The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
John Carroll suffers stunning playoff loss
This isn’t what Coach Rick Finotti envisioned Nov. 17.
At halftime of John Carroll’s NCAA Division III first-round playoff game vs. Randolph-Macon at Don Shula Stadium, the Blue Streaks trailed, 10-6.
Star sophomore running back Michael Canganelli of Mayfield was out with a hamstring injury, and quarterback Anthony Moeglin was benched.
It was a precursor of a stunning result.
By mid-afternoon, JCU’s promising season was over thanks to a gutty effort and 2320 win by big underdog Randolph-Macon of Virginia.
The Blue Streaks were the No. 2 seed in the Mount Union eight-team bracket and were hoping to make a postseason run but that came to a screeching halt. Randolph-Macon will play Muhlenberg on Nov. 24 in the second round.
Randolph-Macon controlled the clock throughout by a huge margin, 44:05 to 15:55, and made big plays at the opportune time.
The biggest occurred just before halftime, when Matthew Vergara intercepted a Moeglin pass deep in JCU territory and returned it 14 yards for a touchdown.
That gave the Yellow Jackets a 10-6 lead, and prompted Finotti to go to backup QB Riley Larkin, but the move didn’t pay off.
Meanwhile, Canganelli, who entered with 1,233 rushing yards and 17 TDs, left the game late in the second quarter with a hamstring injury and didn’t return.
“I tried to explode through the hole to break one and I felt a pop,” said Canganelli. “I knew right away I pulled (the hamstring).”
It was a struggle on offense for JCU even with Canganelli in the game. The sophomore did produce his team’s only score of the first half on a 48-yard TD run, and finished his day with 60 yards on eight carries, but that was about it until very late.
“Mike, along with many, was one of the (guys) that got us here,” said Finotti. “No, I don’t think that was the reason (why we lost).”
Meanwhile, Randolph-Macon kept grinding away with its game plan of keep-away.
“I hear people say how time of possession doesn’t matter, but it mattered today,” said Randolph-Macon
coach Pedro Arruza. “That’s what football is about — playing defense, being physical, excelling in situations.”
The visitors were 9 of 19 on third down and converted their only fourth down of the game. JCU was 3 of 13 on third down, and managed just 241 yards of offense.
Moeglin took the loss hard. Academically, he’s a senior but still has one year left of eligibility because he
was out as a freshman with a shoulder injury. Moeglin said he doesn’t know if he will return in 2019 for a fifth season, which made his performance difficult for him to take if it was his final game.
He finished 8 of 28 passing for 156 yards with a TD and four interceptions.
“I just feel like I let the guys down,” said an emotional Moeglin. “Just a tough way to go out for this
year … We just couldn’t get it going on offense.”
While a tearful Moeglin took the blame for the loss, Finotti wouldn’t let his QB finish 2018 in that fashion.
“He’s what you want in a leader, someone who’s going to take responsibility,” said Finotti. “But there’s no way I’m going to let him do this to himself right now. He means too much to us, and too much to me personally.
… Ask any of those guys on the field, and I guarantee not one of them would say they have any disappointment in Anthony Moeglin.”
The switch from Moeglin to Larkin didn’t generate much on offense, and when Randolph-Macon scored on an Owen Ritter 11-yard TD catch, JCU trailed, 16-6, late in the third quarter.
It stayed that way until NDCL graduate Harrison
Richardson blocked a punt and Chardon grad Mike Connick picked up the loose ball and returned it 35 yards for a TD. Trailing by three, the JCU defense got a three and out on the next possession. With just less than two minutes remaining and down, 1613, the Blue Streaks started at their own 9 but didn’t get a first down.
Three incompletions, plus a drop on third down, ended the drive.
“We just could not get in sync in the passing game,” said Finotti.
After JCU turned it over on downs, Randolph-Macon made it 23-13 on an Eric Hoy 2-yard run. JCU cut it to 2320 in the final seconds on a 30-yard Darris Davis TD reception, but it could not recover the onside kick.
Defensively, Thomas made 16 tackles, 1 1/2 sacks and three tackles for loss, while Lake Catholic grad Chad Stalnaker made 15 stops with an interception. Benedictine grad Conner Bogard had 14 tackles and a sack.
JCU also played without one of its best players, as senior defensive end Ray Brown broke his ankle in practice this week.