Angelus League : Amat Wins Battle of Unbeatens

Junior running back Eric Bieniemy has been Bishop Amat High School’s top rusher all this season.

So it came as no surprise that it was Bieniemy who ran one yard for a touchdown with 3:26 left to give the undefeated Lancers a come-from-behind, 26-21, victory Friday night over Servite in front of 8,500 fans in La Puente.

The victory improved Bishop Amat’s record to 9-0 overall and 4-0 in the Angelus League. Servite dropped to 8-1 and 3-1.

The touchdown capped a brilliant rushing display by Bieniemy, who rushed for 205 yards and 3 touchdowns in 34 carries.

Perhaps the least surprised about Bieniemy’s performance was Bishop Amat Coach Don Markham, who said: “It doesn’t surprise me. He’s that kind of a player. He’s done it all year.”

Indeed, he has.

With his 205-yard effort, Bieniemy has rushed for 1,398 yards in 222 carries, surpassing the school’s all-time season rushing mark of 1,320 yards set by Randy Tanner in 1983.

Bieniemy was the only Bishop Amat player to gain yardage consistently against Servite, which held the rest of the Lancer offense to 63 yards.

“They defensed us real good,” Markham said. “I thought the score would be 28 to something and I was just about right. But the something was awfully close.”

Servite used the passing of quarterback Tim Rosenkranz to take a 21-14 lead in the third quarter.

Rosenkranz completed 4 passes for 51 yards in a six-play drive that ended with a six-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Nick-John Haiduc, which gave the Friars a 21-14 lead with 1:20 remaining in the period.

Rosenkranz completed 16 of 34 passes for 209 yards.

Bishop Amat pulled to within a point of the Friars when flanker Lee Barrett took an inside reverse and ran 37 yards for a touchdown with 10:46 remaining.

However, kicker Steve Clark’s extra-point attempt was blocked by Servite defensive back Jason Rolish to keep the Friars in front.

After Bieniemy’s touchdown, Bishop Amat wrapped up the victory with its pass defense.

First, defensive back Johnny Brown intercepted a Rosenkranz pass with 2:55 remaining.

Then, after a Bishop Amat punt, the Lancers forced Rosenkranz to throw four straight incomplete passes on his own 24-yard line in the final minute of the game.

“Our pass defense was very good,” Markham said. “We really held together. It was a prayer on every play.”