Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin's varsity football team relied on a strong defensive performance and a pair of rushing touchdowns to defeat Elyria Catholic 14-6 on Friday, Oct. 16, at home, improving to 8-1 on the season.
Playing through unfavorable weather conditions, the Lions overcame an early deficit and protected a one-point lead for much of the contest before Braeden Ryan delivered the decisive sequence late in the fourth quarter.
Elyria Catholic opened the scoring after a short NDCL punt from deep in Lions territory gave the Panthers favorable field position. The visitors capitalized with a touchdown but missed the extra point, taking a 6-0 lead.
NDCL answered before halftime.
Quarterback Brady Capel connected with Casey McInnerney on a 14-yard completion to move the Lions into the red zone. Capel finished the drive with his 10th rushing touchdown of the season, and the successful extra point gave NDCL a 7-6 halftime advantage.
The score remained unchanged throughout the third quarter and into the fourth as both defenses limited scoring opportunities.
With NDCL protecting its narrow lead, Ryan intercepted an Elyria Catholic pass and returned it deep into Panthers territory. On the Lions' first offensive play following the turnover, Ryan scored on a rushing touchdown to extend the advantage to 14-6.
The NDCL defense completed the victory by forcing a turnover on downs, allowing the Lions to finish the game in victory formation.
Joe Velotta led the defensive effort with 15 tackles and one sack while contributing 26 rushing yards offensively. Austin Otero recorded 12 tackles and three sacks, while Carmen Cirino added 11 tackles and a sack.
Together, the three defenders accounted for 38 tackles and five sacks, anchoring a unit that prevented Elyria Catholic from scoring after its opening touchdown.
The victory marked NDCL's eighth win of the season and highlighted the team's ability to execute in difficult conditions. After surrendering an early score, the Lions responded offensively, maintained their defensive discipline and capitalized on a critical fourth-quarter turnover.
NDCL will look to close the regular season on a positive note when the Lions host Lake Catholic in their next contest.
