Cavs come up just shy against Wenonah

BIRMINGHAM -- Two points were all that separated the John Carroll Catholic High School football team and Wenonah on Friday night, with the Cavaliers’ efforts to erase a 15-point deficit with less than three minutes remaining falling short 29-27 on senior night.

After Wenonah quarterback Jayden Sanders rushed in from 3 yards out to put the Dragons up 29-14 with 2:47 left in the game, the Cavaliers appeared to be down and out. But the John Carroll offense, led by quarterback Jharad Johnson, running back Jeremiah Gibbs and a bevy of receivers, would not go quietly into a chilly October night.

Johnson hit on 6-of-8 pass attempts on the Cavs’ ensuing drive, gaining 60 yards through the air, helped by a defensive pass interference penalty against Wenonah. Gibbs, who rushed for two touchdowns and 111 yards on 17 carries, punched it in from 5 yards out to make it an eight-point game with 41 seconds left.

Needing an onside kick recovery, senior kicker Obi Ifediba curled the ensuing kickoff to his right, where it bounced off a Dragons player and was recovered by John Carroll, giving the Cavaliers another chance.

Johnson again came through in the clutch, picking up 38 yards on a pass to Brock Sanders on the first play of the next drive, and then delivering a 22-yard strike to Sanders in the end zone two plays later to bring his team within two points.

With 19 seconds left, John Carroll attempted a two-point conversion to try and tie the game. Johnson handed the ball off to Ethan Cull, who attempted to trick the Dragons defense and throw a pass into the end zone, but the ball was intercepted by Wenonah, who subsequently recovered the next onside kick attempt and won, dropping the Cavaliers to 2-7 on the season.

Despite the loss, coach Logan Colafrancesco said he was proud of his team for coming so close and giving themselves a chance to win.

“I’m proud of our kids,” Colafrancesco said. “They fought their guts out.”

Colafrancesco said his team is about four or five plays being made on Friday night and earlier in the season to be 5-4 heading into the team’s season finale against Ramsay next week.

“Last year, that (the Wenonah game) was a running clock game in the second half,” Colafrancesco said. “We’re very close.”

Johnson finished 25-of-36 with 246 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Sanders finished with 68 receiving yards on six catches and two touchdowns. Oneal Mearchant led the team in receiving yards with 71 yards on five catches.

Wenonah raced out to a 13-0 lead in the first 20 minutes, despite some big-time plays from the John Carroll defense, which blocked a punt and forced a fumble, recovered by the Cavaliers, on the Dragons’ first two drives.

On the third drive of the night for Wenonah, Jayden Sanders found receiver Jakilyn Jones for a 97-yard touchdown pass to go up 7-0. On the next John Carroll possession, the Dragons forced a punt, which was subsequently returned about 70 yards by William Elom for another touchdown.

John Carroll would take the lead in the second half, as Gibbs scored his first touchdown of the night, which followed the first touchdown pass of the game for Johnson near the end of the first half.

Wenonah converted a field goal from kicker Cristopher Aguilera-Garza to go up 16-14 with 52 seconds left in the third quarter.

Jayden Sanders again scored from deep inside his own territory, finding Roderick Hall for an 85-yard score on a screen play to put his team up by nine with just under seven minutes remaining. Sanders finished 9-of-14 with 255 passing yards and three total touchdowns, with his last rushing touchdown finishing the scoring for the now 3-5 Dragons.

Jones led the Dragons in receiving with 120 yards on just three receptions to go along with his touchdown catch. Hall finished the game with 85 yards receiving on three catches and 30 yards rushing on 10 carries, along with his touchdown catch. Elom finished with around 160 total yards, with 89 coming on offense, where he lined up at quarterback, running back and wide receiver.

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