Friday night’s PCL Blue Division clash at Conwell-Egan boiled down to one stat:
Lansdale Catholic had 51 carries and no lost fumbles.
CEC lost five fumbles on 37 carries.
The Crusaders took advantage of the Eagles’ not taking care of the football, scoring 24 points off of the five fumbles in a come from behind 31-21 road win.
“Mr. Inside”- Matt Casee- scored three touchdowns while “Mr. Outside”- Danny Dutkiewicz added the fourth score. Both finished with over 100 yards on the ground, with Dutkiewcz’s 136 on 20 carries pacing all players.
CEC struck first; multi-offer tailback Patrick Garwo went inside for a five-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter.
The Crusaders gained just 17 yards on their first two series, but Alex Arnow recovered a Conwell-Egan fumble at his own 25. Two plays later, Casee raced 62 yards for a tying touchdown. Garwo scored again early in the second quarter on a six-yard touchdown run set up by teammate Chuck Layton’s interception return. It was Garwo’s 12th touchdown of the season.
But fumbleitis plagued CEC at an inopportune time. LC downed a punt at the half-yard line and recovered a fumble at the CEC-9. Casee banged into the end zone two plays later, knotting the game at the halftime score of 14-14.
CEC took the lead three and a half minutes into the third quarter when quarterback Alex Goldsby connected with DaJuan Harris on a 50 yard touchdown aerial. And the Eagles kept momentum on the next series when defensive lineman Quameer Francis, who had a standout game, wrapped up a rare LC third down pass attempt for a five-yard loss.
But while the Crusaders’ passing game was sputtering, their veer option was starting to click. Getting the ball back over on downs, LC marched 75 yards in 12 plays, ending the drive with another Casee one-yard touchdown plunge. The game was tied at 21 with 10 minutes remaining.
CEC would lose a fumble twice near midfield on their next four plays and both cost them dearly; LC’s Kevin Gianoni and Brady Walsh scooped up the balls. Brendan Menges ended the first drive by nailing a 22-yard field goal with 4:20 left to put the Crusaders up 24-21. Dutkiewicz took an option pitch around a boxed in defense and raced 39 yards to paydirt with 1:13 remaining to cap the scoring.
Lansdale Catholic improved to 2-3 and 2-1 in the PCL Blue. Conwell Egan fell to 2-4- one of those losses a 39-38 overtime heartbreak to Red Division Archbishop Carroll- and 0-2 in the Blue. Garwo, who entered the game averaging over 9 yards a carry and with 620 yards on the season, was held to just 58 yards on 16 carries.
