WCA downs Blue Jays 10-0

Westminster scored twice in the first half and that would prove enough as the Crusaders earned a 10-0 win over St. Edmund on the Blue Jays’ Senior Night.
The Blue Jay defense stood tall all night, displayed early when Jack Brown intercepted a Crusader pass on third-and-goal on WCA’s opening drive.
After the Jays forced to punt on their first possession, a high snap gave the ball back to the Crusaders at the SEH 7.
St. Edmund’s defense stiffened and WCA’s Gene Kraemer hit a 20-yard field goal to give the Crusaders a 3-0 with 3:44 left in the first period.
The Jays moved the ball from near midfield to inside the WCA 30 before the drive was halted on fourth down.
WCA then went 65 yards in seven plays for the game’s only touchdown.
The drive was kept alive when the Jays had 12 players on the field on the fourth-and-four punt atttempt.
Three plays later, WCA quaterback Kaleb Prudhomme connected with Kraemer for a 34-yard touchdown.
Kraemer’s PAT pushed the Crusaders ahead, 10-0 with 8:28 left in the second period.
After the two teams exchanged four punts, WCA seemed poised to add points before intermission as the Crusaders moved 45 yards on six plays.
But on the final play of the half, the Jays blocked a Westminster field goal attempt to keep the gap to 10-0.
Defense was the main attraction in the second half as neither team moved the ball very well in the third quarter.
St. Edmund sustained an impressive drive that began at the Jays’ 5 with 3:52 left in the third frame.
SEH quarterback Peter Miller and Luke Doucet had several key runs befor the two connected for a 12-yard pass and catch to moved inside WCA territory.
But the drive when Kreamer intercepted a short pass at the Crusader 47 on the first play of the fourth quarter.
WCA’s Cole Fournet appeared to put the game away on a 39-yard touchdown run, but a block-in-the-back penalty erased the points.
The Jays forced a punt and then started the longest drive of the game that began the St. Ed 13.
With 8:06 left, the Jays recorded four first downs on runs by Peter Miller and Doucet to advance to the WCA 30.
A defensive holding call moved the moved the Jays to the WCA 19 with 2:00 left.
But on fourth down, Conner Lyons picked off a Blue Jay pass to end the drive.
St. Edmund forced a quick three-and-out and after the punt, had the ball at midfield with 33 seconds left.
Peter Miller connected with James Ward for an 18-yarder and Brad Miller for 14 more yards, but time expired on the game’s final pass attempt at the WCA 25.
St. Edmund outgained Westminster 210-184 yarsds of total offense, but two interceptions, a lost fumble and 110 yards of penalties hurt the Jays’ chances for the win.
“We made too many mistakes,” St. Edmund head coach Andy Hargroder said. “We would move the ball and then a commit a penalty or a fumble.
“We needed to play perfect but I was glad to see the guys didn’t quit,” the coach said.
St. Edmund closes the season on the road at North Central and Basile with the hopes of earning a playoff spot.