Published on: Friday, September 03, 2010

By Brandy L. Simms

In front of a national television audience on ESPN and before a raucous crowd at Ballaban Field in Cincinnati, the Good Counsel Falcons made a resounding statement for Maryland high school football Sunday with a convincing 21-6 win over Ohio powerhouse St. Xavier.

“It was huge going up there to their place, their environment,” Good Counsel senior quarterback Zach Dancel said. “It was a huge confidence booster. People will definitely start giving Maryland props for their football.”

Good Counsel, The Sentinel’s top-ranked team, entered the game ranked No. 15 in the POWERADE FAB 50 ESPN RISE preseason poll and No. 10 in the USA Today Super 25. Meanwhile, St. Xavier was ranked No. 39 in the POWERADE FAB 50 ESPN RISE poll.

The Falcons were led by the stellar play of talented junior wide receiver/defensive back Stefon Diggs, who tallied two interceptions, two sacks — including a forced fumble — and two tackles for a loss. He returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter and had a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown nullified by a penalty moments earlier.

Diggs was also a threat on offense as the junior set up Good Counsel’s first score with a 21-yard reception. Two plays later, sophomore running back Dorian O’Daniel scored from three yards out to tie the game at six apiece before Kyle Hamby’s extra point gave the Falcons a 7-6 advantage. Diggs finished with five receptions for 91 yards.

“Stefon, he’s a real good player,” Dancel said. “He comes up big when we need him. I knew he could do some of the things that he did.”

Michael Jefferson returned an interception 56 yards for a score late in the fourth quarter, giving the Falcons a 14-6 lead.

After falling behind in the first quarter, 6-0, on an 11-yard touchdown run by St. Xavier junior tailback Conor Hundley, Good Counsel rallied behind Diggs.

 “He was great,” Good Counsel senior Vincent Croce said. “That’s what great players do in great games.”

The focus now shifts to Gilman, who the Falcons play in this weekend’s inaugural I-95 Kickoff Classic. Good Counsel and Gilman are scheduled to kick off Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Johnny Unitas Stadium on the Towson University campus. The Falcons defeated Gilman, 49-37, in last year’s meeting with the Greyhounds.

“It’s always a pretty explosive game,” Croce said.