A game that featured very few punts was crying out for someone to make a defensive impact, and Prospect senior safety Caden Moran filled that void.
Moran made three interceptions on Thursday — two in the end zone that thwarted Fremd drives and then one that set up the touchdown that put the Knights up by two scores.
“We needed to see where we were going to be at when our backs were up against the wall and the game was tight, and I think this group showed a lot of grit tonight,” Prospect coach Dan DeBoeuf said.
Indeed, Moran and Prospect made a statement by beating Fremd 35-21 in a Mid-Suburban League crossover between two undefeated teams.
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The game was scoreless in the first quarter when Moran went up high in the end zone to snag his first interception. It was tied 14-14 just before halftime when Moran ended another Fremd threat in the end zone. Then his midfield pick in the third quarter set up the score that put the Knights (4-0) up 28-14.
“I went up to my coach after that third pick, and I was like, ‘I can’t even believe it, it feels like I’m in a dream,’” Moran said. “Owen Anderson, he was a safety four years ago. He has an in-game record of three picks. I tied it, and I was like, ‘I need to get that fourth pick.’
“Sadly didn’t, but I’m still proud to tie that record. It was just amazing.”
Moran is the only senior in Prospect’s defensive secondary, so DeBoeuf credited him with getting his teammates in the right spots, before any ball-hawking begins.
“It’s hard to explain, but being a two-year starter just gives you that extra football instinct,” Moran said. “You just know what’s coming.”
An unforced mistake set up the go-ahead touchdown. On the opening drive of the third quarter, Fremd (3-1) attempted its first punt of the game, but a high snap resulted in a 16-yard loss and great field position for Prospect. The Knights cashed in on quarterback Jackson Cacini’s 25-yard pass to Gordon Kemp two plays later.
Prospect got the ball right back when Moran snagged his third pick near midfield and ran it back to the 26-yard line. That possesstion ended with Matthew Donnelly‘s 16-yard touchdown run that made it 28-14 with 3:12 left in the third quarter.
Donnelly finished with 140 rushing yards on 14 carries, including a 76-yard romp in the first quarter, while Cacini completed 11 of 16 pass attempts for 150 yards.
Fremd also ran the ball well, with Jayden Faulkner producing 106 yards on 17 attempts.
“We didn’t execute in the red zone,” Vikings coach Lou Sponsel said. “Tried to do too much down there. We’re going to learn from this one. It’s Week 4. The goal is to be strong at the end.”
The two teams started with three empty possessions and then traded four touchdowns before halftime. Fremd pulled within 28-21 on the last play of the third quarter, a 20-yard touchdown pass from Will Clark to Carter MacDonald.
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But Prospect put the game away when Cacini connected with Matthew Collins for a 31-yard touchdown on fourth-and-21.
“They’re a big 8A school,” Cacini said of Fremd. “They’re fast, physical, strong. We obviously saw that all night. But knowing that my boys have the best culture with each other, knowing we can lean into each other during those hard times, it really helps us.”