ST. VINCENT STOPS CHAFFEE TO IMPROVE TO PERFECT 8-0

A large part of Chaffee's plan to ruin St. Vincent's perfect 1998 season last night depended upon staying within striking distance by halftime.

It might have worked better if it wasn't for that meddling kicker.

Derek Kutz, St. Vincent's sophomore field goal kicker, connected on field goals of 41 and 43 yards in the first half, helping the Indians to a 20-6 lead at the break.

St. Vincent went on to win 41-12 in its first game in Class 1A District 1 play. St. Vincent improved to 8-0 for the first time since 1985. Chaffee is 0-8.

"Take off the two field goals and it's 14-6," Chaffee coach Brian Horrell said. "Any team has a chance at 14-6 at the half. It's hard to defend an exceptional kicker like that."

With some of the devil taken out of the Red Devils by Kutz's kicking, the St. Vincent defense went to town in the third quarter.

Defensive lineman Mike Winkler sacked Chaffee quarterback Travis Hanback and recovered the subsequent fumble to set up the Indians' first score of the second half, a 19-yard pass from Justin Amschler to Ryan Prost.

A three-and-out Red Devil offensive sequence led to the second score, a 6-yard pass from Amschler to Prost -- Prost's third touchdown of the game -- giving St. Vincent a 34-6 lead with one minute, 26 seconds left in the third quarter.

"I think in the first half, we underestimated them," St. Vincent linebacker Aaron Unterreiner said of Chaffee, which took the Indians to double overtime in a 13-7 St. Vincent win last year. "In the second half, we got it together. I think the key was, the D-line was getting through and popping people."

Chaffee was able to move the ball in the first half by pulling its guards. Nick Cook led the way with 26 first half rushing yards.

The Red Devils could not sustain a drive, however, and fell behind 17-0.

Bryan Meyer started the scoring for St. Vincent, with a 25-yard run off left tackle with 5:19 left in the first quarter. Dusty Wengert's kick made it 7-0.

Prost caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Joey Ponder with 8:24 left in the second quarter to put the Indians up 14-0.

Two minutes later, an interception by Dusty Cattoor gave St. Vincent the ball at the Red Devils' 30. St. Vincent could move the ball only to the 25, but Kutz booted a 41-yard field goal on fourth down for a 17-0 St. Vincent lead.

Chaffee struck back quickly. Hanback hit Andy Proffer on a 10-yard slant and Proffer ran the rest of the way for a 75-yard touchdown. The conversion pass failed, and Chaffee trailed 17-6.

But after stopping St. Vincent on its final drive before halftime, Kutz gave the Red Devils another shot to the solar plexis, driving a 43-yard field goal through the uprights.

Neither looked like a fluke.

"On the first one, I just wanted to get it through," said Kutz, a 5-foot-9, 130-pound sophomore who had a previous-best of 38 yards this season. "The second, I had more confidence because of the first. I just tried not to think about it."

"That little guy can kick," Winkler said.