The annual St. Augustine-Cathedral Catholic football game is touted as the region’s Holy Bowl and is given much regard. But the Saints and Dons’ regional parochial school rival also includes the Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders, and the Crusaders certainly take match-ups against those two schools to heart.
Holy Bowl 2010, Part I, if you will, took place last Friday at Mater Dei Catholic High School, with the Saints moving over the .500 mark by recording an emphatic 56-7 non-league victory.
St. Augustine (2-1) built a 56-0 lead before Mater Dei’s Cole Lewis scored on a five-yard run with 1:05 to play to avert a shutout loss.
The Crusaders remained winless on the season at 0-3.
The victorious Saints, who play arch rival Cathedral Catholic in the final game of the regular season (Nov. 12 at Mesa College), were led by quarterback Evan Crower, who threw three scoring passes, and running back D’andre Crowder, who rushed for 103 yards and scored twice.
Crower completed 11 of 17 attempts for 176 yards, with touchdown passes going to Luke Nowland, Nicholas Gonsalves and Evan Critchlow.
The crowd got to see some razzle-dazzle courtesy of the visitors as Johnny Jackson scored on a 50-yard punt return and Gonsalves scored on a 74-yard run off a fake punt.
Jackson also scored on a nine-yard run to give him two TDs in the game.
Michael Robertson keyed the St. Augustine defense with nine tackles while Critchlow turned in eight stops.
Saints kicker Seamus McMorrow had a monster night with nine touchbacks and eight extra-point conversions.
Mater Dei hosts St. Joseph of Santa Maria this Friday at 7:30 p.m. while the Saints play at La Jolla (0-3) at 6:30 p.m. St. Augustine, which is coached by Sweetwater alumnus Richard Sanchez, opened the season with a 21-12 loss at Carlsbad.
In other games:
Calvary Christian Academy 35, Kuyper Prep (National City) 8
Alex Howard and Justin Harrison each scored two touchdowns as the Royal Knights (3-0) remained undefeated. CCA led 20-0 after the first quarter.
Grossmont 23, Castle Park 7
Paul Sierra scored on a breakaway 50-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter and the Trojan defense managed to hold unbeaten Grossmont to a 7-7 standoff through three quarters before the visiting Foothillers finally broke loose for 16 points in the final quarter to send Castle Park (2-1) to its first loss of the season. Joey Acosta led Grossmont (3-0) with two rushing touchdowns and a two-point safety.
Rock Academy 34, Southwest 27
The host Raiders fell from the ranks of the undefeated as Eric Morrison-Smith rushed for 121 yards and scored four touchdowns — one on an 80-yard run, one on an 85-yard kick-off return, one on a 65-yard fumble return and another on a 37-yard interception return. Southwest’s Lamar Weston (140 passing yards) threw two TD passes but was intercepted four times. Pierre Davis rushed for 104 yards and two scores while Marcus Gladden (3 catches, 73 yards) had two TDs in a losing effort.
Torrey Pines 28, Olympian 0
In a battle of David against Goliath, Olympian held the visiting Torrey Pines Falcons — the No. 6 team in the San Diego Section — to a 14-point lead through three quarters. Individual highlights for the Eagles (1-1) included Cobrin Humphrey (11-17, 85 passing yards), Alex Cornist (10 rushes, 31 yards), Asante Gibson (1 catch, 35 yards), Steve Exum (3 catches, 30 yards), Jovan Gonzalez (one kick-off return for 55 yards) and Ricky Sandoval (one punt return for 26 yards). Torrey Pines recorded its third consecutive shutout by limiting Olympian to 47 rushing yards on 35 attempts.
Madison 37, Bonita Vista 14
The Barons (0-3) fell to their third straight defeat against a tough opponent to kick off the 2010 season as Chase Knox passed for 164 yards and four touchdowns to lead the visiting Warhawks (2-0). Desan Hardwick keyed Madison’s running attack with 126 yards. The Warhawks totaled 422 yards in offense.
Morse 26, Mar Vista 14
The host Mariners (1-1) rushed for 276 yards in the loss, led by Rommel Cooper (18 carries, 177 yards) and Justin Peoples (8 carries, 41 yards). Cooper scored one TD and added a two-point conversion while Jordan Lertique scored on a four-yard run. Gaston Garza led MV with 20 tackles and had one sack along with teammate John Hays. Demarcus Henderson picked off one pass for the hosts.
