DALLAS, TX -- Just over a month ago, junior
Gabe Nimmo received his X-rays to see a broken fibula in his left leg. Fast forward a few weeks to Friday night, and the defensive back had the game-winning interception for a touchdown in Bishop Lynch's 17-13 Area Playoff round victory over Central Catholic.
For the second straight season, the Friars have defeated the Buttons from Central Catholic in the playoffs. Unlike last season's 41-21 victory, this season's playoff game was a defensive battle from both teams. The Friars finished with three interceptions, three sacks, and five tackles for loss in the playoff victory last Friday night.
Along with Nimmo, Will Estes had an interception and 10 tackles to go along with the lone offensive touchdown for the Friars with a 6-yard run.
Colton Monroe finished with 12 tackles, 3.0 TFL, and 1.0 sacks to lead the Friars defensively.
Quarterbacking for BL was
Legend Howell, who had 233 yards passing on 13-24. His favorite target on the night was
Ty Bradley, who caught five passes for 126 yards.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Buttons won the toss and deferred for the second half, so the Bishop Lynch offense started the game with the ball looking to make an early statement. After a holding penalty on the first play, Howell found Bradley on back-to-back passes, including a 52-yard catch and run to get to the Button six-yard line. The very next play, Estes rushed in it for a touchdown to give the Friars a 7-0 lead with only a minute coming off the clock.
Estes wasn't finished with his first-quarter fireworks as he read the quarterback perfectly to intercept a pass and returned it to the Button 26-yard line to give the Friar offense great field position. After a 20-yard pitch and catch from Howell to Bradley, the Friars had to settle for a 24-yard field goal which
Eric Gonzalez made to give BL a 10-0 advantage with just a little more than seven minutes left in the first.
The Buttons answered on the very next drive with a 14-play 75-yard drive to make it 10-7 after the first quarter and end the first quarter with a lot of offense, something that we would not see in the second and third quarters.
With zero points scored in the second and third quarters, the Friars and Buttons entered the fourth quarter in a tight 10-7 grudge match. The first play of the fourth quarter was a fourth and 4 for Central Catholic on the Friar 30. With the Friars needing a big play, none other than captain
Colton Monroe stepped up in a big way. The middle linebacker timed his blitz through the b-gap to perfection and sacked the Button quarterback to give the Friars the momentum and the ball back.
The Friar offense drove the ball down but failed on a fourth down themselves with 7:48 left in the game on the Button 28-yard line. The defense once again knew they had to make a couple of big plays. On first down,
Alec Salazar deflected a pass on an open tight end over the middle. On second down, Estes and
Drew Richardson got a tackle for loss creating a third and long. Que the creed music because on third down, Nimmo read the quarterback's eyes and stepped in front of the pass to return the interception 41 yards for the touchdown, making it 17-7 BL. It was no doubt a great return from Nimmo, but he must give credit to Monroe for his block near the goal line giving Nimmo the opportunity to score.
The Buttons would score a touchdown on the next drive, but miss the two-point conversion, making it 17-13. And in their final effort to try to win, the Friar defense sealed the game with a
Nicholas Payne interception.
With this win, the Friars will advance to the TAPPS Regional Playoff round where they will take on Houston St. Thomas. The game will be on Friday, November 17 at St. Thomas. Kick-off will be at 7:30 p.m.
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