Amrhein Makes 2 Interceptions in Bell-Jeff Win Over Santa Clara
Coach Doug Woodlief hoped his Bell-Jeff defense would keep his club within striking distance of a Santa Clara team that appeared far superior--at least on paper.
What he didn’t expect was for the defense to carry virtually the Guards’ entire offensive load.
The Bell-Jeff defense limited All-Frontier League running back Tom Petrucci to just 32 yards, while defensive back Stuart Amrhein intercepted two passes and scored two touchdowns to lead the Guards to a 28-6 non-league win at Santa Clara.
“We knew that with a team like Santa Clara, our defense would have to carry the game,” Woodlief said.
The Bell-Jeff defense held junior quarterback Mike Tiron to just six completions in 29 attempts for 136 yards, while the potent Saints’ running game all but disappeared with minus-12 yards in the game.
The Santa Clara offense struggled throughout the first half, fumbling three times and giving the Guards several scoring opportunities.
The Saints’ only touchdown came on an 85-yard pass from Tiron to Desmond Webster, which gave Santa Clara a brief 6-0 lead in the first quarter.
On the Saints’ next possession, Petrucci fumbled a pitchout on the Santa Clara 19. Three players later, Matt Woodlief cut the lead to 6-3 with a 30-yard field goal.
Mistakes again hurt Santa Clara on their next possession, when a bad fourth down snap on a punt sailed through the hands of Tiron in the end zone. Tiron was tackled one-yard deep for a safety, bringing Bell-Jeff to within a point at 6-5.
After the Saints’ free kick, Bell-Jeff quarterback Keith Fitzgerald hit receiver Amrhein on a roll-out and Amrhein broke a tackle and sped 71 yards up the sideline to the one-yard line. Following a procedure penalty against Bell-Jeff, Fitzgerald hit Billy Brockway for a six-yard touchdown pass with six second left in the first quarter.
Matt Woodlief later added another field goal to put Bell-Jeff in front 14-6 at halftime.
After intermission, it was the Guard defense that again put the stop to any Saints comeback when Tom Stanley intercepted a Tiron pass and raced 55 yards for a touchdown with seconds left in the third quarter.
Following the kickoff, Tiron’s very next pass was again intercepted, this time by Amrhein, who carried the ball in from 37 yards out to put Bell-Jeff in front, 28-6.
“It was Tiron’s first start as a varsity player,” Santa Clara Coach Steve Dunn said. “We’re a young team. Things will get better.”
There were eight turnovers in the contest, including five by Santa Clara.