Return to Glory: St. Paul's wins its first football championship since 2013

by Nelson Coffin

St. Paul’s defense was up to the task in a big way against St. Vincent Pallotti in the B Conference football championship game Saturday afternoon at Archbishop Spalding.

The Crusaders held firm on all four trips by the Panthers to the red zone while producing just enough offense to secure a 14-0 victory, a 10th consecutive win and their first crown since earning back-to-back titles in 2012-2013.

St. Paul’s (10-1, 8-0 league) showed its defensive chops from the get-go once Pallotti (7-6, 6-2) reached the 6-yard line on its opening drive, after a nifty 26-yard scramble by senior quarterback Xavier Brookins.

A sweep netted nothing on the first play followed by two runs up the middle and an incomplete pass to turn the ball over on downs.

After St. Paul's also failed to make much headway against the Panthers’ defense, the ensuing punt bounced off a Pallotti player’s leg and the ball was alertly recovered by St. Paul’s junior wideout/defensive back Justus Laster. 

The top seeds capitalized with a 46-yard, nine-play drive that was capped off by senior Landan Blue's 5-yard burst up the middle with two minutes, 49 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.

Successive completions from senior quarterback Eli Livingston to junior wideout Aidan Gilmer preceded the score and complemented passes to Blue and senior wideout Jackson Angulo-Bartlett. 

Senior running back Lamar West gained a dozen yards on four carries during the sequence, helping to ensure that the offense maintained its balance.

Pallotti responded on its next sequence by reaching the St. Paul’s 18 until a fourth-down tackle by sophomore lineman Rashad Jones early in the second period stifled the proceedings.

The Panthers recovered quickly after sophomore Samuel Poteet’s interception stopped St. Paul’s at its own 20, only to be rebuffed again by the Crusaders when West and senior linebacker Liam Barganski made key stops and senior safety Andrew Cooper ended the assault with an interception.

“Experience played a big role, and our energy (also played a role),” Cooper said. “We came into this season determined. We had a goal in our mind and we weren’t going to stop until we got the goal — and here we are. I believe we have the best defense in the MIAA B Conference. And we came out here and showed everybody.”

Each team had another interception — Laster for St. Paul’s and senior Kareem Fisher for Pallotti — before the half. Fisher, who had two kick returns for touchdowns in the regular season encounter between the two schools, was held in check on Saturday by well-place pooch kicks.

The Crusaders mounted a crisp 63-yard drive following the intermission, spearheaded by an 18-yard completion to West. Proving his versatility, West then motored 30 yards into the end zone for a 14-0 advantage after senior Quinn Clark’s conversion kick with 8:13 left in the third quarter.

Pallotti’s next trip into Crusader territory was abruptly halted by sophomore defensive back Linden Barganski’s interception, marking the fourth of five Panther turnovers in the game. 

Their next drive started from their own 2-yard line, courtesy of St. Paul’s sophomore Howdy Colhoun’s nearly-perfect punt.

Using a jumbo package with senior lineman Christian McLeer-Irons lugging the ball, Paollotti managed a 16-play drive that stalled 43 yards short of the end zone. West, senior lineman Bobby Cunningham and junior defensive end Charon Wheeler helped to make sure the Panthers’ probe turned out to be yet another empty possession.

It was just that kind of game for coach Tony Ashley’s troops, who bowed, 27-26, to St. Paul’s during the regular season.

“It was a rough night,” Ashley said. “We just couldn’t get through. Good game. Only two scores. But (St. Paul's is) a heck of a team.”

St. Paul’s coach Neil Keenan, who took over the job two years ago, said that finally getting over the hump was an “exhilarating” experience.

“The great part is that I wanted to bring the tradition back to St. Paul’s that coach (Mitch) Tullai, (Paul) Bernstorf and (Dave) Dolch established here,” Keenan added. “I’m also a little bit relieved. I had an opportunity to work with (some of) these kids for four years — two as their line coach and two as their head coach — and it’s been a lot of fun.”

“Even though we have scored 21 points a game, this defense has done such a great job at holding people back,” he continued. “Our O-line and D-line are probably one of the best in the league. And that’s the reason we won.”