PHILADELPHIA, PA — It looked too easy. Roman Catholic scored on their first two offensive plays of the season, and by the start of the start of the fourth quarter, Cahillites’ coach Rick Prete’s biggest concern was getting each one of his jayvee players in the game.
On a steamy Friday night, with Bruce Springsteen playing off in the distance at Citizens Bank Park, Roman Catholic looked like it was ready for December in late August in its 45-12 season-opening victory over Neumann-Goretti.
The only thing holding the Cahillites back were the Cahillites, getting flagged 16 times for 164 yards.
Otherwise, Prete, who deserves considerable credit for building the Roman program into a state-level Class 5A championship contender, has a lot to like.
Everything this season will revolve around Roman’s sterling senior quarterback Semaj Beals, who completed 23 of 30 for 289 yards and four touchdowns, two to Rayshawn Scott. Defensively, the Cahillites did not give Neumann-Goretti quarterback Deante Ruffin time to breathe, sacking him eight times in the first half.
Beals spread the ball to six different receivers, as the Cahillites moved out of the hurry-up offense in scoring on their first four drives, while Neumann-Goretti could not get anything going offensively, thanks in part to Roman defensive pressure, mixed with some Saints’ inexperience.
“I feel like the knowledge I have and been coached, I feel good, we have this,” said Beals, a three-year starter. “I think we are a December team. We showed glimpses of it last year. We just need to be more disciplined. I like the hurry-up offense. It does not give teams a chance to set up. We practice it every day and try to execute as best as possible.”
Prete was certainly pleased. Neumann-Goretti, under legendary coach Albie Crosby, was not as bad as it looked. But Roman may indeed be as good as it looked.
“The kids work hard, the coaches work hard, and this was just one game,” Prete said. “Coach Crosby does a heck of a job, and all credit to him. I owe him a lot. We have to clean things up and I think we can get better. Overall, we are in a good spot and it is only one game.”
One very encouraging game.
“I think we can always do better than what we can put up,” said Scott, who caught a game-high 7 passed for 62 yards, including a 34-yard TD pass on the first offensive play of the season. “We came out here looking to put up 60 and we put up 45. Basically, coming off the loss (to eventual PIAA Class 5A state champion) Imhotep (Charter) in the city (5A) championship, we still carry that with us.
“We’re holding on to that. I know we have the dog in us, and there are times we could use, and sometimes we cannot be overly aggressive. Coach Prete will clean up the discipline. We feel good. We feel we have it this year.”
The Cahillites finished with 361 yards of total offense from scrimmage. Beals threw a late-game interception, off a deflection, and the Saints’ two scores came late against Roman’s second-team defense.
“We’re going to be okay,” Crosby said. “I know what our football team, and we don’t know what our team is. We’re young and we’re growing. That first play was a deflection, and if we intercepted that first pass, it could be a different game. We are going to be okay.
“We just didn’t execute. We will get to where we need to be. We have a very young football team, and we have a nee offensive coordinator and a new defensive coordinator. We fought.”
Crosby was really pleased with freshman Nahjee Williams, who intercepted Beals and looked electric every time he had the ball.
Scoring Summary
Neumann-Goretti (0-1) 0 0 0 12-12
Roman Catholic (1-0) 24 14 7 0-45
1st Quarter
RC – Rayshawn Scott 34 pass from Semaj Beals (Eli Pollack kick), 9:40
RC – Xavier Kincade 1 run (Pollack kick), 8:42
RC – Pollack 34 FG, 5:06
RC – Zamir Newsuan 49 pass from Beals (Pollack kick), 3:49
2nd Quarter
RC – Xavier Cruz 12 pass from Beals (Pollack kick), 3:49
RC – Jeremiah Tabb 8 run (Pollack kick), :52
3rd Quarter
RC – Scott 6 pass from Beals (Pollack kick), 9:29
4th Quarter
NG – Deante Ruffin 6 run (pass failed), 8:25
NG – Ruffin 29 run (run failed), 3:22
Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been covering high school football since 1992 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be followed on Twitter @JSantoliquito.
