High Five: Academy of Holy Angels vs. Benilde-St. Margaret’s

It was a game of momentum swings Friday night at the Academy of Holy Angels. The Stars took an early lead, but Benilde-St. Margaret’s stormed back to take a two-score lead only to give it back. Just when it looked like the Stars had put the game away, the Knights scored late and nearly completed a comeback, but Holy Angels held on for <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2020/11/defense-and-special-teams-spark-the-stars-comeback-victory/">a 29-27 win</a>. Here are five guys who had a big part in a great high school football game. <strong>Ryan Bercich Holy Angels OL/LB</strong> Bercich was a problem – especially in the first quarter. At inside linebacker, he read a cutback run to get a tackle for loss. He read an inside trap and forced the runner out of the hole allowing a teammate to make the tackle for a short gain. Later, he filled the hole for a short gain, then stuffed a run on third and short, forcing a punt. He made a tackle right in the hole again for just a short gain. Late in the game, Bercich blitzed and forced a bad throw. He was credited with eleven tackles on the game. At guard, he opened a big hole resulting in a nine-yard gain. He blew open another hole to provide the first few yards of a touchdown run. [player_tooltip player_id="18427" first="Emmett" last="Johnson"] <strong>Holy Angels RB</strong> Early on, Johnson showed toughness breaking two tackles. He ran between the tackles for a nine-yard gain. The junior used his great cutback ability to move the chains. He bounced a run to the outside, broke a tackle at the second level, and picked up twenty yards. Johnson found a seam on a two-yard touchdown run, then he ran up the middle and bounced it outside for a twelve-yard touchdown. He picked up 20 yards on a run late in the game. Johnson would finish with 132 yards rushing, averaging over five yards a carry. At cornerback, BSM tried to sweep to his side, and Johnson stepped up to make an open-field tackle for a five-yard loss. Late in the game, he closed quickly on a short route and completely laid out the receiver for a short gain. <strong>Rollin Rowe Holy Angels OL/DL</strong> Along with Bercich, Rowe helped pave the way for Johnson. At guard, Rowe opened a hole for a nine-yard gain. Two times during the game, he drove his man well out of the play. Rowe drove his man ten yards downfield on one play, and then later – I am not exaggerating - he drove his man twenty yards downfield. He opened a hole helping Johnson <span style="font-size: 1rem;">pick up a first down and then helped open</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;"> a hole to get Johnson started on a touchdown run. On defense, although the Knights ran for 170 yards, he was a force on the interior of the defensive line. Although he only picked up two tackles, his presence in the middle was key to the linebackers’ success on the insid</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">e.</span> [player_tooltip player_id="18196" first="Jonny" last="Woodford"] <strong>Benilde-St. Margaret’s WR</strong> Woodford often looked like the best player on the field. On a third and long, he caught a pass to set up a first and goal. He showed great concentration when he caught a slant as the defender tried to undercut the route and got into Woodford’s sightline. Woodford got up the field for a 61-yard touchdown. He grabbed another pass to set up a short touchdown run. On another slant, the AHA defender undercut the route again, but Woodford’s concentration still allowed him to make the catch and turn upfield for nine yards. He caught a crossing route, ran across the field, and turned it up for 20 yards on a third and eight. He capped off his 129-yard night with a five-yard touchdown catch – his second of the game. [player_tooltip player_id="18113" first="William" last="Petty"] <strong>Benilde-St. Margaret’s RB</strong> Petty started his night with a 12-yard run off tackle. Next, he bounced a run outside for twenty yards. The senior finished a first-quarter run blasting through a linebacker for extra yards. On his nine-yard touchdown, he got the corner and made a pair of moves around the five for the touchdown. He took the handoff on a Statue of Liberty play, got to the outside to pick up 20 yards. Petty got help from his guard - [player_tooltip player_id="18141" first="Nick" last="Marinaro"] with two pancake blocks, springing Petty for a 20-yard run, and then a trap block that got Petty to the second level. Later, he made a move to get down the sidelines for 40 yards. Petty would finish with 171 yards averaging nearly eight yards per carry.