The DePaul Catholic Spartans coasted to a 55-28 win over the Paramus Catholic Paladins at Paramus Catholic High School in Paramus, New Jersey.
DePaul Catholic received the opening kickoff and marched down the field in nine plays and 78 yards, culminating in a seven-yard touchdown run by running back Nolan James.
On their second offensive possession of the game, the Spartans continued to move the ball efficiently both on the ground and through the air. A 30-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Derek Zammit to tight end Michael Knox extended the lead to 14-0 with less than two minutes remaining.
In the second quarter, Paramus Catholic had a golden opportunity to put points up on the scoreboard. The Paladins offense drove down the field in 16 plays after starting out on the 40-yard line. The refs flagged DePaul Catholic’s defense for a pass interference call, which was set up first and ten at the 11-yard line.
However, the Spartans’ defense dug a line in the trenches, forcing a fourth-and-goal at the three-yard line. An incomplete pass forced a turnover on downs.
On second and four at the 21-yard line, Derek Zammit connected on a 49-yard pass to wide receiver Elijah Burress, setting up first and ten at the Paramus Catholic 30-yard line.
DePaul Catholic managed to advance the ball inside the five-yard line, but the Paladins’ defense held their own, forcing a fourth-and-goal at the two-yard line. The Spartans offensive line opened a wide enough hole for Nolan James to sneak through across the goal line for the score, making it 20-0.
Paramus Catholic responded with time winding down in the first half as quarterback Marco Green lofted a 38-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chris Ventura with 50.2 seconds left.
The Spartan special teams caught the Paladins napping with an onside kick, leading to a successful recovery. Nolan James ripped off a 22-yard run that moved the ball deep into Paramus Catholic territory.
On second down at the 18-yard line, Derek Zammit threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Dez Jones with 15 seconds to go, expanding the margin to 26-7.
The Paladins came out of the locker room in the third quarter a motivated group. They picked up chunks of yardage on the ground, with running back Xavier Williams breaking loose for a 39-yard gain.
On first and goal at the DePaul Catholic three-yard line, Williams took the handoff and plowed straightforward into the endzone for the score with nine minutes left.
Paramus Catholic, infused with some much-needed momentum that got the home crowd excited, caught another huge break as Spartans quarterback Derek Zammit threw a backward pass behind the line of scrimmage, leading to Donte Shuler scooping the ball up and barreling into the end zone, narrowing the gap to 26-21.
The good vibes would be short-lived for the Paladins on the ensuing Spartans offensive series, as Nolan James tallied his third rushing score of the game, this time from 28 yards out. DePaul Catholic elected for the two-point conversion, which proved to be a worthy gamble, as Derek Zammit ran straight through the gap into the end zone, widening the advantage to 34-21.
After the Spartans defense forced a quick three-and-out, the offense uncorked the aerial assault. Derek Zammit completed three consecutive passes, including a 25-yarder to Dez Jones.
Nolan James’s fourth rushing score of the game, from nine yards out, boosted the margin to 41-21. The back-and-forth action didn’t stop as Paramus Catholic quarterback Marco Green tossed a screen pass to Xavier Williams.
Williams accelerated down the left side of the field and cut back to the middle towards the end zone for the electrifying 71-yard touchdown, and the home crowd erupted in jubilation.
The Paladins attempted to duplicate the success of DePaul Catholic special teams with an onside kick. Still, they backfired as Spartans Ethan Lilley secured the ball and sprinted down the right side of the field untouched into the end zone for the score with four minutes remaining.
Paramus Catholic’s offense ran into a speed bump on the following offensive possession as DePaul Catholic defensive back Patrick Maignan intercepted a pass.
The Spartans’ working with a short field led to quarterback Derek Zammit heaving a 28-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Burress, which made it 55-28 with two and a half minutes remaining and capped off the scoring for the game.