D.C. team dominates Vikings
Central Catholic starts slow in lopsided defeat
Late in the third quarter, defensive lineman Cam Goode made a stop in the backfield on third down to stall yet another Central Catholic drive, then did a little jig on his way to the sideline.
It was a comical but appropriate celebration from a 6-foot-1, 315-pound junior who along with his St. John’s College High School teammates danced all over the Vikings Saturday afternoon.
In one of the stranger sights on this opening weekend of WPIAL football, perennial Pittsburgh powerhouse Central Catholic had very few answers in a 35-14 loss to the Washington D.C. juggernaut it met in the Western Pa. Legends Football Classic at North Allegheny’s Newman Stadium.
“I think that’s a very, very good football team,” said Vikings coach Terry Totten, who just about always has one of those himself. “I’m not sure until I see the film, but I think that’s as good as you can find on the high school level.”
A game that many anticipated to be a battle between the premier high school program in this area and its counterpart from the nation’s capital — both of which are loaded with major-college recruits — went the way of St. John’s early and never got much better for the defending WPIAL and PIAA Class AAAA champions.
St. John’s started with the ball and faced two third downs and two fourth downs on its opening drive, but on fourth-and-1 in Central Catholic territory, Maryland-bound quarterback Kasim Hill hit Maurice Bellan for a 29-yard touchdown to make it 7-0.
The Vikings nearly matched that early score on their first possession, but a long drive ended with a turnover on downs in the red zone. With their offense bogged down, the Vikings defense cracked in a big way not two minutes into the second quarter when St. John’s struck again on a 53yard touchdown run by Joachim Bangda to make it 14-0, a score that held until halftime.
“I think we had a good game plan,” Cadets coach Joe Casamento said. “They’ve got a great team. I thought we tried to take advantage of some things we thought we could do, and we executed.”
With the Vikings receiving to start the second half, it seemed that might be their only chance to start clawing back. Instead, Cadets defensive back Quinten Johnson returned a fumble 43 yards for another score and a 21-0 lead on the third play of the half.
Central Catholic didn’t put points on the brand-new video scoreboard at North Allegheny until quarterback Troy Fisher’s 6-yard run made it 21-7 midway through the third quarter. But St. John’s continued its domination on both sides of the ball, and Keilan Robinson burst through the Vikings defense early in the fourth for a 68-yard touchdown that made it 28-7 and put the game on ice.
“We’re not really used to this,” said Vikings lineman C.J. Thorpe, a Penn State recruit. “I think a lot of people came into this game just expecting Central to win, so I think that’s a mentality that we have to lose.”
Fisher finished 11 for 21 for just 89 yards and a touchdown with an interception, while senior J.J. Younger rushed for 114 yards on 21 carries once he got going in the second half.
For St. John’s, the final numbers were gaudy. In addition to five sacks for a defense that features senior pass-rusher Tyree Johnson, who on Friday committed to Texas A&M, Hill completed 9 of 15 passes for 170 yards, two touchdowns and an interception; Robinson carried seven times for 120 yards and a score; and speedy 5-6 receiver Kwincy Hall caught four passes for 109 yards, including a 63-yarder that capped the scoring.