Posted on 11 October 2008 by .
By Ryan Mink
rmink@digitalsports.com
Gonzaga had just finished off a 26-7 win at McNamara when the team broke huddle with a cheer, “Beat DeMatha!”
“Beat DeMatha. I like the sound of that,” one Gonzaga player said, as if it was a novel idea.
Beating DeMatha and getting back into the WCAC hunt would have seemed farfetched for Gonzaga two weeks ago. But now, after the team’s second straight conference win and its first over McNamara since 2005, Gonzaga believes it can play with anybody in the WCAC.
“We’re not great, we’re not unstoppable,” senior running back Alan Elder said. “But we feel confident about ourselves.”
Elder ran for 193 yards and four touchdowns and the defense notched nine sacks, including five by senior defensive end Sam Oyekoya, and four interceptions.
That’s a drastic change from the story coming from I Street just a couple weeks ago when the Purple Eagles lost to O’Connell, 40-0, to fall to 0-4 on the season. After losing to the DCIAA’s Coolidge, 36-34, in Week 1, Gonzaga was outscored 124-0 in its next three losses.
The Eagles didn’t notch their first win until last week when they came from behind to beat Archbishop Carroll, 38-16.
“It was real tough because Gonzaga has a real good reputation and strong seasons consistently,” Gonzaga sophomore quarterback Kevin Hogan said. “To start out 0-4, we needed to bounce back. And we feel like we’re bouncing back now.”
Gonzaga stands at 2-1 in the conference, tied for DeMatha and ahead of O’Connell. So as strange as it sounds, the Eagles have it all laid out in front of them with games against DeMatha, Good Counsel and St. John’s ahead. And right now, that doesn’t scare Gonzaga.
“We feel like we can compete with anyone,” Hogan said. “We started the season off slow, but McNamara’s a good team so we feel like we’re opening some eyes in the WCAC.”
Gonzaga opened some eyes quickly as they drove 68 yards in five plays in its second drive. The first play on the drive was a 48-yard run 5-foot-5 senior running back Alex Beauboeuf. Elder capped off the drive with a 6-yard plunge to give Gonzaga a lead it would never give up.
With their next possession, the Eagles scored again on a 2-yard run by Elder, who ran five times for 36 yards on the drive. McNamara (3-3, 1-2 WCAC) got the ball with a 13-0 deficit and ate up 18 yards on its first play, by far its longest play yet of the game. Oyekoya answered with two straight sacks that left McNamara staring at a third-and-26.
Oyekoya said Coach Joe Reyda told the defensive line that it was going to be alone in rushing the quarterback as the Eagles opted to drop extra players into coverage. The defensive line did its share and more, pestering McNamara quarterbacks James Joseph and Kevin Clark throughout the day.
“When they got into a situation where all they were going to do is pass, we knew we just had to go – beat the man in front of you and make plays,” Oyekoya said. “Nobody ever wants to be the person to give up the play in a big situation. Everybody on the defense wants to be the person to make that play.”
McNamara had two solid drives near the end of the first half but both ended with interceptions by Hogan, who plays safety as well as quarterback.
The Eagles’ momentum carried over into the second half as Elder took a handoff on the second play from scrimmage 57 yards for a touchdown that gave Gonzaga a 19-7 lead.
“I could drive a truck through that hole,” Elder said.
Elder continued to run wild in the second half and Gonzaga’s defense was superb, bending to McNamara at times but bearing down with sacks several times in critical situations.
Overall, it was the best the Eagles have played all season and it came at a much-needed time.
“We feel confident in what we can do on offense and defense,” Elder said. “We have players stepping up, just making plays right now and the coaches really did a good job adjusting to do whatever it takes to get us to win some games.”
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