Big night for Alex Flemings with nine catches for 120 yards.
(Los Angeles) The Cathedral Phantoms and the St. Francis Golden Knights collided Friday night in a battle of unbeaten teams in the Angelus Leagues. After four full quarters of battle the Phantoms came out on top 24-17.
The first half was a defensive battle with neither teams gaining ground against the other and it wasn’t until late in first quarter before either team got on the board.
St. Francis went on a 10 play drive starting at their own four and marched 45 yards to the Cathedral eight. When the drive stalled with :26 left in the first frame, Dulles Hanula came on and booted through a 25 yard field goal.
The score remained 3-0 until much later in the second quarter. The Phantoms capped a 10 play drive of their own on a 42 yard field goal by Jose Nunez. The scoring drive was set up by a turnover created by the Cathedral defense forcing a fumble that they recovered on their own four.
Cathedral took their first lead in the game early into the third quarter. Golden Knight Bobby Gazamarian took the kickoff to start the second half up to the St. Francis 49 where he took a hit and fumbled the ball. The Phantoms jumped on the loose ball and were in business from their own 49. Six plays later Colin Payne scored on a two yard run to make the score 10-3.
Five minutes later the Phantoms scored again on a one yard run by Andrew Tovar to extend the lead to 17-3. The touchdown capped a six-play 49 yard drive.
The Golden Knights answered with a touchdown of their own with just over two minutes left in the third. St. Francis marched 67 yards on eleven plays with Gabriel Mathews catching a four yard pass from Michael Bonds.
St. Francis came all the way back to tie the game with just under nine minutes left in the final frame. After a short Cathedral punt, the Golden Knights were set up with excellent field position at the Phantom 37. Two plays later Bonds found Mathews again this time from 32 yards out.
Bonds finished the night completing 22 of 36 passes for 174 yards, two touchdowns and the one interceptions.
With just under six minutes left in the game it looked like the Phantoms would take the lead again. After an eight play drive stalled at the St. Francis six Nunez trotted out to attempt a 23 yard chip shot field goal. St. Francis broke through the line and blocked the kick and denied the three points.
Bonds was in the giving mood on the ensuing drive and his first pass was intercepted by Jeffrey Manning Jr. at the St. Francis 25. A unsportsmanlike penalty was called on the Golden Knights as well setting up the Phantoms with a first and ten at the St. Francis 10. Two plays later Bryce Young found Jamire Calvin in the endzone for the score and a 24-17 lead.
St. Francis had a chance late in the game and were driving but faced with a fourth and eight at the Cathedral 34 Bonds pass fell incomplete and turned the ball over on downs.
The Phantoms tried to run out the clock at that point but St. Francis has two time outs and made it difficult and a controversial delay of game penalty and a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty left Nunez punting from his own goal line. Daniel Scott called for the fair catch at his own 40 but muffed the punt at the Cathedral 40 and was pounced on by the Phantoms.
With some drama playing itself out on the Cathedral sideline, the Phantoms managed to take the field, take a knee and put an end to the game.
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