Tag Archives: Bishop Blanchet-David Gats

Blanchet’s Big Fourth Quarter Earns Braves Fifth Seed, Bulldogs Sixth

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Friday Oct. 31st 2014 3A Boys Football
Memorial Stadium 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Garfield 0 7 0 0 7
Bishop Blanchet 3 14 0 14 31

Game Recap below

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Blanchet’s Big Fourth Quarter Earns Braves Fifth Seed, Bulldogs Sixth
By Steven Dion

For many in attendance at Memorial Stadium, it is probably hard to believe tonight marks the 39th anniversary of arguably the greatest high school football game in the history of the state between Bishop Blanchet and Garfield. Members of both teams from 1975 were the honorary captains during the coin toss including Bruce Harrell and Joe Steele. That game had nearly thirteen thousand fans in attendance and ended in the fourth overtime with BBHS the victor. This playoff game would not replicate the one from four decades ago.

Both squads were determined to run the football into the teeth of the opposition from the start. The Braves’ featured back Oshea Trujillo has racked up nice numbers this season, but the Bulldogs have an improving front seven that kept him at bay early. Blanchet drew first blood on a 27 yard field goal by Liam vanLeynseele after the Braves drive stalled. Garfield had a difficult time moving the chains in the first half and had to continually return the ball to the green and yellow.

Blanchet struck again on a double reverse in which wideout David Gats hurled an 18 yard flair to Jack Sendelbach to put them up by ten. The lead grew when Davine Tullis tossed a dart to Sendelbach for his second score and a 17-0 lead. On the ensuing kickoff with twenty-two ticks remaining, the squib was recovered near midfield to give Garfield a chance to score. At the buzzer, Rashad Jones was in the endzone on a 35 yard post route to give the Bulldogs momentum heading into the locker room.

The third quarter was slightly less eventful as both teams refused to put up points and turnovers continued to pile up. The Bulldogs were trailing by ten heading into the fourth, but they couldn’t take advantage of several scoring chances. A fumble recovery for touchdown at the eleven yard line of Garfield by Gats zapped the Bulldogs energy. Elijah Davis scored late to give BBHS their final points and a 31-7 victory. The Braves have captured the fifth seed and Bulldogs take sixth in Metro heading into playoffs next week.

Top Performers:
Bishop Blanchet
Jack Sendelbach LB/TE
14 Tackles, 2 for Loss – 1 Fumble Recovery
2 Receptions 33 yards, 2 TD’s

David Gats
18 yd TD pass, 11 yd fumble recovery TD

Garfield
Rashad Jones – 35 yard TD Reception

Crusaders Cruise Over Blanchet in Saturday Showdown

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Saturday Oct. 11th 2014 3A Boys Football
Auburn High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Eastside Catholic 7 21 14 7 49
Bishop Blanchet 0 0 6 6 12

Game Recap below

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Crusaders Cruise Over Blanchet in Saturday Showdown
By Steven Dion

The high school football season is at the halfway point and the weather has behaved nicely for virtually the entire duration. Saturday would be a surprise at kickoff as rain hit hard an hour before kickoff following morning sunshine. Regardless, there was a game to be played between perennial goliath Eastside Catholic led by Jeremy Thielbahr and Aaron Maul’s up-and-comer Bishop Blanchet.

On the opening drive, ECHS coughed up the football giving Blanchet early momentum. However, minutes later Daniel Carlton picked off Davine Tullis which set up an 18 yard slant to Matt Laris for a touchdown. At this point Harley Kirsch was just getting warmed up. In the second frame, he connected with Laris again and Hunter Bryant for 53 and 7 yard scores respectively. A powerful goal-line run by Dominique Fetui capped off a 21 point second quarter for the Crusaders. Blanchet was yet to score at the break.

The Eastside onslaught continued in the third as Kirsch found Matt Kveck and Jake Jackson in the endzone for two more of his five touchdown passes on the day. Bishop Blanchet played an inspired second half starting with a pick by Oshea Trujillo midway through the quarter. That set up a play which was improvisational brilliance by the Braves’ featured halfback Trujillo. A shotgun snap sailed over BB quarterback Alex Freeman’s head. Trujillo, who was the lone man in the backfield sprinted to the loose ball. As the swarm of defenders rushed to pick up the football, the BB back picked up the pigskin and let it fly toward the endzone. The act of desperation resulted in Blanchet’s first points of the game; a 10 yard touchdown reception for Elijah Davis in the corner of the endzone.

Despite a running clock from a Crusader lead of forty points or more, the home team continued to battle. The final play of the contest was a 20 yard dart through multiple defenders from Freeman to David Gats who moments prior hauled in an extraordinary one-handed grab. However, Eastside Catholic would claim a 49-12 victory heading into next Friday against league powerhouse O’Dea. Maul’s Braves will put this one behind them and build on a much better second half of a runaway contest.

Top Performers:
Eastside Catholic
Harley Kirsch- 5 touchdown passes (7,15,18,36,53)

Bishop Blanchet
Oshea Trujillo- 10 yard touchdown pass, Defensive INT