SJCI Knocks Off Bennett 50-26

Callum Wither and the St. Joe’s football team were anxious to bounce back after a disappointing season-opener. They did just that.

Wither threw for three touchdowns and ran for another; the Marauders rolled to a 50-26 win over Bennett on Saturday afternoon at the Robert T. Scott Athletic Complex.

“We came to practice with our heads down,” said Wither, who threw for three touchdowns – but also four interceptions – in last Saturday’s loss to McDowell. “We hit a bump in the road but we were determined for this week.”

Vince Lomeo had two touchdown catches and returned a blocked punt for a score; Jimmy Taylor and Naseem Zeigler also had TD runs for the Marauders. It was a nice bounce bounce back from a  42-20 season-opening loss to one of the top teams in Pennsylvania.

“Last week we had a lot of self-inflicted wounds,” St. Joe’s coach Derek Landri said. “We have to tackle better, we have to block better, we have to catch better and we have to throw better. Each week we have to improve. Trust me, we’re far from where we need to be. But the resolve they showed this week to bounce back was a testament to the character of these young men.”

According to reports, five Bennett starters were suspended for the first quarter, which ended with the Tigers trailing 21-0. The Marauders built that lead to as much as 30-0 late in the first half.

“We had a couple of things where kids didn’t do what they were supposed to so we did sit them,” Bennett coach Steve McDuffie said. “I was proud of the effort to come back and get back in the game. We’ll get better for it in real life. That’s what football is … it’s about teaching these kids to become men and make proper decisions.”

The Tigers clawed back into it with a pair of long TD runs by D’Jae Perry and got the ball back while still down 30-16. But the drive stalled and the Marauders seized control when Sam Kline blocked the punt; Vince Lomeo returned it 45 yards for a touchdown.

“Coach Carmen Zagarrio saw something on tape that opened up to him,” St. Joe’s Derek Landri said. “We lined up the three guys we thought would be most effective. We worked on it in practice and testament to them, they executed.”

The Marauders – who were without a few players early because of ACTs – built a second-half lead as large as 34 points. It marked the second time St. Joe’s beat Bennett. The game was also this season’s lone matchup between large school public and private schools.

“Whether they don’t have their guys or they do, we did what we did all game long,” Landri said.