara's mistakes. Junior quarterback Zach Dancel added that he didn't think the team was as "hyped up" the previous time they faced McNamara.
The Falcons orchestrated the tempo of the game right from the beginning. On their opening drive they went 80 yards in seven minutes and capped it off with a 4-yard touchdown run from Michael Nittoli. The senior fullback finished with 111 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns.
Just moments later, Good Counsel seized complete control when junior defensive back Blake Countess broke through McNamara's line to block a punt and then recovered the loose ball in the end zone. This gave the Falcons a 14-0 lead and they would never look back.
Late in the first half the Falcons extended their lead on Nittoli's second touchdown, a dive up the middle from a yard out. After a missed extra point, the Falcons had a 20-0 halftime lead. Still, head coach Bob Milloy didn't feel comfortable.
"They're a good team. I was nervous at halftime. I had to take two Tums at halftime to be honest with you," Milloy joked.
Part of the concern had to have come from McNamara's performance last week against DeMatha in which the Mustangs led most of the way before losing a close one, 10-7. But on this night the Falcon offensive line and the 1-2 punch of Wes Brown (13 carries, 68 yards) and Nittoli were just too much to handle.
It was the first time since the beginning of the season that the Falcons had their entire starting offensive line healthy.
Dancel was very efficient in the victory, completing 6 of 8 passes for 111 yards. He had a rushing and a passing touchdown, both coming in the second half. The rushing touchdown came first, in which Dancel took a bootleg to the right and walked in for the 1-yard score.
Then in the fourth quarter with a 28-6 lead, Dancel launched a bomb to Young who came down with it at the 10 yard line, made a nifty move to avoid a defender, and scored the 45-yard touchdown.
"That was what they call a 'sweet lou' move," Young joked, "I had to adjust to it and I saw nothing but end zone so I had to get in and score for my team."
Most of McNamara's offense went through star wide receiver Brandon Coleman. The 6'6'' senior caught 3 passes for 92 yards and the Mustangs only touchdown.
Coleman made another big play on a fake punt in which he extended a drive with a 21-yard run. But the Falcons secondary, without star safety Frank Tamakloe, contained Coleman for the most part.
The Falcons defense got a boost with the return of Chris Pitsenberger, who had missed the previous three games for the Falcons. The senior linebacker had five tackles and a sack.
"The last three weeks, we had been very soft inside, Pitz comes back and that straightens that out," said Milloy
So for Good Counsel it'll be a familiar sight, a WCAC championship game at the U.S. Naval Academy. They await the winner of Saturday's matchup between Gonzaga and heavily favored DeMatha.
Coach Milloy said he'd much rather see the upset but Young had a different opinion.
"I want DeMatha to win because I want to set it straight. It won't be right if we don't play DeMatha."
