'It means more in the GCL:' Moeller defense steps up in 20-10 win over St. Xavier
DAYTON, Ohio – Given their results so far this season, it was easy to believe that the first Greater Catholic League-South game of the 2023 football season would be a battle of wills between Moeller’s explosive offense and St. Xavier’s fierce defense.
But it was Moeller’s defense, much maligned during a 1-3 start, that stepped up and won the game for the Crusaders, as they beat St. Xavier 20-10 in the GCL-South opener for both teams. St. Xavier drops to 3-2 while Moeller improves to 2-3.
“It was huge,” said Moeller senior linebacker Kyler Paul. “We were really struggling our first three games. I’m really proud of the guys. We have a really young team. We came out really confident and just let loose. We played a great game. Our defense just stepped it up.”
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Moeller allowed an average of 37 points on defense in its three losses, while St. Xavier allowed six points on average in its three wins. Moeller turned the tide with a dominant performance against the Bombers’ offense.
It was the first league win for first-year head coach Bert Bathiany, the former Highlands standout who came to Moeller from Lexington Catholic in Kentucky.
“It means more in the GCL and it means more at Moeller,” Bathiany said. “We have a special place. Everyone involved feels it. They love it. It’s incredible. There’s no place like it in the world.”
Three keys to Moeller’s win
Turnovers: Moeller forced five turnovers. Two of them were fumble recoveries by Alex French, one he returned for a touchdown. There were three interceptions, by Nick Leonard, Drew Robinson and Karson Hobbs.
“We really came together as a team,” French said. “These past few weeks have been difficult, but last week we came together as a team and this week we just improved. We’re not stopping here. We’re going to keep getting better and better. (It’s) just more experience. We had a lot of new guys coming into the first game.”
2) Pressure defense: Moeller was only credited with two sacks, but consistently got pressure on St. Xavier quarterback Chase Herbstreit. He threw for 249 yards but a big chunk of that came in the fourth quarter when the Bombers were behind 20-3 and the Crusaders played softer coverage.
“Our d-line was amazing," French said. "Our blitzes, we got to him all night. He was really mad the whole game from it and I think we’re going to keep doing it."
Said Bathiany: “That’s what they’ve done all camp. They gave us fits all the time. That’s why I hired Coach (Nick) Sharp as the defensive coordinator, because he has that mentality and he’s going to attack. It’s all effort and attitude and pursuit."
3) Defense knew it had to step up: Bathiany said the Crusaders went back to basics this week and focused on their fundamentals.
“We got back to basics, focusing on aligning, getting off our blocks and tackling,” Bathiany said.
French said it was all about attitude for the young defensive players who have watched their offensive teammates lighting it up all season. The Moeller offense struggled at times, gaining only 204 yards.
“We had to step up for them,” French said. “They’ve done that for us the whole season. We got them and they have us.”
Top players in the game
Alex French, Moeller: The senior linebacker had four tackles in addition to the two fumble recoveries, one for a touchdown.
Kyler Paul, Moeller: The senior linebacker led Moeller with 11 tackles, four for loss with a sack. That came with four minutes to go in the game, which helped shut down the Bombers’ comeback effort. He also forced the fumble that Alex French returned for a touchdown in the first quarter.
Devin Orr, Moeller: He kicked two field goals to give Moeller a 20-3 lead, the first one coming from 46 yards out. It would have been good from 50 or longer. He also helped the Moeller defense by getting touchbacks on four of five kickoffs. On the one exception, St. X started at its own 18.
Jordan Marshall, Moeller: The senior running back had 136 rushing yards, leaving him with 4,084 career yards, 14 away from tying the Moeller school record of 4,098 held by Marcus Blanks (Class of 2001).
Jakobe Clapper, St. Xavier: He led the Bombers with 10 tackles, six in the first half.
Andrew Weber, St. Xavier: He had an interception in the first half and a pass breakup.
Turning point
Moeller took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when Moeller pressured Herbstreit into a turnover. Kyler Paul knocked the ball loose. French scooped up the ball and ran untouched for a 20-yard touchdown.
“It was a big momentum change,” French said. “I’m happy for my teammates who stripped the ball. They did more work than me. I just had to pick it up and score.”
Said Bathiany: “Analytically, anytime you get a defensive touchdown, your chances of winning just increase dramatically.”
What’s next
It will be a big week in the GCL-South, as Moeller hosts La Salle at Mount St. Joseph, and St. Xavier hosts Elder. La Salle beat Canisius (N.Y.) 30-13 Friday and Elder won 31-21 at Louisville St. Xavier, which is ranked No. 1 in Kentucky 6A.
Moeller 20, St. Xavier 10
St. Xavier 0 0 3 7-10
Moeller 7 7 3 3-20
M – Marshall 4 run (Orr kick)
M – French (Orr kick)
STX – Cengia 24 field goal
M – Orr 46 field goal
M – Orr 21 field goal
STX – Napier 3 pass from Herbstreit (Cengia kick)
Records: M 2-3 (1-0 GCL-S), STX 3-2 (0-1)
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Moeller defense steps up in 20-10 win over St. Xavier
