Pallotti piles up 289 yards rushing in a win over Ryken

It was a late night for the St. Vincent Pallotti football team, on Friday, as it ventured to Leonardtown to challenge St. Mary’s-Ryken, but the Panthers unleashed a dominant running game and left Southern Maryland with a 36-22 non-conference victory.

Four different Pallotti backs rushed for a touchdown and the Panthers gained 289 yards on the ground.  Quarterback Rafi Correa also tossed a 29-yard touchdown pass in the victory.

A game which ended up with 58 combined points started slowly for both offenses.  Neither team scored in the first quarter, but Ryken did take an 8-0 lead on a 44-yard touchdown pass from Joe Marion to Tyler Simms in the second quarter.  Pallotti countered with just 32 seconds to go in the half as Correa connected with Brandon Manning and Allen Bright scored on a two-point run to deadlock things at the half.

Pallotti then took control in the third quarter with two long touchdown runs.

On the Panthers first offensive snap of the second half, senior Tyler Drew raced 76 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.  Later in the quarter, Allen Hall scored on a 65-yard run and the Panthers led 22-8 after three quarters.

Pallotti (3-4) scored twice more early in the fourth period.  Bright scored on a three-yard run and Steve Martin scored on an 18-yard run.

Simms capped a strong night for Ryken with two more fourth quarter touchdown receptions, but it was too little, too late.

Drew finished with a game-high 119 yards on 14 carries, while Bright and Hall combined for 151.  Correa completed 4-of-5 passes for 65 yards.

The victory was special for Pallotti head coach Pat Courtemanche, as it came just days after his wife Courtney gave birth to the couple’s second daughter, Jenna Avery, on Monday.