Part of Judge's sudden sluggishness had to do with the loss of speedy halfback and cornerback Matt Smalley.
After delivering a pair of scores in the first quarter, including a 71-yard jaunt, Smalley, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound senior, left with a left-ankle injury midway through the second period and did not return.
"We're a lot better when he's in there," said Judge's Raul Quinones, a senior halfback and outside linebacker. "When we're on offense, teams tend to key on him and that opens up things for me."
On Judge's first possession, Smalley turned a right-side bubble screen pass from lefthanded quarterback Rob Daniels (14-for-24 passing, 157 yards) into a 41-yard TD.
Minutes later, linebacker Brandon Spatz intercepted Skyler Mornhinweg's pass over the middle and returned it 48 yards to give the Crusaders (4-1 overall, 1-0 league) a 14-0 advantage.
It was 21-0 after Smalley (88 yards on five carries) made his way to the right sideline, turned upfield, and put the burners on en route to his ninth rushing TD of the season.
"We just came out flat," second-year Prep coach Gabe Infante said. "I can't explain it. We were playing catch-up all day."
The Prep's first score came just before intermission. When two defensive backs moved toward wideout Jim Hurley near the left sideline, Mornhinweg found tight end Eric Medes in the clear for a 19-yard TD.
In the third quarter, the Hawks (3-2, 0-1) turned an interception by freshman cornerback John Reid into Mornhinweg's 2-yard TD toss to Dan Sherry.
In the fourth, after rugged lineman Eric Condron (team-high 12 tackles) and company stopped a Prep drive at the Judge 32, the Crusaders used eight plays, including a 32-yard reception by wideout Tim Mills, to set up Connor Foley's 27-yard field goal with 2:07 to go.
Soon after, Quinones, who carried 19 times for 38 yards, made his second interception in as many games.
"He's just a tough football player," Coyle said. "On offense, he'd just as soon run through you as run by you."
Mornhinweg (63 yards rushing) completed 16 of 38 passes for 150 yards. Prep sophomore halfback Vince Moffett netted 65 yards on 17 carries.
Father Judge 21 0 0 3 – 24
St. Joseph's Prep 0 7 7 0 – 14
FJ: Smalley 41 pass from Daniels (Foley kick)
FJ: Spatz 48 interception return (Foley kick)
FJ: Smalley 71 run (Foley kick)
SJP: Medes 19 pass from Mornhinweg (Battin kick)
SJP: Sherry 2 pass from Mornhinweg (Battin kick)
FJ: FG Foley 27
Contact staff writer Rick O'Brien at 610-313-8019, robrien@phillynews.com,
or @ozoneinq on Twitter. Read his blog, "The O'Zone,"
at www.philly.com/ozone.
