St. Frances Academy’s powerhouse stature did not phase Our Lady of Good Counsel on Friday night, as the Falcons jumped out to an early lead and held on for a 27-14 stunner over the Panthers.
Our Lady of Good Counsel entered its clash with St. Frances riding a two-game losing streak after faltering against Gonzaga High School and St. John’s College, but quickly made it clear it was going to give the Panthers a serious run for their money with a first quarter five-yard receiving touchdown courtesy of Shane Carroll.
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The Falcons struck again early in the second quarter, this time scoring on a one-yard touchdown run by freshman quarterback Frankie Weaver to extend their lead to 14-0. One of the biggest plays of the game came on St. Frances’ ensuing drive, as Our Lady of Good Counsel forced a Panthers turnover on downs after they went for it on 4th-and-8 at Our Lady of Good Counsel’s own 16-yard line.
St. Frances bounced back on its next offensive series, though, as quarterback John Griffith fired a 25-yard touchdown pass to bring the score to 14-6 before halftime. The Panthers then knotted things up on a pick-six and a two-point conversion late in the third quarter, but Our Lady of Good Counsel answered back with 13 unanswered points and stifling defense down the stretch to put the game away.