Higgins helps B-P to win over O'Hara

WHEN LAST we left Tyler Higgins, the 6-5, 235-pound Bonner-Prendergast High tight end had snatched a walkoff, two-point conversion catch against Archbishop Ryan with no time left on the clock. He had also snared the crucial touchdown on the previous play.

Well, the senior from Havertown was at it again yesterday, this time as an unruly guest of Catholic League host Cardinal O'Hara.

His third-quarter touchdown grab certainly lacked the same last-second gravitas, but it did put the Friars ahead for good, en route to a 33-13 triumph. And with victory comes a playoff rematch with Ryan in 2 weeks.

The moral of the story is: When the Friars need a big play on offense or defense, chances are Higgins is their guy.

"Well, it's not a bad responsibility to have," Higgins joked. "It's definitely kind of nerve-wracking sometimes, but the team trusts me and I trust the team."

Higgins also tallied 3 1/2 sacks and two tackles for loss. All told, his defensive plays cost the Lions 31 yards.

Senior, sticky-fingered wideout Joe Oquendo caught eight balls for 127 yards and two scores, while quarterback Collin DiGalbo finished with 273 passing yards and four touchdowns. The senior also added 56 rushing yards on 15 carries and ran or passed on 45 out of B-P's 58 offensive plays.

"He definitely gives us confidence," Higgins said of DiGalbo. "Once he's rolling, everyone else gets rolling because [the opponents] are more worried about him running than they're worried about him passing."

Yesterday, the early concern was putting the Lions away after some Friar sneakiness snatched halftime momentum. With .4 seconds left in the half, a little hook-and-lateral action helped the Friars (8-1, 3-1) nab a 12-6 advantage.

Oquendo got the first 7 yards, but Aaron McCastle earned the final 17 after taking the flip down the B-P sideline to glory. That sequence could have silenced the Lions for good, especially after their previous drive saw a penalty wipe away a touchdown, which was followed by a missed field goal.

However, led by senior running back Max Ferguson (161 yards on 28 carries), O'Hara (1-8, 1-4) stormed back. A blocked punt by Nick Fallows set up a 6-yard score by Ferguson in the third quarter and put the Lions ahead, 13-12. (Brandon Laughlin scored O'Hara's lone first-half tally.)

That's when Higgins (4 catches, 41 yards) was called into action. In a two-tight-end set, Higgins dragged across the middle, caught DiGalbo's pass at the 1 and powered into the end zone with 1:25 left in the third.

Then, on O'Hara's next possession, Higgins came up with a 6-yard sack that forced an O'Hara punt. DiGalbo responded with a 15-yard scoring toss to Oquendo.

"Defensively, I've made some plays, but not big ones," Higgins said. "But today, I really wanted to go out there and show that I can play defense, too. I'm not just an offensive player."

Perhaps it was contagious. After McCastle and Thomas Becker combined to force and recover (respectively) an O'Hara fumble, DiGalbo and Oquendo teamed again, this time from 29 yards out.

"This win was huge, especially because we were trying to maintain our record and we knew they were going to come out strong," Higgins said. "We were trying to [hold on] and get some momentum heading into the playoffs."

Higgins reports interest from Villanova (he attended last weekend's game), Lehigh, Delaware and others. His 3.2 GPA and an interest in history could help.

Bonner-Prendie is idle this week, but the PCL playoffs will follow. And if the Friars need a big play, look for No. 89.

"I just think I'm pretty confident in making plays," he said. "I think I can do it. I just think I'm capable of carrying that kind of load to make big plays when they need to be made."