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Good Counsel senior wide receiver E.J. Scott said his Falcons made some slight adjustments to counter the Eagles constantly changing defenses, but ‘slight’ may not have been the appropriate word. The Falcons scored three touchdowns in the first seven minutes of the first quarter, and then rode the play of their defense to a 37-7 victory over the injury-plagued Gonzaga Eagles.

“We tried to prepare for their defenses because they like to switch it up, so we had plays ready for whatever they called and they worked,” said Scott.

The Falcons were flying high from the first whistle. After cornerback Blake Countess took the opening kickoff into Eagles’ territory, the Falcons offense wasted no time in making their mark. Sophomore running back Wes Brown took the handoff darted up the middle and outraced the Eagles for a 41-yard touchdown. After the defense forced a fumble, Good Counsel would strike fast again. After a 32-yard pass from quarterback Zach Dancel to Brown, Brown would punch in his second touchdown from seven yards out.

Already leading 14-0, the defense was able to force an Eagle fumble; the Falcons took the field on the Gonzaga’s 48-yard line. As the Eagles packed the line, all eyes on Brown, Dancel dropped back and heaved a long 48-yard touchdown pass to Scott.

“I thought this was a good win because Coach Milloy told use Gonzaga would be hungry,” said Scott. “I thought we came out, got it going early, which was definitely good for us. It was a good win.”

Trailing 21-0, the Eagles desperately needed to make a move. With junior quarterback Kevin Hogan out with an injury, Gonzaga’s offense seemed to be at a standstill until junior Joey Battista found a streaking James Valerias for a 47-yard pass. Gonzaga seemed ready for a comeback. After running back Demitirius McNeil scored from four yards out, the momentum began to swing in favor of the Eagles.

But with a 21-7 lead, the Falcons seemed content with pounding the ball on the ground and using the clock to their advantage. As Good Counsel rode the combination of Brown and Nittoli down the field, Brown would eventually score his third touchdown, which would seem to be the nail in coffin.

Thing went from bad to worse for the Eagles, who gave up a safety when a mishandled snap caused the punter to throw the ball out of bounds.

The Falcons would get one more score, as junior fullback Michael Jefferson scored late in fourth quarter to give his team the 37-7 victory.

Game MVP: Frank Tamakloe, Good Counsel
Tamakloe, a senior defensive back headed to Wisconsin, was all over the field, delivering big hits and making plays for his team.

Game Stats

Rushing Leaders
Gonzaga: Jones 6-45, Battista 8-37, McKelvin 4-28, Ruffing 3-27, Martino 3-18
Good Counsel: Brown 17-150, Nittoli 7-29

Passing Leaders
Gonzaga: Battista 13-29-217
Good Counsel: 8-13-120

Receiving Leaders
Gonzaga: Kernan 2-75, Neville 2-48, Ruffing 3-42, Valeiras 2-25, Graves 3-19, Kelly 1-8
Good Counsel: Scott 4-81, Brown 1-32

Scoring Summary

First Quarter: Good Counsel Touchdown, 7-0
41-yard run by Brown (Hamby Kick)

First Quarter: Good Counsel Touchdown, 14-0
7-yard run by Brown (Hamby Kick)

First Quarter: Good Counsel Touchdown, 21-0
48-yard pass from Dancel to Scott (Hamby Kick)

Third Quarter: Gonzaga Touchdown, 7-21
1-yard run by McNeil (Abod kick)

Third Quarter: Good Counsel Touchdown, 28-7
5-yard run by Brown (Hamby Kick)

Fourth Quarter: Good Counsel Safety, 30-7
Nittoli makes tackle in the end zone

Fourth Quarter: Good Counsel Touchdown, 37-7
1-yard run by Jefferson ((Hamby Kick)