Teri Tune
Sports Scene
Thanks to an improved offense and some stingier play on defense, the St. Patrick Catholic football team bounced back from a winless 2010 campaign.
The Shamrocks picked up three wins this season and were within four points of another win. Offensive improvement was pivotal for the team, as they scored 40 or more points in all three wins. St. Patrick defeated Dansville 41-28, Carson City-Crystal 41-27, and Potterville 40-19.
Quarterback Collin Lay was key to the St. Patrick offense. He passed for nearly 1,000 yards this season and tossed 12 touchdown passes. He also proved to be an effective runner when needed.
David Simon was one of Lay’s favorite targets. When the Shamrocks ran the ball, Casey Wilcox was one of the leading backs.
For the season, the Shamrocks averaged 18.2 points per game.
The St. Patrick defense, led by Ethan Hoppes, also showed improvement. After allowing 322 points in 2010, the Shamrocks lowered the number of points allowed to 277 this season.
BOYS & GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
The St. Patrick Catholic boys and girls cross country teams are at opposite ends of the spectrum this season.
On the boys’ side, the team has some experienced runners, while rebuilding with young runners is the name of the game for the girls.
Senior Ryan Wilcox leads the way for the boys. He has been St. Patrick’s top runner all season, and his best time was 18:29.6, which he turned in at the Pewamo-Westphalia meet. Senior Josh Schneider has been St. Patrick’s second runner. He turned in a low time of 19:46.2 this year.
Junior Mike Kreiner has turned in a best time of 20:30.9, while senior Ben Lawless has turned in a time of 21:55.5.
The girls’ team has a young group of runners who are focused on improvement. Freshman Brittni Wilcox leads the way for the girls with a personal-best time of 23:21. Sophomore Mari Behovitz has turned in a time of 24:16.7 and freshman Shelby Miller has gone 24:35.4.