XAVIER 28, NAZARETH 0
Well-grounded win
BY MARCUS HENRY
STAFF WRITER
October 9, 2005
Playing on a rain-soaked field with near gale-like winds forces a team
to focus more on its ball handling and execution. A bad snap, a single
lapse in concentration or focus could be disaster. The Xavier Knights,
sparked by a three-headed rushing attack, executed their offense with
great efficiency under the adverse weather conditions and powered their
way to a 28-0 victory over Nazareth in CHSFL football yesterday.
"We practiced in a gym all afternoon [Friday] with a wet ball to get ready for [yesterday]," Xavier coach Chris Stevens said. "We kept submerging the ball in a water jug." The decision paid dividends for backs Marvin Jean-Baptiste and twin brothers Tom Ambery and Bryan Ambery, each of whom scored for the Knights (4-1, 3-1 CHSFL A) in the win.
"All I wanted to do was keep the ball tight," said Jean-Baptiste, who scored two touchdowns and a two-point conversion. "We knew they were going to come out tough and swipe at the ball."
The Knights did fumble four times, but only one of those fumbles was by a running back.
While practicing with a wet ball helps, playing on a wet field and practicing in a gym are two different things.
"In the gym all you had to worry about was holding on to a wet ball because we didn't hit," Tom Ambery said. "In a game you have to worry about five or six guys hitting you."
Both teams were conservative in the first half - neither attempted a pass.
"We like to come out and pass, but we knew we couldn't in these conditions, so the game plan was to come out and establish the run," said Stevens, whose team piled up over 300 yards on the ground.
Jean-Baptiste broke a scoreless tie with 8:22 left in the second quarter on a 4-yard scoring run to give his team a 6-0 lead. Seven minutes later Tom Ambery added a 14-yard touchdown run and Jean-Baptiste ran in a two-point conversion to give the Knights a 14-0 halftime advantage.
The Knights extended their lead to 20-0 on a 1-yard scoring run by Jean-Baptiste with 8:00 left in the third and the Knights put the game away four minutes later with a 2-yard touchdown run by Bryan Ambery.
As for Nazareth (0-5, 0-4), which returned to the CHSFL after a five-year absence, the growing pains were obvious. But coach Tim Smith, who said he was satisfied with his team's effort, is looking forward to a bright future.
"We come out here to compete and get better," Smith said. "In the Catholic League, if you can't get better every week you will not win. We didn't get the win today, but I'm definitely pleased with the progress."
XAVIER 28, NAZARETH 0
"We practiced in a gym all afternoon [Friday] with a wet ball to get ready for [yesterday]," Xavier coach Chris Stevens said. "We kept submerging the ball in a water jug." The decision paid dividends for backs Marvin Jean-Baptiste and twin brothers Tom Ambery and Bryan Ambery, each of whom scored for the Knights (4-1, 3-1 CHSFL A) in the win.
"All I wanted to do was keep the ball tight," said Jean-Baptiste, who scored two touchdowns and a two-point conversion. "We knew they were going to come out tough and swipe at the ball."
The Knights did fumble four times, but only one of those fumbles was by a running back.
While practicing with a wet ball helps, playing on a wet field and practicing in a gym are two different things.
"In the gym all you had to worry about was holding on to a wet ball because we didn't hit," Tom Ambery said. "In a game you have to worry about five or six guys hitting you."
Both teams were conservative in the first half - neither attempted a pass.
"We like to come out and pass, but we knew we couldn't in these conditions, so the game plan was to come out and establish the run," said Stevens, whose team piled up over 300 yards on the ground.
Jean-Baptiste broke a scoreless tie with 8:22 left in the second quarter on a 4-yard scoring run to give his team a 6-0 lead. Seven minutes later Tom Ambery added a 14-yard touchdown run and Jean-Baptiste ran in a two-point conversion to give the Knights a 14-0 halftime advantage.
The Knights extended their lead to 20-0 on a 1-yard scoring run by Jean-Baptiste with 8:00 left in the third and the Knights put the game away four minutes later with a 2-yard touchdown run by Bryan Ambery.
As for Nazareth (0-5, 0-4), which returned to the CHSFL after a five-year absence, the growing pains were obvious. But coach Tim Smith, who said he was satisfied with his team's effort, is looking forward to a bright future.
"We come out here to compete and get better," Smith said. "In the Catholic League, if you can't get better every week you will not win. We didn't get the win today, but I'm definitely pleased with the progress."
XAVIER 28, NAZARETH 0
Copyright (c) 2005, Newsday, Inc.
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This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/ny-qnaz094462731oct09,0,1321083.story?coll=ny-football-headlines
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