Fenwick hangs tough, but cannot score against Spellman

PEABODY – The play of the Fenwich football team has dramatically improved over the course of the season. Having lost their first three contests, the Crusaders entered last night’s game with Catholic Conference leader Spellman ready to show that their play was no fluke.Though Fenwick fell, 15-0 at Donaldson Field, there was plenty to like about the team’s play.Cardinal Spellman15Bishop Fenwick0 The Crusaders defense bent but refused to break, as illustrated on Spellman’s initial possession. The Cardinals (8-0) began at the Crusader 46. On second-and-14 from midfield, quarterback Zac Cooney ran to the 31. Blaise Branch (34-228) added a 14-yarder moments later to bring the team to the 10. Yet that would be as far as the Cardinals got, missing a chance when kicker Jordan Williams missed a 32-yard field goal try.”I thought this was one of our best games, and I told the kids afterwards that it didn’t matter what the score was, there were no losers.”The Crusaders (3-5) first opportunity to put points on the board came when they began a drive late in the opening quarter at their own 1 after a fair catch on a punt. Quarterback Bret Kidik (31-51-2-259) came out firing, connecting on passes to teammates Mike Dainis and Ryan Lipka.On third-and-12 from the team’s 23, he found receiver Josh Zabiliski for a 14-yarder to spot the ball at the 37. Fenwick advanced to the Cardinals 29 early in the second stanza after a 28-yard hookup from Kidik to Zabiliski. However, Kidik tossed his first interception on the next pass, and the Cardinals quickly capitalized.Branch peeled off runs of 14 and 13 yards, respectively to bring the Cardinals tio Fenwick’s 46. After an incompletion, Branch outraced everyone into the end zone for his first score of the night and giving Spellman a 7-0 lead.Fenwick then put together a solid 12-play drive, starting from its 27, and convertina pair of fourth down plays in the process (a seven-yard pass to Lipka, and a deflected pass which lineman Dan DeLomba snared. The Crusaders drove to Spellman’s 8, yet Kidik’s pass was picked off by Cooney, ending Fenwick’s best chance.”That’s a very talented team,” said Cardinals coach Ron St. George of Fenwick. “Their quarterback can really throw, and they’ve done a lot of work on offense. But our (starting) defense did the job when it had to, and has only allowed one touchdown all year.”Fenwick’s defense came up strong early in the final quarter. Spellman began a drive at its own 2 late in the third, gaining four first downs along the way. Instrumental in that drive was a 30-yard scamper by Branch that gave the team strong field position at the Crusaders 18. Moments later, Branch would be stopped on fourth-and-3 from the 13.Spellman closed the scoring with 95 seconds remaining, as Branch broke through Fenwick’s defense for a 30-yard score.