Published on: Thursday, September 09, 2010

By Brandy L. Simms

OLNEY- One week after beating Ohio powerhouse St. Xavier on national television, top-ranked Good Counsel was upset by Gilman on Saturday night, 28-7, in the inaugural I-95 Kickoff Classic at Johnny Unitas Stadium on the Towson University campus.

Gilman, the top-ranked team in the Baltimore area, was led by senior quarterback Darius Jennings.

“He was phenomenal,” Good Counsel senior Vincent Croce said. “He did what everybody knows what he’s capable of.”

 The Division I prospect, who has received numerous scholarship offers from schools such as Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and UCLA, rushed for 142 yards on 25 carries and scored twice including a 28-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cyrus Jones in the second quarter.

“He’s quick, he’s fast, he’s got great vision,” Croce said about Jennings.

Good Counsel, which entered the game ranked No. 9 in the USA Today Super 25, played without standout junior running back Wes Brown who was injured in the St. Xavier game. The Falcons also lost standout defensive lineman Ryan Watson who was injured on the opening series against Gilman.

“We just have to work through that. Injuries happen — it’s part of the game,” Croce said.

Gilman scored on the game’s opening possession, driving 71 yards in seven plays, capped by a four-yard touchdown run by Jennings.

Good Counsel answered with a nine-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Zach Dancel to Croce, tying the game at 7-7 before the Greyhounds scored 21 unanswered points en route to the victory.

The loss snapped Good Counsel’s seven-game winning streak, marking the Falcons first defeat since a 24-21 loss to DeMatha last season.

It was also Good Counsel’s first loss to a team other than DeMatha in three years. The Falcons lost to league rival St. John’s, 14-11, on Sept. 21, 2007. The Falcons also suffered their most lopsided loss since a 34-7 beating by DeMatha in the 2008 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship game.

The schedule doesn’t get any easier for Good Counsel as the Falcons face a bye week before hosting State College (Pa.) on Sept. 17.