PLANO — For the second time this season, the Bishop Lynch football team traveled to Athletic Stadium and came away with a victory over John Paul II, defeating the Cardinals 42-7 Friday night. The Friars dominated from start to finish, outgaining John Paul II 366-134 while recording 23 first downs compared to just eight for the Cardinals.
Offensively, the Friars rushed for 220 yards, tying their season high. Senior Grayson Waldrop led the ground attack with 13 carries, 94 rushing yards, and two touchdowns, all of which are career highs.
MJ Haggan Jr. completed 15 of 22 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns while adding 44 rushing yards.
Nick Payne was Haggan's favorite target, as the senior playmaker hauled in seven passes for 49 yards and a touchdown. Payne also made his mark on special teams, returning a punt 85 yards to score the Friars' second touchdown of the night.
Defensively, junior defensive lineman Atticus Richardson continued his standout season with a dominant performance. Richardson finished with 10 tackles, including an incredible 8.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks.
Junior linebacker Coleton Sanders also made a major impact, recording four tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Friars opened the game with the ball and put together a 15-play drive that took 7:44 off the clock before turning the ball over on downs.
- Alexander Chaump ended the Cardinals' first drive early with his second interception of the season.
- The first score of the night came from Waldrop, who capped a 10-play drive with a 13-yard touchdown run. Caleb Malouf added the extra point to give Bishop Lynch a 7-0 lead.
- After another defensive stop, the Cardinals punted to Payne, who picked up the ball after a couple of bounces, made several defenders miss, and returned it 85 yards for a touchdown to extend the Friars' lead to 14-0.
- John Paul II put together a scoring drive, aided by Friar penalties, and found the end zone on a 2-yard run to cut the lead to 14-7 with 4:19 remaining in the first half.
- Bishop Lynch answered with an almost flawless four-minute offense before halftime. Haggan found Payne for a 6-yard touchdown with 40 seconds remaining to give the Friars a 21-7 advantage at the break.
- The Friar defense opened the second half with a three-and-out, highlighted by two tackles for loss from Richardson and a pass breakup from Alex Finley.
- After a nine-play drive, junior running back Jeremiah Grant rushed for a 2-yard touchdown, the first of his career, to extend the lead to 28-7.
- Richardson continued his dominant night on the ensuing series, recording three tackles for loss and a sack to force the Cardinals into their second consecutive three-and-out.
- The Friars continued to pour it on when Haggan found junior wide receiver Jeremiah Manning for a 36-yard touchdown, making it 35-7 after another Malouf extra point.
- What appeared to be a potential 67-yard touchdown run for the Cardinals instead turned into another turnover for the Friars. Sanders chased down the JPII running back and forced a fumble at the 1-yard line, where Hayes Bonds recovered.
- Waldrop capped the scoring with his second touchdown of the night, a 6-yard touchdown run that gave Bishop Lynch a 42-7 lead after Malouf's extra point.
NEXT UP
Bishop Lynch has a bye this week and will return to action Friday, Oct. 16, when the Friars host Legacy Christian during the annual Homecoming Week celebration.
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