Archbishop Spalding earned its first win of the season Monday night, defeating Good Counsel 45-21 after the Falcons erased a 21-point deficit in the second half.
The victory was also Spalding’s first ever over Good Counsel and the first for new Cavaliers head coach Robert Green.
Spalding, which entered the game 0-2, took control early. Brandon Hicks intercepted a tipped pass on Good Counsel’s opening possession, and Brian Snowden Jr. followed with a one-yard touchdown run to give the Cavaliers a 7-0 lead.
Snowden scored again on the final play of the first quarter, keeping the ball on fourth and goal and running five yards for a touchdown to extend the lead to 14-0. The Cavaliers made it 21-0 in the second quarter when Snowden connected with Roger Bredenkamp for a 15-yard touchdown.
Good Counsel got on the board before halftime when Luca Cogliandolo found Corey Smith Jr. for a touchdown on fourth down, cutting Spalding’s lead to 21-6 at the break.
The Falcons then stormed back in the third quarter. After Good Counsel forced a Spalding fumble, Paul Alston IV scored from 10 yards out to make it 21-13. Zion Sesay followed with an 11-yard touchdown run on the Falcons’ next possession, and a successful two-point conversion tied the game at 21.
Spalding responded before the end of the quarter. Gabe Denius broke free for a long run from midfield, setting up another short Snowden touchdown run to put the Cavaliers back in front. Snowden then connected with Bredenkamp for a 37-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, extending Spalding’s lead to 35-21.
The Cavaliers added two more scores and finished the game with 24 unanswered points after Good Counsel had completed its comeback, securing the 45-21 victory. Good Counsel will look to bounce back after falling short in its attempt to complete the second-half comeback.
