Rummel gets past St. Augustine

There were no ghosts or goblins present Halloween night at Joe Yenni Stadium on Saturday, just two monstrous defenses belonging to Rummel and St. Augustine.

The host Raiders, as they have the entire season, rode the coattails of a magnificent band of defenders to score a 7-6 District 10-5A victory against St. Augustine that left the state's No. 2-ranked team in Class 5A undefeated and headed on a collision course with Shaw on Saturday to decide the Catholic League championship.

Rummel surrendered 217 yards and forced four turnovers, with the first setting up the game's first touchdown and the ultimate margin of victory. Strong safety Lance Lasiter intercepted two passes, free safety Carvin Johnson nabbed a third, and middle linebacker Philip Helmstetter recovered a fumble to offset an evening of frustration for Rummel's offense, which netted just 87 yards.

"You take them how you get them," Rummel Coach Jay Roth said. "(This) was how it was for us early in the year. The defense bent, bent, bent, but never broke. To hold St. Aug to six points . . . The defense set up the first touchdown, so you can't say enough about the defense."

The Raiders' defense had little margin for error with quarterback Luke Cartozzo and fullback Sam Barnes absent due to potential season-ending injuries suffered in last week's 24-21 non-district victory at Barbe.

Cartozzo remained hospitalized Saturday, Roth said, following surgery Wednesday to remove a blood clot from under a thigh muscle. Cartozzo initially had been listed as questionable earlier in the week with a thigh contusion. Barnes broke a bone in his leg against Barbe and remains questionable for a possible return in the state playoffs.

Further complicating matters was an ankle injury to Helmstetter in the second quarter that left the senior on crutches and sidelined him for the remainder of the game.

Cartozzo was replaced by Damian Williams, and the freshman passed for Rummel's lone touchdown on an 8-yard completion to running back J.J. Brown on third-and-goal, four plays after Lasiter made his first interception and returned it 5 yards to St. Augustine's 19-yard line. Marc Raziano then followed with the extra-point kick.

St. Aug spent much of the remainder of the first half in Rummel territory, but it only managed one touchdown, capping a 14-play, 68-yard drive on its fourth possession.

Running back Shawn Sherman-Jackson capped the drive with a 1-yard run, but the ensuing extra-point attempt sailed just wide right to preserve Rummel's 7-6 lead. St. Aug converted on third downs four times during the drive with a Rummel pass-interference penalty on third-and-9 and a Terry Lucas-to-Tyrann Mathieu completion of 17 yards being the drive's two biggest plays.

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