CCHS Football Game Results

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Bridgeport High 40, Steubenville Catholic Central 7

WRAP-UP from steubenvillecentralcrusaders.com, published 8/28/2010

Crusaders Face Stiff Test to Open 2010 Season

Written by Mario Saggio

The Steubenville Catholic Central Crusaders open the 2010 football season, Thursday night, August 26, against the Bridgeport Bulldogs in the first meeting between the two schools since 1938.

Despite losing 16 seniors from last year’s hard-luck 2-8 squad, the young Crusaders do return 14 lettermen who will anchor Catholic Central’s efforts this season.

Youth will be served, though, as 19 freshmen will be donning the Blue and Gold, including Brenton Colabella, who gets the nod at quarterback. Senior Vince Parise adds depth at the quarterback slot.

Lining up in the backfield with him will be junior tailback Jon Emmerling and senior fullback Cody Lynskey. Also seeing action will be sophomore John Anthony D’Ulisse and junior Jimmy Panella.

Junior Brannt Pieniazek and senior Garrett Kiedrowski will be the wideouts, while junior Alex Bednar will start at tight end.

The offensive line will be manned by senior lettermen - Justin Virtue and Josh Tysz at tackle, Anthony Barezinsky and Sean Hughes at guard, and Nate Barker at center.

Defensively, Bednar and Hughes will bookend the Crusader front line, with help from juniors Stephen Callaway and Jordan Piergallini.

Virtue, Barezinsky and Barker will work in at the two tackle spots.

The linebacking corps consists of Lynskey, Panella and Emmerling, along with juniors David Bertoia and B.J. Grandinetti.

Patrolling the Crusader secondary will be Kiedrowski and Pieniazek at the corners, along with seniors Vince Parise and Collin Valero, and junior Stephen Mihalyo, at safety.

Bednar will handle the placekicking and punting duties.

Head Coach Rudy Vavrock’s Bridgeport squad is coming off a 10-2 season that saw them garner a playoff berth in Ohio Division 6, Region 23. The Bulldogs look for even bigger things this year with many of their stalwarts from 2009 returning.

Among them are senior Chris Smelley at tailback, who rushed for over 1,400 yards and scored 25 touchdowns in ’09. Juniors Cole Smelley and Curt Smelley round out the backfield, returning at quarterback and fullback.

Senior Garrett Price returns in the slot, along with junior Mike Dalto at tight end. Senior Nate Dober, juniors Cody Frey andThomas Flowers and sophomore Dallas Fields fill out the receiving corps.

The offensive line will be anchored by seniors Cameron Baker, at center, and Kyle Digiandomenico, who will line up at tackle opposite Matt Gregorcic.

The Bulldog defensive front features Chris Smelley and Gregorcic on the ends and Digiandomenico and Baker at tackle.

Curt Smelley, Dalto and Flowers head up the linebacking corps while the secondary will be led by Cole Smelley, Frey, Price and Dober.

This will be the third meeting between the two schools, with the Bulldogs winning both of the previous meetings, 13-12 in 1937 and 26-0 in 1938.

Bridgeport Spoils Crusaders’ Debut

Written by Mario Saggio

A powerful and diverse Bridgeport rushing attack helped the Bulldogs race out to a 27-0 halftime lead on their way to a season-opening 40-7 win over Catholic Central Thursday night at Steubenville’s Harding Stadium.

The Bulldogs scored on their first play from scrimmage when Curtis Smelley rumbled 53 yards to pay dirt, and they never looked back. Bridgeport moved to the Crusader 3-yard line on their next possession, but were turned away by the Central defense on fourth-and-goal.

After forcing a Central punt, Bridgeport took over deep in Crusader territory and scored on Garrett Price’s 11-yard jaunt at the beginning of the second quarter. His P.A.T. built the lead to 13-0.

Another Central punt put the Bulldogs back on their own 22 before they embarked on a nine-play drive that culminated in Cole Smelley’s 5-yard scoring run and another conversion off the foot of Price.

Price’s 76-yard punt return and extra point closed out the first-half scoring.

The young, but scrappy Crusaders forced a Bridgeport punt to start the second half and then drove 94 yards in nine plays before junior fullback Jimmy Panella scored from the one. Alex Bednar added the P.A.T. to cut the lead to 27-7.

Bridgeport answered three plays later on Price’s 41-yard run and his fourth extra point of the night. Central mounted another impressive drive on their ensuing possession but fumbled deep in Bulldog territory.

Chris Smelley got the game’s final score, on an 11-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Bridgeport totaled 296 yards on 42 rushes, led by Curtis and Chris Smelley, with 91 yards each, while Garrett Price added 90 yards to the ground game.

Cole Smelley finished three of six from the air, with Price snagging two passes for 17 yards and Cody Frey one for 36.

Stymied by four lost fumbles, Catholic Central netted 105 yards on the ground, paced by junior tailback Jon Emmerling’s 65-yard effort. Senior fullback Cody Lynskey added another 56 yards rushing.

Freshman quarterback Brenton Colabella threw for 71 yards, on six of 12 passing, in his varsity debut. Emmerling was his main target, snagging three passes for 36 yards, while juniors Brannt Pieniazek, B.J. Grandinetti and Bednar added one reception each.

The Crusaders return to action Friday when they travel to Ridgewood, a 61-14 winner over Buckeye Trail in their opener.