Cadden kick-starts Episcopal Academy in Inter-Ac win over Germantown Academy

WHITEMARSH >> T.J. Cadden and his Episcopal Academy teammates had been waiting for this one for 11 months.

“After last year, losing those last two (Inter-Ac) games, we just knew we had to come out firing today,” the senior said Saturday after a much-anticipated clash with rival Germantown Academy. “We couldn’t wait for this feeling. Everybody was so anxious.”

The Churchmen would wait no longer. Cadden returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a score, and Episcopal was on its way.

Said Cadden: “We worked on it in practice all week, how we were gonna return it. The guys set up the blocks well and there was just a gaping hole. I just had to run through it.”

The Churchmen didn’t just run to daylight – all day, they created it. Episcopal scored 21 points in the first quarter and led 35-0 at the half, going on to a rousing 49-7 victory over the Patriots in a showdown of two 5-0 teams.

“Putting together a good game plan, everybody doing their assignments well…that’s the key to scoring,” said Cadden, who reached the end zone once as a return man and twice more as a runner. “The hard work in practice – that set us up for all 49 points today.”

Episcopal scored on special teams, several times on offense and once on defense in an impressive Inter-Ac opener. The Churchmen (6-0, 1-0 league) host Penn Charter Friday night.

“It’s great to get that first win in the league. Everybody came out with great energy – 100 percent. Everybody knew their assignments,” said Cadden.

The Patriots (5-1, 0-1 league) endured their first defeat of the season. They’ll get ready for a road game at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy on Saturday, trying to win their sixth in a row over the Blue Devils.

“I just talked to the guys about how one game doesn’t define them,” Patriots coach Matt Dence said afterwards. “That’s a really good football team (Episcopal). Unfortunately, they did everything we had hoped they wouldn’t do. They jumped out on us on special teams – we had done similar things in our games, and today they jumped out on us.”

Episcopal rode that momentum to a pair of first-quarter scores for the offense.

A 56-yard march was capped off by Cadden’s six-yard rush, boosting the lead to 14-0.

A long punt return by Cadden set up his own seven-yard TD run, and the Churchmen had bolted out to a 21-0 advantage.

Episcopal’s defense plugged up the running lanes and put the heat on Patriot quarterback Tristian Machado, leading to five first-half punts by GA.

Episcopal produced two more touchdown drives in the second quarter.

A powerful run by Zeke Kane covered 14 yards and came to a close with him stretching out and extending the ball over the goal line as he hit the turf, widening the gap to 28-0 on this sunny afternoon at Carey Stadium.

Episcopal made it 35-0 when Chris Purnell burst through a hole and raced away to a 16-yard score. There the margin would remain at the break, enforcing a running clock in the second half.

The Patriots drove to around midfield to start the third quarter, but a high snap resulted in Lucas Slate of the Churchmen scooping up the loose ball in a crowd and taking it in for the TD, as the lead grew to 42-0.

The two squads would exchange touchdowns from there.

Anthony Lara charged in from eight yards out for GA.

Nick Wolff scored on a 21-yard TD for the Churchmen, ushering in celebratory wolf howls from the Episcopal sideline.

Everything seemed to go right for the Churchmen, and conversely, it was a rough day at the office for GA.

“I thought we were gonna kick the ball through the end zone on the opening kickoff, play defense and hopefully get a punt, go down and score. But instead they returned it for a touchdown and then it just spiraled from there,” Dence said. “We couldn’t make plays when we needed to. Hats off to them – Todd (Fairlie) is a heck of a coach, they have a heck of a team, and they’re gonna be a problem for their next four opponents.

“Our kids played hard. They’re good kids, they’re a good team. But (Episcopal) just got us today.”

Episcopal Academy 49, Germantown Academy 7

Episcopal            21 14 7 7 – 49

GA                        0  0 7 0  –  7

First Quarter

E – T.J. Cadden 95 kickoff return (Christian Bush kick), 11:46.

E – T.J. Cadden 6 run (Bush kick), 5:33.

E – T.J. Cadden 7 run (Bush kick), 5:33.

Second Quarter

E – Zeke Kane 14 run (Bush kick), 10:30.

E – Chris Purnell 16 run (Bush kick), 5:37.

Third Quarter

E – Lucas Slate 30 fumble return (Bush kick), 7:58.

GA – Anthony Lara 8 run (Cole Grim kick), 2:54.

Fourth Quarter

E – Nick Wolff 21 run (Bush kick), 3:36.

E               GA

First Downs                             16                    9

Rushes-yards                          32-255             21-54

Passing (c-a-i)                         9-12-0              5-12-0

Passing yards                          102                  100

Total yards                               357                  154

Punts                                       0                      5

Fumbles-lost                            1-0                   2-2

Penalties-yards                        4-35                 0-0

Rushing

E: Donny Cooney 4-13; Michael Cadden 2-3; Julian Haylock 1-8; Na’Rowe Rayborn 7-64; Nick Wolff 4-40, TD; Zeke Kane 3-55, TD; T.J Cadden 7-37, 2 TD; Chris Purnell 4-35, TD.

GA: Seamus Knox 8-26; Evan Spivey 1-12; Anthony Lara 5-23, TD; Tristian Machado 5-(-12); Tripp Capers 2-5.

Passing

E: Rayborn 9-12-102-0-0.

GA: Machado 4-10-70-0-0; Xavier Stearn 1-2-30-0-0.

Receiving

E: T.J. Cadden 4-57; T.J. Lamb 2-22; Keegan Walsh 1-9; Eric Demyun 1-2; Haylock 1-12.

GA: Knox 1-1; A.J. Towsen 1-8; Aidan Donahue 1-36; Spivey 1-25; Aaron Parks 1-30.