Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.), ranked No. 15 in the Xcellent 25, survived a major test from
Manatee (Bradenton, Fla.), winning 24-17 in double-overtime thanks to two touchdowns from
Stefon Diggs.
Diggs had two touchdowns to power
Good Counsel.
File photo by Jim Owens
Both offenses got off to a slow start. After Manatee missed a field goal, Good Counsel got on the board first, when
Brendan Marshall hit
Kendall Fuller on a slant for a 57-yard touchdown.
Fuller, a 6-foot, 180-pound junior, has the makings of a top recruit in the class of 2013.
Manatee's offense couldn't finish drives in the first half. The Hurricanes missed a second field goal attempt in the second quarter and
Michael Nicastro intercepted quarterback
Cord Sandberg and the 7-0 score stood into half time.
Taking advantage of a Good Counsel fumble, Manatee tied the score on a
Leon Allen 3-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, tying the score at 7-7.
After another missed field goal by Manatee, Diggs made his presence felt, taking a Marshall pass 80 yards to the end zone, giving Good Counsel a 14-7 lead with less than nine minutes to play.
Manatee roared back, when, on 3rd-and-goal from the 24, Sandberg found
Anthony Lauro for a touchdown with 6:11 to play, tying the score at 14.
Good Counsel was then forced to punt, and Manatee nearly muffed the return. They came up with the ball, but quickly fumbled a pitch on the next play to give Good Counsel the ball on Manatee's 25-yard line.
The drive stalled on the 6 yard line, but Good Counsel's
Ryan Corriere was able to hit a 24-yard field goal with 1:37 left to go ahead 17-14.
Manatee was not done, however. Sandberg found
Ja'Juan Pollock for a 50-yard completion down to Good Counsel's 15.
After several failed attempts to find the end zone, Manatee hit a 28-yard field goal with three seconds left tying the game at 17-17.
After converting on 3rd-and-27, Manatee failed to score, missing a 33-yard field goal. However, Good Counsel also failed to score, sending the game to its second extra session.
At the start of second overtime, Marshall hit Diggs in the corner of the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown, Diggs' second of the night.
On Manatee's possession, the team failed to convert on 4th and inches, coming just short of a first down.
Continue to Gilman past Oscar Smith
