Moeller records its first three-game winning streak vs. La Salle since 2011-2013.
Shelby DermerCincinnati Enquirer
DELHI, Ohio − After a quiet three quarters Friday night in a Greater Catholic League-South showdown with La Salle, Moeller senior running back Jordan Marshall finally got loose.
The Michigan commit was held to just 43 yards on nine carries through the first three quarters, but after La Salle cut the Moeller lead to 14-12 with under 11 minutes remaining in regulation, the Crusaders turned to their four-star recruit.
More: Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky Week 6 high school football scores
More: 'The defensive line did a great job': Anderson football hands Winton Woods its 1st loss
Marshall ran three times for 16 yards to move the chains, then broke loose for a 63-yard touchdown to set the tone in Moeller's 28-20 victory over La Salle at Mount St. Joseph University's Schueler Field.
"We have the best (running) back in the country, so at times it takes a while to get it going a little bit and finding the rhythm," Moeller head coach Bert Bathiany said. "We knew eventually he was gonna bust one."
Marshall turned in his eighth consecutive 100-yard effort, dating back to last season, with 139 yards on 17 attempts. He's now scored a touchdown in 11 straight games. His big second half Friday night put him over the 4,000-yard mark for his prep career as he looks to chase down the Moeller all-time record.
More: Enquirer names Greater Cincinnati high school athletes of the week, Sept. 22
Moeller uses big plays to defeat La Salle
Moeller dialed up the perfect play to respond quickly after La Salle took a 9-7 lead midway through the third quarter. On third-and-nine from its own 26, Moeller sophom*ore quarterback Matt Ponatoski launched a perfectly thrown post route to streaking junior Jovan Love for a 76-yard touchdown that gave the Crusaders the lead for good.
In fact, it was the exact same play from the first half, when Ponatoski hit Love for a 33-yard touchdown to get the scoring started with 11:36 left in the second quarter.
"We knew we had it all night," Bathiany said. "I know the coaches were getting in my ear about it a lot. We just didn't want to turn it into a shot fest, because that stops the clock and we wanted to make sure we gave our defense a break. We were strategic with our shots."
More: See who are the top statistical performers in high school football at the halfway point
Moeller's defense bends but doesn't break
Moeller struck big-play gold in all three phases of the game Friday night. Junior Micah Rice recovered a muffed La Salle punt to set up the opening touchdown. Defensively, linebacker Alex French sealed the win with a 25-yard pick-six off a deflection with 8:50 remaining, completing a 14-point burst by Moeller over a nine-second span following Marshall's breakaway score.
La Salle outgained Moeller, 339-305, and doubled the Crusaders' in time of possession (31:13-15:29), but Moeller's defense made the plays when it mattered most on a night where eight of La Salle's nine drives reached Moeller territory.
La Salle drove inside the Moeller 25-yard line three times in the first half but walked away with just three points after a missed field goal and a fourth-down stop from the 13. Moeller forced La Salle to settle for a 22-yard field goal in the fourth quarter before interceptions from French and senior Drew Robinson helped them pull away.
"Our redzone defense was phenomenal in holding those guys to two field goals," Bathiany said. "Unbelievable job by our defense. They call themselves the 'havoc mob' and they created havoc all night."
La Salle quarterback Patrick McLaughlin led an effective Lancers' offense, going 23-for-38 for 232 yards and two touchdowns. The junior, who added 47 rushing yards on 19 attempts, had the majority of his aerial success targeting Max Welter (five catches, 63 yards) and Kyle Reynolds (eight catches, 86 yards).
La Salle opened the second half with a takeaway on defense when linebacker Caleb Long picked off a pass that was tipped by Fergus Kreider. The Lancers cashed in on the short field when McLaughlin found Reynolds for a 25-yard touchdown to take a 9-7 lead.
La Salle went down swinging, marching 60 yards in 10 plays over the game's final minutes. McLaughlin hit Welter for a 12-yard touchdown before finding Reynolds on the two-point conversion to make it a 28-20 game.
"Give them (La Salle) a lot of credit for how they played. I thought their effort and intensity were off the charts. That's what you get in GCL-South games," Bathiany said. "We knew whatever team we saw on film, it's gonna be a completely different team come Friday night. That's how it always is in rivalry games. You throw all that stuff out the window."
Moeller can win GCL-South next week
Moeller now has its first three-game winning streak over La Salle since 2011-2013. After a 1-3 start to the year, Moeller can capture an outright league title next week when they visit The Pit to take on the Elder Panthers.
Elder (4-2, 1-0) scored a thriller Friday night in its GCL-South opener, beating St. Xavier in overtime, 32-31. Elder's two losses this year were to the state's top-two Division I teams (St. Edward, Pickerington North) by a combined five points.
"I didn't think the 1-3 record portrayed the type of team we were," Bathiany said. "I know what type of team we have. We just have to put the plays together and play more complementary football. When we play more complementary football, we take care of business."
Moeller 28, La Salle 20
La Salle − 0 3 6 11 − 20
Moeller − 0 7 7 14 − 28
M− Love 33 pass from Ponatoski (Orr kick)
L− FG Schroer 39
L− Reynolds 25 pass from McLaughlin (kick failed)
M− Love 74 pass from Ponatoski (Orr kick)
L− FG Schroer 22
M− Marshall 63 run (Orr kick)
M− French 25 INT return (Orr kick)
L- Welter 12 pass from McLaughlin (Reynolds pass from McLaughlin)
Records: M 3-3 (2-0 GCL-South), L 4-2 (0-1 GCL-South)
