Early goal-line stand by St. Margaret’s sets the stage for title-game romp

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Both coaches agreed that the Northeast Division title game turned on a goal-line stand in the second quarter.

With St. Margaret’s holding a 6-0 lead, a pass interference penalty on Hunter Steffien gave Brentwood a first down at the Tartans’ 11. The Eagles had eight plays from inside the 11, thanks to another pass interference call on fourth down, but were shutout.

‘If there was a turning point, that was it,’ St. Margaret’s Coach Harry Welch said. ‘Heck, if they are already up and we can’t score when we get eight plays deep in the red zone, then this is going to be a long night for us. And that’s a normal reaction for people.’

It’s a normal reaction because it was true. It was a long night for Brentwood after that series. Eagles Coach Patrick Brown agreed that the series changed the momentum, but said he would do it again because he didn’t consider kicking a field goal as an option.

‘There’s no taking three points with this team because they block punts and field goals so well. We thought that was our best opportunity,’ Brown said.

That series, in the end, probably doesn’t affect the outcome of the game, which was won by St. Margaret’s, 37-6, but it certainly did impact it.

‘They had the ball at the one-yard line and we’re thinking, ‘We have to stop them,’ ‘ Steffien said. ‘It changed the momentum. Because at the one-yard line, it’s just whatever team is tougher, whatever team wants it more and it said we wanted it more tonight.’

Steffien had said this game was going to be a close one, but it wasn’t.

‘We thought it was going to be close, but this team just ... I can’t say enough about the way this team has played,’ Steffien said. ‘We are all playing the toughest football you can play and everyone wants it more than anything else. It was all about the championship.’

-- Jaime Cardenas