Article: Newark Catholic 35 Utica 28


 

Saturday night took me back to White Field in Newark to watch the Newark Catholic Green Wave host the Utica Redskins. Utica needed a win to make the state playoffs, while Newark Catholic, thanks to a couple of losses to two good teams in weeks six and nine, along with a hurtful loss to a much bigger school in week five, was set to play a road game in week eleven.


The Green Wave converted a fourth and one at the 8:52 mark of the opening quarter when Malone Hutchison picked up eleven. Hutchison found Graeme Gillespie for a 28-yard touchdown, then #4 Hal Gillespie made this a 7-0 game with his P.A.


Aaron Hays hit Weston Simon for a gain of thirty, on a play that Simon was all alone, making the completion pretty easy. Hays used his legs to convert a fourth and one with 1:38 left in the quarter, picking up 9 yards. The drive continued into the 2nd quarter, where Hays picked up 2 yards on a fourth and one at the Green Wave eight-yard line. Hays polished off the drive going through the Green Wave defense for the 3-yard score. Daniel Bero tied this one up at seven a piece with his P.A.


The Green Wave responded with an 8-play, 84-yard drive that ended when Hutchison hit Gillespie for the 36-yard touchdown to make this a 14-7 game, with 7:50 left in the half. The drive had four running plays and four pass plays as the Green Wave was showing some nice balance with its offense.


The Redskins needed just four plays to go 42 yards to lock this game back up. The Newark Catholic kickoff team, as well as their defense, had a tough time making tackles, allowing the Redskins good field position and a lot of yards after contact all game long. The score came on a 16-yard pass from Hays to Simon, with 4:58 left in the half.


AJ Buckenberger sacked Hutchison for a loss of eight, with 4:32 left on the clock. Jack Johnson picked up 52-yards after catching a nicely thrown screen pass from Hutchison, with 3:58 left. Hutchison made a Major Harris type of read then sprinted for a 14-yard Green Wave score to make this a 21-14 game, with 1:59 left. The drive went for 69 yards on seven plays.


The last big play of the half came from the Redskins when Hays converted a fourth and one for a gain of two, though time ran out before they could dish out any more trouble for the Newark Catholic defense.


The Green Wave defense had a big play when Jaxon Holman and Jack Lohri stopped Hays for no gain. Hays and the offense, though, shook off that play as they drove the ball down to the Green Wave four-yard line. From there, Hays picked up 2-yards, and then he scored the tying touchdown with another run at the 5:54 mark of the quarter.


With a little over 2:00 minutes left in the quarter, Hutchison found Johnson for a 33-yard gain on another well run screen play. The same combo struck again for a 27-yard score this time it was a deep pass that found a wide open Johnson to make this a 28-21 game.


With 0:57 left in the quarter, the Redskins ran a sweet reverse play, where it appeared the refs, who had a long night, missed a hold that allowed 36 yards by Trenton Gray. The drive moved into the final frame, where Grey hauled in an 8-yard touchdown catch to lock this one back up at twenty-eight, with 11:56 left in the contest.


Running to the short side of the field, Trenton Gray picked up 15 yards. Hutchison found Gillespie for 18 yards. Hutchison was dropped for a loss of five by Wyatt McInturff, with 8:20 left. Hutchison found 6-5, Carter Chupka for a 10-yard. With 7:09 left, the same combo produced a 5-yard score where Hutchison scrambled around and saw his big target in the end zone to make this a 35-28 game.


The Utica offense got away with what was an offensive pass interference call that stopped Nate Gardner from making a big pick late in the game. As I said, the refs had a long night, causing undue stress for both teams. With 6:21 left, Hays found a wide open Eli Windon for a gain of 19-yards. Windon was thrown a lot on the same type of play, a short pass to the Redskins left side of the field. Newark Catholic called a time-out late and the next time the Redskins ran that play, the pass looked to have been caught and then fumbled, but a late whistle and a short conversation followed with the ruling it being an incomplete pass. With 1:50 left, Hays tried desperately to make something happen, but he fumbled the ball and making the game-clinching recovery for Newark Catholic was Max Childers.

The Green Wave picked up a first down, then took three straight knees, taking this one 35-28.


My unofficial stats

Redskins

58 plays

333 yards

Passing, 13-19, 2 TDS


Green Wave

62 plays

387 yards

Passing, 16-19, 4 TDS



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