gibbons breaKs 16-year slump vs. st. thomas

St. Thomas 10, Cardinal Gibbons 24

FORT LAUDERDALE -- The Cardinal Gibbons-St. Thomas football series is a rivalry again.

Led by the running sophomore Matt DuBuc and quarterback Asheiki Preston, and a defense that forced four turnovers, Cardinal Gibbons scored a 24-10 win over the Raiders Friday night to close out its most successful season in the history of the school (9-1).

DuBuc carried 14 times for 65 yards, scoring once on a 3-yard run, while Preston, carrying mostly on rollouts, picked up 61 yards in 16 attempts. He also passed 24 yards to tight end Peter Grigelis for a fourth-quarter touchdown.

The Redskins, who had not beaten the Raiders in their 25-year old series since 1973, wasted little time getting n the scoreboard.

The opening kickoff was fumbled by the Raiders, Brock Falconer falling on the loose ball on the St. Thomas 24.

A 5-yard penalty gave the Redskins the ball on the 19 and with Preston carrying twice on keepers the Redskins drove to the 3 where DuBuc carried over for the touchdown. Van Esteves added the PAT to make it 17-0 with 9:45 left in the period.

St. Thomas came right back to march 63 yards in three plays. A 15-yard penalty against the Redskins helped the drive, but it was a brilliant 48-yard Eric Brinson run that accounted for the tying touchdown.

St. Thomas moved on top with a 21-yard John Benestad field goal early in the second quarter, a Bryan Williams’ fumble recovery setting it up.

The 10-7 lead, however, was short-lived, as Preston directed a late first-half, 71-yard Redskins’ scoring drive to give his team a 13-10 lead at intermission. In the nine-play march, Preston twice connected with wide receiver Greg Cullen on passes, Cullen making 29- and 20-yhard gains with the sideline catches.

Donnell Bennett, the Redskins’ 1,000-yard rusher, went the final yard for the touchdown.

Bennett was held to 37 yards net rushing in the game (13 carries), as St. Thomas’ defense keyed on the 215-pound senior.

“He was doing a lot of the blocking out there,” Preston said. “My whole line was doing a great job of blocking. They let me turn the corner to get a lot of first-down yardage.”

“The defense played just great,” said Redskins’ coach Don Marino. “St. Thomas came out early doing some things we were not expecting, but the kids adjusted. Beating St. Thomas for the first time feels great. Now, it is a rivalry again St. Thomas has something to shoot for next year.”

The Redskins scored in every quarter, a 42-yard Esteves field goal making it 16-10 in the third quarter.

The loss dropped the Raiders to a 4-7 record, their first losing season under coach George Smith in 15 years and St. Thomas’ first losing season since a 3-7 record in 1967.

Sun-Sentinel, November 18, 1989