Saturday, September 23, 2000
Moeller 33, La Salle 20
Blanks rushes for 259 yards
By Dave Schutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Marcus Blanks is pulled down by LaSalle's Mike Cahill.
(Brandi Stafford photos)
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Moeller tailback Marcus Blanks rushed for 259 yards on 33 carries and scored three touchdowns in a 33-20 victory over LaSalle at Lancer Stadium.
The win was Moeller's fifth without a defeat, marking the first time since 1993 the Crusaders have opened the season with five consecutive wins. The victory also was Moeller's first in the Greater Catholic League.
“That's too many carries for Marcus,” Moeller coach Steve Klonne said. “He's only 165 pounds and runs inside. We wanted to control the ball on offense because LaSalle has so many offensive weapons.”
Blanks, who sat out the final eight minutes with a hyper extended neck, wasn't aware he rushed 33 times.
Tony Cunningham outruns LaSalle's Jason Louis.
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“I had 40 carries last year in a game,” Blanks said. “We stuck with the game plan and it's awful tiring but I'm willing to do whatever it takes for the team. Give the O line the credit. They opened the holes.
Klonne agreed.
“We've always had good lines,” Klonne said. “We have the good quarterback and tailback and our fullback blocked well.”
Moeller was playing without leading receiver Nick Dabbelt (broken collarbone) and Eric Thatcher, a sophomore defensive back.
After LaSalle had taken a 7-0 lead in the first half, Blanks broke loose on a 76-yard run and and scored a second time with 6:43 remaining before halftime on a three-yard run around end,
Blanks had 175 yards on 15 carries in the first half.
“Marcus is usually a 10- to-15, 20-yard runner,” Klonne said. “But we have to get him healthy. Our quarterback (Tony Cunningham) was forced out with a groin injury and we need him back.”
Moeller only scored once after the intermission as the Crusaders didn't put the game away until the fourth quarter when Blancks carried the ball 10 conseutive times, scoring on a three-yard run with 8:46 left.
Trailing 25-14 at halftime, LaSalle pulled within five in the third quarter when Reggie Watson returned a punt 50 yards for a TD with 9:16 remaining.
However, Moeller's defense took over and didn't allow La Salle within 45 yards of the end zone. Two turnovers killed second half Moeller drives.
Cunningham, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound junior, was equally impressive Friday. He completed 9-of-11 passes for 84 yards and picked up 38 yards rushing on five carries.
LaSalle had two passes picked off in the first half, one by Matt DePetro and the other by David Blanks. It also fumbled one time.
DePetro's interception may have been the biggest.
Under pressure and in the grasp of a Moeller defender, Watson unloaded an ill-advised pass that DePetro intercepted at the Crusader 25 and returned it 44 yards to the LaSalle 21 with only 38 seconds remaining before halftime.
“That was a big play,” Klonne said of DePetro's interception. “Th defense played well.”
After the interception, it took Moeller three plays to reach the end zone with Cunningham going around end from three yards out for the score. Instead of trailing 18-14 at halftime, La Salle was on the short end of a 25-14 score.
La Salle's offense also moved the ball in the first half. The Lancers rushed for 90 yards and picked up 93 yards rushing and 91 through the air with Watson completing 7-of-12.
Moeller hosts St. Xavier next week while LaSalle travels to Elder.
Moeller ....... 12 13 0 8—33
LaSalle ....... 7 7 6 0—20
L--Knueven 48 pass from Watson (Bowling kick)
M—Blanks 76 run (run failed)
M—Cuningham 6 run (pass failed)
L—Long 33 run (Bowling kick)
M—Blanks 3 run (pass failed)
M—Cunningham 3 run (Murphy kick)
L—Watson 50 interception return (pass failed)
M—-Blanks 3 run (Hamby pass from Cunningham)
Records: La Salle 3-2, 0-1 GCL South; Moeller 5-0, 1-0 GCL South.
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Aiken 15, Mt. Healthy 14
Anderson 41, Northwest 7
Bethel-Tate 21, Western Brown 6
Campbell County 47, Newport 14
CHCA 37, New Miami 0
Colerain 54, Milford 0
Conner 21, Owensboro 6
Dayton 26, Raceland 12
Edgewood 53, West Carrollton 22
Elder 40, Indianapolis Bishop Chatard 16
Fairfield 21, Sycamore 7
Goshen 24, Kings 19
Hamilton 21, Lakota East 10
Hamilton Badin 25, Roger Bacon 7
Harrison 48, Amelia 0
Highlands 63, Lex. Paul Dunbar 25
Holmes 35, Woodford County 12
James.Greenview 36, Cin. Country Day 26
Lakota West 14, Oak Hills 3
Lebanon 28, Wilmington 18
Lex. Tates Creek 21, Dixie Heights 14
Lexington Henry Clay 38, Simon Kenton 26
Little Miami 18, Norwood 13
Loveland 34, Ross 27
Madeira 21, Deer Park 12
Madison Central 36, Scott 7
McNicholas 28, Chaminade-Julienne 27
Miamisburg 41, Talawanda 22
 Moeller 33, La Salle 20
New Richmond 58, Clermont NE 7
NewCath game suspended
North College Hill 21, Landmark Christian 0
Princeton 49, Middletown 28
Purcell Marian 20, Kettering Alter 13
Reading 49, Finneytown 34
Ryle 3, Lexington Bryan Station 0
St. Xavier 45, Indianapolis Tech 0
Summit Country Day 59, Lockland 0
Turpin 7 Glen Este 0
Walnut Hills 35, Taft 0
Western Hills 49, Hughes 15
Williamsburg 28, Hillsboro 9
Winton Woods 20, Mason 17
Withrow 19, Woodward 0
Wyoming 21, Mariemont 13
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