SAINT MICHAELS WIDGET FOOTBALL TEAM BRINGS HOME THE SSCC CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE

St.Michaels School (SMS) 5th and 6th grade football team avenged three regular season losses and won the 2015 Southside Catholic Conference Championship with a score of 30-12.TheSMS team had lost to St. John Fisher, St. Barnabas, and Most Holy Redeemer during the regular season but the Wildcats went into the playoffs and outscored their three opponents by a margin of 68-18.

The championship game versus the 8-1 Most Holy Redeemer Raiders was set up on Conor Cooke’s opening kick that went over the head of the Most Holy Redeemer player. Jake Hnilo, who had a forced fumble, interception and two touchdowns, changed the momentum of the game when he knocked the ball loose from the Raider’s running back, the ball was recovered by Matthew Martin and the Wildcats never looked back. Running back, Tyler O’Brochta, outran the entire field for SMS’s first touchdown. The onside kick was recovered by Tyler Mishka and the SMS Wildcat’s scored on a run up the middle by Hnilo. This capped a 75 yard drive led by quarterback Marty O’Keeffe and long running plays by Ben Detampel and Tyler O’Brochta.

The running backs played behind a fantastic offensive line of Gavin Murphey, Jackson Judeh, Matthew Martin, Ben Meehan, Ethan Scheel, Jack Gaughan, and Max Hull. The second half started the same way it ended when Ben Detampelscored on a play Marty O’Keeffe changed at the line of scrimmage. The Wildcats defense was impressive all day, with another forced fumble by EthanScheel and Ben Meehan.

Contributions from James Siegler, Mitchell Martino, Victor Zaragoza , Jake Kalafut, and Drew Hinkes brought about another quick defensive stop, thus bringing a final scoring drive by the wildcats. Special teams and defensive play from Zachary Marjan, Brent Kowalcyzk, Liam Ryan, Ryan McGee, Nicholas Frenkel, Jace Molinets, Morgan O’Malley, Ben Karabel, Colin Bonini, Joey Gremo, Ethan Highfill and Seamus Hennessy also helped St. Michaels clinch another championship.