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Shiner Catholic School

St. Paul volleyball: Defense key in St. Paul’s area-round win

By Mark Lube on Wednesday, November 20, 2024
  • The St. Paul defense makes a team tackle against Fort Worth Temple Christian last Friday in Temple. Photo by Mark Lube.
    The St. Paul defense makes a team tackle against Fort Worth Temple Christian last Friday in Temple. Photo by Mark Lube.
  • Zeke Rodriguez runs with the football while Gabe Darilek (32) blocks some FWTC defenders during the Cardinals’ 48-7 win in the TAPPS 2A area round at Temple Central Texas Christian School. Photo by Mark Lube.
    Zeke Rodriguez runs with the football while Gabe Darilek (32) blocks some FWTC defenders during the Cardinals’ 48-7 win in the TAPPS 2A area round at Temple Central Texas Christian School. Photo by Mark Lube.

    TEMPLE — The St. Paul defense made a huge impact especially in the first half of the area-round game.
    The Cardinals defense recovered a fumble, intercepted three passes and forced a turnover on downs on four consecutive possessions in the first two quarters to race past Fort Worth Temple Christian 48-7 Friday night at Temple Central Texas Christian.
    The offense was in sync with 26 carries for 313 yards and five touchdowns. Sam Perez led the ground game with 128 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Zeke Rodriguez completed two passes for 39 yards and one of them was a 31-yard strike to Andrew Nunez. Defensive lineman Jackson Seibert had an interception returned for a touchdown.
    “We talked about coming out and playing good defense, and running the ball well,” Cardinals head coach Barry Wolf said. “We started a little slow on offense but then defense picked it up. That changed the whole outlook.”
    “Defense is the key to our success. If the defense plays well then so does the offense.”
    St. Paul forced five total turnovers, three interceptions with two of them by Rodriguez and recovered two fumbles.
    Each team punted to start the game before the Cardinals opened scoring with an 83-yard drive in seven plays. Perez had runs of 11 and 15 before Rodriguez found Nunez in the right corner of the end zone for a 31-yard bomb.
    FWTC punted to the Cardinal 34; Perez took a toss play, went outside and raced 66 yards for the second Cardinal score.
    St. Paul had excellent field position after recovering a fumble at the Eagle 30 on the next drive. Rodriguez scrambled down to the 5 and Perez scored on the next play.
    Rodriguez intercepted FWTC quarterback Joseph Waldo on the next drive and returned inside the Eagle 20, down to the 17 early in the second quarter.
    Two plays later, Gus Collins scored from the 2 for 27-0 St. Paul lead after the PAT was missed.
    St. Paul scored again soon as Waldo was intercepted by Seibert around the Eagle 35 and it turned into a pick-six.
    St. Paul was not done scoring in the first half just yet — Waldo threw an incomplete pass on fourth down on the next drive at his own 48, Rodriguez kept the ball on an option play and got 45 yards to the 3. Perez scored on the next play.
    St. Paul had the chance to score late in the half after an Eagle punt went just 16 yards to their 29. Evan Rother had a 19-yard run to the 10; St. Paul moved back on a penalty and Rother had a 15-yard run on a 2nd-and-goal from the 23 as time expired.
    Early in the third quarter, Rodriguez got another interception  but the drive started at the Cardinal 37 after an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty.
    Backup quarterback Clay Watkin’s pass was intercepted by Nathaniel Williams and he went 39 yards for a touchdown for the Eagles’ lone score of the night.
    With around 10 and half minutes left in the game, Rother had a 4-yard run to cap a 52-yard drive for the final score.
    St. Paul defensive stats — Jackson Seibert, 10 assists, 3 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception; Zeke Basquez, 6 assists, 3 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack; Donnie Jones, 2 tackles; Zeke Rodriguez, 4 assists, 2 interceptions, 1 tackles; Sam Perez, 1 tackle, 1 assist; Taylor Pendley, 4 assists, 1 tackle; Jack Ehrig, 2 assists, 1 tackle; Evan Rother, 1 assist, 1 fumble recovery; Andrew Nunez, 3 assists; Gage Anders, 3 assists; Carter Chilek, 3 assists; Holden Jacobs, 2 assist; Wyatt Siegel, 1 assist; Gabe Darilek, 1 assist, 1 fumble recovery; Brody Biehunko, 1 assist. 
    St. Paul 48, FW Temple C 7
    FWT    0    0    7    0    7
    SSP    21    20    0    7    48
    S-SP-Andrew Nunez 31 pass from Zeke Rodriguez (Carter Chilek kick), 5:05 1Q.
    SSP-Sam Perez 66 run (Chilek kick), 3:03 1Q.
    SSP-Perez 5 run (Chilek kick), 0:59 1Q.
    SSP-Gus Collins 2 run (kick failed), 10:09 2Q.
    SSP-Jackson Seibert 35 interception return (Chilek kick), 9:10 2Q.
    SSP-Perez  3 run (Chilek kick), 4:47 2Q.
    FWTC-Nathaniel Williams 39 interception return (Zade Darter kick) 5:53 3Q.
    SSP-Evan Rother 4 run (Chilek kick), 10: 40 4Q.
    Team stats    FWTC    SSP
    First downs    7    13
    Rushes-yards    31-44    26-313
    Passing yards    56    31
    Passes    3-11-3    3-5-1
    Penalties-yards    2-13    2-20
    Fumbles-lost    2-2    2-0
    Punts-aver    3-25.0    1-36.6
    Individual stats
    Rushing — FWTC: Nathaniel Williams 11-41, Joseph Waldo, 6-13, Jaxon Florey 7-0, Zade Darter 5-0, Team 2-(-10). SSP: Sam Perez 10-128, Evan Rother 8-73, Zeke Rodriguez 2-70, Jacob Arriola 3-27, Gus Collins 3-15.
    Passing — FWTC: Waldo 3-11-3-56. SSP: Rodriguez 2-2-0-39, Clay Watkins 1-3-1-(-8).
    Receiving — FWTC: Florey 3-56. SSP: Andrew Nunez 1-31, Cody Malinovsky 1-8, Arriola 1-(-8).