Torry, the starting halfback and return man, broke tackles and followed blockers across the field for 83 yards and his first career kickoff return. He credits his success to the team’s commitment to playing as a unit, saying, “We played as one tonight, and we played Jesuit football and that’s what we need to do every single week.”

Perri Ganci (#98) scoops and scores on a 57-yard fumble return with 8:05 remaining in the 2nd quarter.

Jesuit (1-2) scored three more touchdowns in the first half. Marching 60 yards down the field brought the team to the 2-yard line, allowing running back Willie Robinson to reach the end zone on the sixth play of the first scoring drive.

The Blue Jay defense came alive on the following drive. On a play just as exciting as the opening kickoff, junior defensive end Perri Ganci forced Central’s quarterback to fumble, scooped the ball, and sprinted 57 yards for the score. The defensive line was able to bother the Central quarterback all night long. Senior defensive end Matt Frischhertz and junior defensive tackle Marquis Martin each forced a sack-fumble in the game.

With just over five minutes to play in the first half, quarterback Alex Watermeier took advantage of great field position after one of two Ethan Kerrigan interceptions. Watermeier hit receiver Noah Varnado in stride for a 28-yard TD pass, increasing the eventual halftime score to 28-3 in Jesuit’s favor.

Scoring in all three phases of the game gave the Jays breathing room as they started the second half, but the Wildcats quickly cut into Jesuit’s lead by scoring a touchdown in the first two minutes and recovering the subsequent onside kick. Head coach Mark Songy admitted that he felt “a little worried” at that point in the game.

“I was disappointed because the coaching staff challenged the players at halftime to come out and treat the game like it was 0-0, even though we had a nice lead,” Songy stated. “We failed there, and then they got an onside kick, which is something we will work on this week.”

Ethan Kerrigan intercepted two passes in a great defensive effort. Both picks set up the offense with great field position that led to touchdowns. In total, the Blue Jay defense recorded four total turnovers that included 3 forced fumbles (one recovered), 3 interceptions, and one defensive touchdown.

But the defense held strong again in the second half, preventing Central from capitalizing on good field possession. The Wildcat’s opening drive was the only score of the third quarter for either team. The final play of the quarter saw Blue Jay defensive back Ethan Kerrigan intercept his second pass of the night.

Watermeier then sealed the game early in the fourth quarter with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Torry, making the score 35-10. With two minutes remaining, Jesuit running back Matt Alexander joined the fun with an 8-yard touchdown run to cap off a 42-10 victory. Junior safety Cameron Helm added a third Blue Jay pick in the fourth quarter.

In the team huddle after shaking hands, Coach Songy stressed the importance of “continuity,” particularly considering how well the team is practicing right now. Songy later went on to explain what he meant by continuity – “Our guys come to work every day. I thought Tuesday and Wednesday were outstanding practices at a high level…really physical. I challenge them to do that every day. The better we prepare, the more confident we have going into the ball game.”

Coach Songy noticed how much more aggressively his team played moving from the first half to the second. Looking ahead to the first district game, which will also be played at the Shrine on Airline on Friday against St. Augustine, he remains satisfied with how the players respond to tough situations.

“I don’t have to push too hard to get them to respond to adversity; they’re natural with regard to that,” Songy said. “I don’t think we’re going to back down from anybody. I’d be very surprised if we ever did that.”

WWL.com | Prep Game of the Week Preview: Central vs. Jesuit: Baby Cakes Field hosts Catholic League football on WWL Radio HD2

NOLA.com Jesuit 42, Central 10: Michael Torry’s opening kickoff return jump-starts Blue Jays

CrescentCitySports.com | Jesuit kennels Central Wildcats, 42-10, for first victory of the season

Watch Michael Torry’s Interview on Crescent City Sports