Gonzaga Suffers First Loss of the Season

The Gonzaga Purple Eagles had only allowed one touchdown the entire season coming into this game, which is extremely impressive, however, from the very first snap the St. Joseph’s Prep offense didn’t seem fazed by them at all. St. Joe’s scored a touchdown on their very first drive, and their quarterback, Samaj Jones, looked absolutely fantastic. On Gonzaga’s next drive it was time to respond, but the swarming St. Joe’s defense was simply too much for them and that continued all game long. Although it was a loss for Gonzaga, there are still a lot of positive things to take away from their performance. They have a lot of youth at key positions, and there’s no doubt that a loss like this might be painful in the short term but it can certainly be beneficial for the program in the long term. Let’s take a look at what we can positively take away from some of the Purple Eagles’ performances. &nbsp; <strong><u>GONZAGA</u></strong> &nbsp; Offense: <strong>2023 6’1 190 QB – [player_tooltip player_id="90654" first="Carson" last="Petitbon"] </strong> After watching the entire Gonzaga versus St. Joseph’s contest, the main takeaway is that [player_tooltip player_id="90654" first="Carson" last="Petitbon"] was swarmed by the St. Joseph’s defense relentlessly all game long. This is not to criticize Petitbon or the offensive line, but rather to say that it was just St. Joseph’s day and their defensive line was simply a little bit sharper. Petitbon really couldn’t catch a break, and he was sacked upwards of five times if not more. Petitbon showed a ton of heart and toughness in this contest, as he was able to endure countless big shots and shake them off seamlessly. His legs and ability to scramble outside the pocket were impressive, and with those he’s able to avoid a lot of pressure and buy more time for himself to make a play. While his time may have run out too fast and too consistently against St. Joe’s, there’s no question that [player_tooltip player_id="90654" first="Carson" last="Petitbon"] can and will come back and be excellent in Gonzaga’s next game against Archbishop Spalding. &nbsp; <strong>2022 6’3 225 TE – [player_tooltip player_id="90516" first="Nate" last="Kurisky"] </strong> [player_tooltip player_id="90516" first="Nate" last="Kurisky"] continues to make big time plays for the Gonzaga offense and it’s often in the form of a big passing play downfield. Kurisky is also a phenomenal blocker who often lines up with the offensive line, however, Kurisky would be the first one to tell you that Friday’s loss was not his best blocking performance. The St. Joseph’s defense was absolutely stifling all around, but there’s a lot to learn when you face a great defensive line like that and Kurisky, like his team, certainly benefits in the long run as a result. Expect [player_tooltip player_id="90516" first="Nate" last="Kurisky"] to put up dominant numbers and to be an all-around force for the Purple Eagles against Archbishop Spalding this Friday. &nbsp; <strong>2023 5’11 180 WR – Jalen McDonald </strong> Jalen McDonald was truly the offensive MVP for Gonzaga in this contest, and he really proved that he is an elite receiver who can be productive against any defense. He was the only wide receiver who consistently found space to get open for his quarterback, [player_tooltip player_id="90654" first="Carson" last="Petitbon"], and he saw a bunch of targets as a result. If McDonald’s chemistry with Petitbon continues to improve like it has been, then they could become the premier quarterback-wide receiver tandem in the WCAC by 2023 and also become even more productive in league play this season. Archbishop Spalding must game plan for Jalen McDonald, or he will exploit their defense like he did St. Joseph’s. &nbsp; Defense: <strong>2022 5’11 185 DB – Gavin Bryson </strong> As expected, Gavin Bryson delivered fireworks in this elite matchup, and he was able to force the lone St. Joe’s turnover which eventually led to Gonzaga’s only points of the contest. Bryson’s athleticism was on full display during the interception, and he was able to fully extend his body to get both hands under the football and secure the turnover. It was truly an impressive play and it was the play of the day for the Gonzaga Purple Eagles. Against Archbishop Spalding this upcoming Friday, Gavin Bryson will no doubt continue to dominate in the secondary for Gonzaga.