CCHS Football Game Results

Friday, September 17, 2010

Steubenville Catholic Central 26, Toronto High 6

WRAP-UP from steubenvillecentralcrusaders.com, published 9/22/2010

Crusaders Head North to Toronto in Search of First Win

Written by Mario Saggio

Steubenville Catholic Central and Toronto will both be looking for their first win of the 2010 campaign when the Crusaders head North on Route 7 for their annual battle with the Red Knights.

Unfortunately, the two teams have seen their seasons take similar routes, with each suffering shutout losses the past two weeks.

Central is coming off a 41-0 loss to defending West Virginia Class A champion Weirton Madonna this past Saturday, while Toronto suffered a 34-0 setback at Southern Local last Friday.

The two teams have faced one common opponent. Central falling 40-7 in week one to Bridgeport, while the Red Knights fell 42-0 to the Bulldogs a week later.

For Catholic Central, junior tailback Jon Emmerling had 35 yards on 11 carries last week against Madonna. Junior Jordan Piergallini added 19 yards on five carries. Senior fullback Cody Lynskey only carried twice for six yards, but continued to provide toughness as lead blocker for the Central ground game.

The Crusaders will look to get their passing game in gear behind freshman quarterback Brenton Colabella. Senior Vince Parise and sophomore Kyle Laukert also saw action under center last week.

Junior wideout Brannt Pieniazek leads the Crusaders in receptions, while junior tight end B.J. Grandinetti has been targeted more in recent weeks.

Key to the Crusaders’ efforts to improve their offensive output is avoiding turnovers, which have plagued them so far this season. Catholic Central has turned the ball over four times in each of their first three games.

For Toronto, Erik Meek is back for his second stint as head coach, going a combined 8-12 during the 1993-94 campaigns. He has a career record of 84-64, including a 14-0 campaign in 2005 that culminated in the Red Riders capturing the West Virginia Class AA state title.

Senior tailback DeVonte McGhee, a 6-3, 220-pound transfer from the Columbus area, has led the Toronto rushing attack, including a 119-yard effort in the season opener against Wellsville. Junior Alex Donahue (5-6, 145) added 30 yards and a 1-yard touchdown in that 13-12 loss. Another junior, 5-10, 150-pound Ralph King, mans the fullback spot.

Dillan Gault, a 6-0, 165-pound sophomore, has seen significant time at quarterback, along with 5-10, 160-pound junior Shane Mosti.

Junior Spenser Sninchak (6-1, 215), is one of the Red Knight’s main targets from his tight end spot, along with wideouts Brian Cox, a 6-1, 160-pound junior, and sophomores Joey Chadwick (5-10, 150), and Kyle Applegarth (5-5, 130).

Toronto has good size along the offensive line, with senior Kevan Brown (6-2, 210) and sophomore Jake Haynes (5-11, 250) manning the tackle spots; seniors Mick DeSantis (5-10, 225) and Cory Hoffmaster (5-9, 225) lining up at guard; and senior Trevor Cooper (5-11, 215) at center.

Defensively, Sninchak and Brown bookend the Red Knights’ four-man front, while 6-2, 260-pound junior Aaron Thompson and DeSantis hold down the interior.

McGhee and Mosti are the inside linebackers, while King and 5-7, 155-pound freshman Morley Mardsen hold down the outside linebacker spots.

The starting secondary consists of Chadwick, along with sophomore John Marriner (5-6, 135) and freshman Tony McGhee (5-5, 130).

Friday’s clash will be the 38th between the two long-time rivals, with the Crusaders holding a 27-9-1 edge in the series. Central has won the last nine meetings, including last year’s 47-0 win at Harding Stadium.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m at Toronto’s Clarke Hinkle Stadium.

Crusaders Quick Start Leads to Victory Over Toronto

Written by Mario Saggio

The Steubenville Catholic Central Crusaders had not scored in over nine quarters heading into their game Friday night at Toronto. Junior tailback Jon Emmerling put an end to that scoreless streak in a hurry, taking the opening kickoff back 75 yards for the touchdown that kick-started the Crusaders’ 26-6 win over the home-standing Red Knights.

The Crusaders’ first win of the 2010 season also ended a different streak and continued another. It was Central’s first win after seven straight losses, dating back to a 47-0 win over Toronto in week six of last season. Friday night’s victory also marked the Crusaders’ 10th straight win against Toronto, giving Central a 28-9-1 advantage in the all-time series with the Red Knights, who fell to 0-4 with the loss.

Emmerling gathered in the Red Knights’ kickoff on his own 25, broke from the pack in the middle of the field and scampered down the left sideline to paydirt. Junior Alex Bednar’s extra point gave the Crusaders a 7-0 lead just 16 seconds into the game.

The Central defense forced a Toronto punt on the Red Knights’ first possession before freshman quarterback Brenton Colabella engineered a 10-play, 75-yard drive the culminated in junior Jordan Piergallini’s four-yard touchdown run with 3:57 left in the opening stanza.

Toronto punted again and the Crusaders began their next possession at their own 32. On first down, junior Brannt Pieniazek broke loose for a 34-yard run, but the Red Knight defense stiffened, taking over on downs when Colabella’s completion to junior fulback Jimmy Panella was short of the first-down marker.

After another Toronto punt, Central took over on the Red Knight 48 and managed to get to the Red Knight three-yard line on a 22-yard pass from Colabella to sophomore wideout Michael Carapellotti. The Crusaders were unable to punch it in before the end of the half, though, and took a 13-0 lead to the locker room.

The home-standing Red Knights took the second half kickoff and moved to the Central 22 before the drive stalled. The Crusaders struck paydirt six plays latter when Colabella hit Pieniazek in stride for a 56-yard touchdown with 4:48 remaining in the third quarter to increase the Crusader lead to 19-0, as the two-point conversion attempt failed.

Both defenses stiffened and the Red Knights took over deep inside their own territory after an exchange or punts. A Toronto fumble at their own 22-yard line gave the Crusaders a chance to put the game away. However, Piergallini’s 6-yard touchdown was called back and the Crusaders eventually turned the ball over on downs.

On Toronto’s first play, Central senior safety Vince Parise stepped in front of Dillan Gault’s errant pass and scampered 24 yards for a Crusader touchdown. Freshman Josh Merriman’s PAT increased the Central lead to 26-0.

Toronto did manage to score on an eight-yard toss from Gault to junior tight end Spenser Sninchak with 2:58 left in the game.

Colabella completed eight of 14 passes for 138 yards, with a touchdown and interception for the Crusaders. He connected with Pieniazek, Emmerling and Carapellotti twice each.

Emmerling and senior fullback Cody Lynskey each rushed for 37 yards apiece to pace the Crusader rushing attack.

Devonte McGhee was the offensive stalwart for Toronto, garnering 188 of the Red Knights’ 209 rushing yards, on 24 carries.

Shane Mosti completed two of three aerials for 12 yards for Toronto, while Gault’s two attempts resulted in the touchdown to Sninchak and Parise’s interception return.

Catholic Central returns to action Saturday at 12:30 when they travel to Nelson Field to take on the Big Reds of Bellaire, who are 2-2 on the season.