Wearing the crown: Father Judge senior Prince Smith has made himself at home in the end zone the season’s first two weeks, scoring on two receiving TDs and a long kickoff return. Smith has eight catches for 157 yards and also notched two of the Crusaders’ five interceptions in a 38–18 win over Northeast on Friday. KEVIN COOK / FOR THE TIMES
If players from both Northeast and Father Judge compared notes before their football game Friday night at Charles Martin Stadium, the teams probably would have discovered they had a lot in common.
Both the Vikings and Crusaders were coming off one-point losses in their season openers. Northeast had lost to Abington, 35–34, on the last play of the game, while Father Judge had dropped a 21–20 decision to rival Archbishop Ryan. Both teams had lost leads in the final quarter.
“I don’t think anyone was in a good mood all week,” said Father Judge standout Prince Smith. “I know we weren’t, and I suspect they weren’t, either.”
Smith was able to refer to ornery dispositions in the past tense because the Crusaders had played a near-perfect first half en route to a 38–18 non-league victory. And the junior three-way threat — as a wideout on offense, a cornerback on defense and a kick returner (he returned one 88 yards for a score in the Ryan loss) — was the major reason why Father Judge was able to send their fans home with smiles.
That said, early on, those smiles had been upside down.
On the first series of the game, Northeast struck for a 6–0 lead thanks to senior quarterback Asa Manley’s 34-yard touchdown pass to senior Travon Williams, a Lincoln transfer. That dubious beginning was particularly what Judge coach Mike McKay had feared.
“We were flat all week in practice and I couldn’t put my finger on why,” said McKay, a 1976 Judge alum in his second season at the helm of the Crusaders’ program. “Maybe it was because we had lost the week before, and maybe it was because this is a different group of seniors who aren’t as vocal as last year’s.
“Then we came out and were still flat, and they scored right away. Was I concerned? Yeah. I was concerned, to say the least.”
But then, seemingly out of nowhere, the Crusaders suddenly woke up, and for the next 20 minutes played the type of football that was more befitting for a team aspiring to be considered more than road kill for the opponents in the Catholic League’s rugged AAAA Division.
Their resurrection began with a nifty, YouTube-worthy 18-yard scoring scamper by junior Yeedee Thaenrat (14 carries, 95 yards, two TDs). Three plays later, junior Tom Penko intercepted a pass and raced 32 yards to give the Crusaders a 14–6 lead.
Unable to weather a state of bewilderment, another Northeast turnover — an interception by Smith — paved the way for senior quarterback Zack Carroll (7-for-9, 161 yards, two scores) to find sophomore Raheem Blackshear for a 36-yard touchdown strike. On Northeast’s next possession, Smith once again intercepted a pass, resulting in a 22-yard field goal by junior Joe Gallagher.
After a three-and-out, Carroll found Smith running a slant pattern, and 79 yards later, the Crusaders were cruising at 31–6 late in the second quarter. Thaenrat supplied more salt into the wounded Vikings when he intercepted a pass on the final play of the second quarter. The Crusaders would add a fifth interception — by sophomore Robert King, the backup quarterback who relieved Carroll — just 2:14 after having scored the game’s final TD via a 52-yard run by Thaenrat.
Northeast made the score more respectable after a pair of TD passes from sophomore Brando Pridgen (Manley left with an injured ankle and did not return) to senior Jaquan Amos from 23 and 38 yards, respectively. That trimmed the deficit to 31–18, but McKay was pleased with the entire Father Judge defense.
Especially with Smith’s all-around contribution.
“He plays at a high level on both sides of the ball,” McKay said. “He really brought his A-game.”
While admitting that his own heroics were “very” satisfying, Smith said that losing the Ryan game fueled Judge’s momentum.
“Starting out 0–2 would have been hard,” Smith said. “We knew that Northeast was a good team and would battle. After they scored the (first) touchdown, we started playing like we know how. We worked too much to get off to a bad start.”
On Saturday afternoon, Father Judge will meet St. Anthony’s — a powerhouse from Long Island — while Northeast will tackle Ben Franklin Friday night.
The Vikings will be without Manley, who injured his aforementioned ankle halfway through the third quarter. Manley said he will miss one or two weeks. Although he won’t be able to play, Manley said he is thankful that his season wasn’t over. In two games, the senior has rushed for 221 yards and two TDs while completing 14 of 23 passes for 161 yards and three additional scores through the air.
“When I got tackled, I heard my ankle pop, so I actually thought it was broken,” Manley said. “I’ll learn from this experience.”
The good news for Manley and his teammates is that this will be the last time they will have to face Prince Smith.
“He’s a good player,” said Manley, “and Father Judge is a good team.” ••
