FOOTBALL: The Backyard Brawl Lives Up To Its Name

The Backyard Brawl is what Marist and Brother Rice fans were calling Friday night's Week 2 match-up between the two storied football programs.

The name couldn't have been more apropos as the game turned into a slugfest between the Crusaders' power run game and the RedHawks defensive front seven.

When the dust settled, the thumping Brother Rice ground game had just a little more oomph, and at Marist.

“It comes down to character," Brother Rice coach Steve Nye said. "Our players wanted this game no matter what the circumstances and they said, 'Hey, we want our shot.' And they got it."

Nye said he leaned heavily on his running backs because he didn't think Marist's defense could stop his dynamic tandem. He was right, as Andrew Walker and Martez Walker (no relation) combined for 273 of the team's 302 yards on the ground.

“Our offensive line did exactly what they are trained to do and that's fight,” Andrew Walker said. “That's what provided us our success today.”

Marist coach Pat Dunne blamed the loss on one person.

“I told the guys this loss goes on myself,” he said. “As the head coach I've got to do stuff better. … Our guys had an absolutely tremendous effort tonight.”

Dunne said the loss doesn't mean the season has come off the rails for the RedHawks.

“This is Week 2 of the season, this isn't Week 9,” Dunne said. “We've got a lot of season to go. We've got to get better tomorrow, but our guys will move forward from this."