O’Hara defense proves too Much for Hudson Catholic

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MARPLE >> On both sides of the ball Saturday afternoon, Max Much knew exactly what he was looking at.

When Cardinal O’Hara had the ball, the receiver was ready for the possession-passing offensive scheme overseen by quarterback Luke Sprague that he’d practiced in all summer. When the field flipped and Hudson Catholic (N.J.) tried to do the same thing, he was prepared in the defensive secondary.

After three-plus quarters, Much pretty well knew what was coming when Hudson Catholic marched into the red zone late in the game. Quarterback Johnathan Bates dropped back, trying to find the same seam route he’d gone to on several occasions. And Much had it read.

His leaping interception was one of four turnovers created by the O’Hara defense, backstopping a 14-6 win over Hudson Catholic in the Philadelphia-North Jersey Challenge.

“Just dropped back, tried to look over the field,” Much said. “They were three by one and on backside, just dropped back, they threw it over the middle. I jumped up and made a play.”

Much also caused a fumble, recovered by Derrick Patrick. The other interception came in the red zone when lineman Joe Kelly, whose tackle for loss led to Hudson Catholic turning it over on downs on their opening series, busted up a screen pass and engulfed the ball for the pick.

The next Hawks series got to the 20 before Rich McNichol punched the ball out of Bates’ hands, lineman John Caponi pouncing for the recovery.

“You get near the end zone, you know you’ve got to not let them score,” McNichol said. “So we had guys that stepped up, had a couple of interceptions in the red zone, a couple of fumbles. Coaches put us in position to make plays, and we did it.”’

On a day where both offenses looked like they were playing their first games of the season, the execution of O’Hara’s defense made the difference.

Hudson Catholic moved the ball competently between the 20s. Bates went 18-for-30 for 203 yards, distributing to six receivers. But the turnovers hurt, as did 12 penalties for 95 yards. No call was bigger than when Donnell Adams picked off Sprague in the dying seconds of the first half and broke off a sensational 69-yard return, but a late hit call after the turnover nullified what would’ve been a momentum-flipping score.

The Hawks didn’t get into the end zone until 6:46 left to play when Bates plunged in from the six, a drive set up by an eight-yard O’Hara punt (its sixth of the day) that provided a short field.

But more often than not, when O’Hara’s defense was tested, it passed with flying colors.

“We talked about that all week,” Much said of his INT. “We practiced that. We knew they were going to look for the ball in the seam. Down there, it paid off.”

Adams caught six balls for 46 yards, and Isaiah Decias added four for 66. Jaheir White carried the ball 11 times for 78 yards for Hudson Catholic.

“I see a lot of good things,” Bates said. “I can trust my receivers more that they’re going to catch the ball for me, and they did a really good job today. I’m proud of them. … They’re really young, so their minds, we can mold them to what we want them to do, and they listen for the most part and there are a really good group.”

O’Hara’s offense didn’t exactly blow the Hawks away. Sprague was solid, finding seven receivers for consistently moderate gains, going 16-for-22 for 118 yards. He hooked up with Chris Kirby on a pinpoint post route for a 30-yard score on third and 10 early in the third quarter.

But the running game was slow to come around, netting just 71 yards, most of which came on dashes of 35 by Sprague and 24 by Keed Kpoto in the first half. Sprague’s long dash set up Kpoto’s one-yard score in the first quarter.

The defense did more than enough to get O’Hara through its first test, though.

“We always practice not to give up the ball, because we know how much of a game-changer that is,” Much said. “So we go out there every play to stop them. No big plays, that’s their goal. Every time we get another stop, it’s another chance to make big plays.”

Matthew De George

Matthew De George
Matthew De George is the Asst. Sports Editor and the lead Union writer for The Daily Times.

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