High School Football:
Holy Cross Wins Ugly To Capture Liberty Division

Saturday, November 28, 1998

By Gary Steiner
SJSports Staff Writer

Holy Cross and Moorestown were tied atop the Burlington County Library Division. Their traditional Thanksgiving Day game was move to Saturday due to divisional playoffs. The intensity of this rivalry showed, as strange penalties and strange plays showed poor judgment on both sides of the field. Holy Cross may have won this one, 48-28 over the Quakers, but both teams should be embarrassed by their behavior.

Both teams would use the big play to their advantage. The Quaker's first drive went three and out after getting a holding call on first down. Then the Lancers' Isaac Irby went to work, catching a 22-yard pass shortly followed by a 25-yard touchdown pass. Brett Peters' PAT made it 7-0 with 7:26 left in the 1st quarter. The Quakers would have the ball back for two plays when Ishmal Temple intercepted a pass to give Holy Cross a 1st and goal on the 3-yard line. Two plays later, a 1-yard pass to Jesse Sullivan scored their second touchdown at the 6:10 mark. The Lancers lined up for a 2 point attempt, but got a delay of game penalty so elected to kick instead. Peters' PAT made it 14-0.

Still in the 1st quarter, the Quakers finally got on the board when, after a Holy Cross personal foul gave them a 1st and 10 at their own 48, Ken Triboletti broke through for a 40-yard run. Three plays later, Gaetano Barbuto ran it in from the 1 for the touchdown. Matt Wisnosky's PAT put the score at 14-7. Joe Dinubile intercepted a pass to give the Quakers the ball on their own 46, but the drive stalled after one first down, taking them into the 2nd quarter. Walt Bailey's punt put the Lancers back on their own 9-yard line, but it took only three plays until Brian Obuchowski threw another touchdown pass to Irby, this one for 74 yards. With the PAT, it was 21-7 with 9:57 left in the half. For the rest of the half, neither offense could get anything going, stopping themselves with penalties and sacks by both defenses. Holy Cross had a 21-7 lead with the ball on their own 36 and 0:04 left in the half, so decided to take a knee. This play would gain significance at the end of the game.

The Quakers' defense held up during the 3rd quarter, as they would spend most of it on the field. The defense held when the Lancers recovered a dropped punt at the Moorestown 46, but were pushed back by penalties as well as tackles in the backfield. Moorestown had the ball for six plays when Holy Cross got it back on a Kevin Moran interception at the Holy Cross 44-yard line. A 43-yard pass to Isaac Irby put them at the Quakers' 17, where Julius Davis took 4 plays to grind out those yards, ending with a 1-yard touchdown run. The PAT was good, making it 28-7 with 0:42 left in the 3rd quarter.

Just before the end of the 3rd quarter, Moorestown's Triboletti had a 55-yard run followed by a late hit to set up a 1st and 10 at the Holy Cross 20-yard line. The referees then issued a sideline warning to the Lancers after some heated shouting and name calling. It was in the 4th quarter when tempers would flare, as the Quakers' frustration combined with Holy Cross' lack of self control would combine to make for some unsportsmanlike conduct.

Luke Hadden would score a 6-yard touchdown for the Quakers, and Wisnosky's PAT would make it 28-14 with 10:09 left in the game. The Quaker's defense held on a 4th and 1, but lost the ball when a screen pass ended up being a dropped lateral that was recovered by the Lancers' Roman Galas. Galas then caught a 35-yard pass for the touchdown, and the PAT put Holy Cross up 35-14 with 6:53 left in the game. On the first play after the kickoff, Moorestown's Hadden ran 80 yards for the touchdown, making it 35-21 with the PAT at the 6:40 mark. The Quakers attempted an onsides kick which was short, but was capped by a late hit penalty which gave Holy Cross the ball on the Moorestown 28-yard line. Galas then caught a 35 yard pass for the touchdown, with the PAT to up it to 42-21 at the 5:05 mark. On the next series, Moorestown drove the ball 80 yards, helped by two roughing the passer penalties by the Lancers. Luke Hadden caught an 8-yard pass for the score, and Wisnosky's kick made it 42-28 with 1:22 left in the game. The onsides attempt failed, giving Holy Cross the ball at the Moorestown 42-yard line. Ahead 42-21, all Holy Cross had to do was run out the clock. But, they chose to throw the ball. After reaching the Moorestown 15-yard line, a roughing the passer penalty gave them a 1st and goal at the 8. Then Obuchowski threw a touchdown pass to Julius Davis as time expired, putting them safely ahead 48-28, and setting the South Jersey record for touchdown passes (32). But was a line in a record book the best ending to this game?

Photos by Art Redd