Jordan Marshall accounts for four touchdowns to propel the Fighting Crusaders to the victory.
Big plays made defensively in the fourth quarter were the difference as
Mavric Owens stuffed
Dilin Jones at the goal line and
Matthew Seliga picked off a late pass to secure the victory for the Fighting Crusaders.
Four-star junior running-back
Jordan Marshall led the way in the win, accounting for four touchdowns and running for over 100 yards for his sixth straight contest.
Moeller took an 18-point advantage twice in the second half in what turned out to be their fourth straight out-of-state triumph to start the season. Although Good Counsel added a
Ryan Capriotti field goal with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 39-31, Moeller was eventually able to run out the clock.
Both clubs scored touchdowns on their opening drives. Good Counsel's
Kamari Randall reeled in a short pass from quarterback
Frankie Weaver before running for a 47-yard TD later in the drive to open the scoring.
The Fighting Crusaders answered with an eight-play drive that resulted in Marshall reeling in an eight-yard reception in the flat to even the score at 7-7.
Later in the opening quarter, Moeller responded with a quick 4-play, 57-yard drive.
Luke Dunn hit Marshall for a 34-yard gain before
Tennel Bryant hauled in a 15-yard TD two plays later to make things 14-7.
After beginning their next possession backed up deep on their own end of the field, Weaver was forced to cover the ball in his own end-zone for a safety to put Moeller up 16-7 in the closing minute of the opening quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Fighting Crusaders returned the kick to around mid-field before Good Counsel forced a fumble and recovered. Five plays later, Jones ran up the gut for 12 yards to narrow the gap to 16-14 with ten minutes left in the half.
Moeller responded with nine consecutive points late in the second quarter to go up 25-14 at intermission.
Drew Mitchell's 35-yard field goal capped a 19-play drive that took 8:02 off of the clock to put the Fighting Crusaders up 19-14. A few players later, Marshall took the ball around the left end for a 20-yard scoring romp to extend the lead to 11 points after a failed two-point conversion.
Marshall made two guys miss and raced 21 yards to open the scoring in the second half and extend the lead to 32-14.
On its second possession of the third quarter,
Elijah Moore caught a 26-yard touchdown for Good Counsel to cut the deficit to 32-21 mid-way through the period.
Marshall's fourth and final score of the game came on a one-yard plunge to put the Ohio powerhouse up 39-21.
Both teams return to the field next Friday as Archbishop Moeller (4-0) travels to St. Xavier (Cincinnati) and Our Lady of Good Counsel (2-1) hosts Mount St. Joseph (Baltimore).
Archbishop Moeller junior quarterback Luke Dunn prepares to throw the football.
Photo: Michael Noyes
