McDowell celebrates Metro League girls flag football title
Watch McDowell celebrate the Metro League girls flag football title.
Abigail Pulcinello has been one of the top defensive players in the area during the inaugural season of girls flag football.
She had a few more elite plays on Sunday, May 24, to secure the Metro League championship for McDowell.
Pulcinello not only knocked away a potential game-tying extra point, she made a game-clinching tackle in the final seconds of the Metro League championship as McDowell beat rival Cathedral Prep 7-6 at Dollinger Field.
“I’m very proud of our defense and Prep is a tough team with amazing athletes,” Pulcinello said. “This was a team win and every girl on this field is ecstatic.”
McDowell finished its first season of girls flag football with a 7-1 record and the Metro League title, while Prep ended the season 5-6. Mercyhurst Prep (3-5) ended the season with a 7-0 win over Erie High (1-7) in the third-place game.
Prep and McDowell battled through the first half but both offenses struggled to find the end zone. Brooklyn DiRaimo had an interception and Jessica Beveridge knocked down a goal-line pass to end a drive for the Ramblers’ defense, while Reese Hammond had a fourth-down stop on the goal line for the Trojans.
“We get it done on defense,” said McDowell defender Grace Faulkner. “I think this game came down to who wanted it more. When they went fast, we went faster.”
With just seconds left in the first half, Pulcinello took a pitch and fired a throw to the end zone to senior Sophia Loomis. McDowell converted the one-point play to take a 7-0 lead at halftime.
“This means a lot to see our hard work pay off,” said Loomis, a Mercyhurst recruit. “We didn’t have a lot of time to put this team together, but our coaches and everyone was amazing.”
Prep put together a big drive in the middle of the fourth quarter capped by a touchdown run by Kayley McCall. Pulcinello, however, knocked away the one-point to keep the score 7-6 McDowell.
The Ramblers used their timeouts to get the ball back with less than two minutes left and drove the ball to the 20-yard line. Beveridge then fired a pass over the middle to DiRaimo, who made a big cut and was on her way to the end zone when Pulcinello reached out and grabbed her flag. The Ramblers tried to scramble and line up but time ran out.
“I’m proud of us and our defense,” Loomis said. “We put in a few new defenses this week that were more tailored to Prep’s offense and it led to a lot of stops. I’m just thankful for our coaches and everyone for this season.”
Contact Tom Reisenweber at treisenweber@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNreisenweber.
