Saturday, August 27, 2011

    Steubenville Catholic Central 35, New Philadelphia Tuscarawas Central 13   

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 WRAP-UP from steubenvillecentralcrusaders.com, published 9/1/2011

OTHER ARTICLES FOR THIS GAME:
PREVIEW from steubenvillecentralcrusaders.com, published 8/26/2011

Crusaders Open 2011 Season, New Era Against Tuscarawas Central Catholic

Written by Mario Saggio

The Fighting Crusaders of Steubenville Catholic Central open the 2011 season, and a new era, Saturday night at Harding Stadium when they host the Saints from New Philadelphia Tuscarawas Central Catholic. Athletic Director and veteran assistant football coach Steve Daley will take the reins when he patrols the Crusader sideline for the first time as head coach.

Daley and his staff will look to start the season on a winning note in hopes of turning around recent fortunes that have seen the Crusaders struggle to a 6-24 mark the past three seasons. Central looks to change things up and kickstart the offense by using multiple formations and spreading the field.

Sophomore Brenton Colabella returns at quarterback after showing uncharacteristic poise as a freshman, throwing for over 1,000 yards and six touchdowns during his baptism-by-fire. Backing him up will be mobile junior Kyle Laukert, who will also see action at the slot.

Two of the focal points of last year’s offense return in seniors Jon Emmerling and Brannt Pieniazek. As the Crusaders’ starting tailback last season, Emmerling led Central in rushing and also caught 21 passes for 231 yards. Pieniazek was the Crusaders’ main pass-receiving threat in 2010, snaring 24 passes for 352 yards and five touchdowns.

Senior Joe Fallon and sophomores Ryan Fletcher and Khalil Jones bring quality depth to the slot position.

Senior Jim Panella and junior John-Anthony D’Ulisse give the Crusaders a hard-running combo at the fullback position.

The Crusader receiving corps boasts plenty of experience in juniors Zach Herrington and Mike Carapellotti, as well as seniors Steve Mihalyo and B.J. Grandinetti. Herrington snagged 10 passes for 102 yards and a score last year, while Carapellotti added 119 yards on 11 catches, and Mihalyo two catches for 20 yards.

Rangy senior Alex Bednar is back at tight end, along with sophomore Luke Potenzini.

Senior guard Stephen Callaway is the mainstay among the Crusader offensive linemen. Sophomores Jake McCann and Jimmy Joe Mort will see time at the other guard spot.

A pair of juniors, Geno Taglione and Harley Ehrman, will line up at tackle, with depth coming from senior Nathan Paulman and junior Stephen Butto.

Junior Kevan Zapolnik starts at center, with help from sophomore Josh Merriman.

Defensively, the Crusaders will use multiple fronts from a base 4-3 alignment, with two of last season’s leading tacklers, Emmerling and Panella, returning at linebacker, along with D’Ulisse, Zapolnik and Laukert.

Bednar and Fallon get the nod at defensive end, with Callaway, Taglione and Potenzini also in the mix.

McCann, Mort, Ehrman and Bhutto will combine to man the interior of the Crusader defensive front.

Pieniazek, Carapellotti and Mihalyo bring plenty of experience to the secondary, where they will be joined by Fletcher, Grandinetti and Jones.

Colabella will again handle the punting duties, while Merriman, freshmen Stone Romano and sophomore Johnny DiCarlantonio - along with junior Doug Maslowski - look to solidify the kicking game.

Pieniazek, Mihalyo and Fletcher will be the main punt returners for Central, with the latter joining Fallon and Grandinetti as deep men on kick returns.

The Saints will also have a new face patrolling the sidelines as George Zagales makes his debut as head coach of the Saints. He comes from Archbishop Carroll in Miami, Fla., where he was the head coach for the past eight seasons.

The Saints were 4-6 a year ago, including a 2-5 mark in Inter-Valley Conference play.

Zagales will employ a Wing-T offense, but the Saints will not be one-dimensional, with the return of 5-11, 175-pound senior Travis Craven at quarterback. As a junior, he threw for nearly 1,600 yards.

Senior halfback Chris Burley (5-11, 170) will be the stalwart of the Saints’ rushing attack, while junior Michael Lawless (6-3, 215) and senior Ben Burnham (5-9, 165) will split duties at fullback.

A pair of freshmen, wingback Alex Milleman (6-1, 165) and wideout Cade Cummings (5-11, 170), lend speed to the Tusky Catholic attack.

5-11, 170-pound senior Andrew Onslow lines up at tight end for the Saints.

The offensive line has good size, led by senior Jacob Fondriest (5-10, 215) and sophomore center Michael Pruni (5-9, 230), along with tackles Michael Hauber. a 6-0, 270-pound junior, and John Burley, a 6-1, 230-pound freshman; sophomore guards Logan Myers (6-1, 240) and Matt Fondriest (5-10, 175); and junior center Gerard Addelman (5-10, 200).

Defensively, Tusky Catholic will employ an aggressive 5-2 set, spearheaded by the elder Fondriest and Burnham on the ends. Myers will anchor the middle of the defensive front, with the younger Fondriest and Addelman manning the tackle slots.

Michael Lawless and fellow junior Tim Robie (6-0, 180) are the linebackers.

Onslow and 5-10, 165-pound freshman Michael Teater, will see action at corner, while Erich Kietz (6-3, 175) will line up at free safety. 5-10, 180-pound junior Alex Lawless is the strong safety.

Saturday’s matchup will mark the fourth all-time meeting between the two programs, with the home team having won the previous three. The Crusaders opened the series with a 34-12 win at Harding Stadium in 1996, while the Saints took a 27-20 home victory the following year. The Blue-and-Gold won the rubber match one season later by a 34-0 count.

Kickoff time for Saturday’s matchup is 7 p.m.

Crusaders "Open Up" 2011 In Impressive Fashion

Written by Mario Saggio

Saturday night at Harding Stadium saw Steubenville Catholic Central "open up" the 2011 season - in more ways than one. Under the direction of new head coach Steve Daley, the Crusaders unveiled a new-look spread offense in the Blue-and-Gold’s 35-13 victory over New Philadelphia Tuscarawas Central Catholic.

Advocates of old-school football might cringe at the thought of the Crusaders rushing for a mere 13 yards and the visiting Saints controlling the time of possession by a more than three-to-one margin. Even the staunchest of critics, though, had to like what they saw as sophomore quarterback Brenton Colabella threw for 220 yards and four touchdowns, the Catholic Central defense took control in the second half, and Daley’s troops helped him to celebrate his birthday with his first win at the helm of the Crusader program.

Fans got a hint of what was to come on the Crusaders’ first series as they took the opening kickoff and marched from their own 22-yard line to the Saints’ 35, aided by a 31-yard catch and run by senior fullback Jim Panella. The drive ended, though, when senior slotback Brannt Pieniazek, who had a 13-yard reception on the first play from scrimmage, couldn’t reel in Colabella’s fourth-down pass.

It would be one of the few times on the evening that the two did not connect.

The Saints answered with a time-consuming drive of their own, using nine plays to drive from their own 35 to Central’s 33 before Crusader sophomore defensive back Ryan Fletcher broke up Travis Craven’s end-zone pass on fourth down.

The visitors forced the Crusaders into a three-and-out on their next series before Colabellla boomed a 53-yard punt that pinned the Saints back on their own 13-yard line. Three plays later, it was Tusky Catholic who was forced to punt, giving the home team possession at midfield.

Eight plays later, Central struck paydirt as the Colabella to Pieniazek combination connected for a 27-yard score with 34 seconds remaining in the first quarter. The ensuing conversion attempt was wide right, leaving Central’s lead at 6-0.

Tusky Catholic answered with an 11-play, 65-yard scoring drive of their own that culminated in fullback Michael Lawless’ two-yard run with 7:30 left in the half. Michael Pruni’s conversion gave the Saints a 7-6 lead, although it would be short-lived.

Crusader senior return man B.J. Grandinetti fielded the ensuing kickoff at his 12, broke through a gap in coverage, headed for the left sideline, and outran the Tusky Central defenders en route to an 88-yard scoring jaunt that brought the Crusader faithful to their feet and staked his team to a lead that they would not relinquish. Colabella hit Pieniazek for the two-point conversion that upped the lead to 14-7.

Again, the Saints responded, taking over at their own 33 after the kickoff and marching the length of the field with an 18-play scoring drive that was capped by halfback Chris Burley’s one-yard burst with only nine seconds remaining in the half. The visitors were unable to tie the score, though, as Crusader senior Stephen Callaway blocked Pruni’s extra point attempt.

After Central mishandled the visitors’ squib kick, the Saints took over at the Crusader 47 and completed a pass down to the 30, but the play was called back on a holding penalty and the half ended 14-13.

The Crusader defense stiffened in the second half, forcing the visitors to punt after three runs netted only four yards on their initial drive. Taking possession on their own 38, the Crusaders needed only six plays to extend their lead. Completions to senior Jon Emmerling for 30 yards and Pieniazek for 27 set up Colabella’s second scoring toss of the night, a 5-yarder to senior tight end Alex Bednar in the right flat, after he avoided the Saints’ rush. Junior Doug Maslowski split the uprights, giving Central a 21-13 lead with 8:22 remaining in the third quarter.

Tusky Catholic started from their own 20 following a short kickoff return and quickly garnered two first downs before back-to-back penalties hindered the drive. Junior Kevan Zapolnik then recorded the first of consecutive sacks for the Crusaders before senior defensive end Joe Fallon did the same, forcing a fumble that Bednar recovered on the visitors’ 17-yard line.

The scoring threat was quickly squelched, though, as the Crusaders fumbled on first down, giving the Saints the pigskin back at their own 26.

Undaunted, the Crusader defense forced another three-and-out before Fletcher took a Saints’ punt at his own 31 and returned it all the way to the Tusky Catholic 30. One play later, the Crusaders were in the end zone as Colabella again connected with Pieniazek, this time in the right corner of the end zone. Maslowski’s second PAT of the night pushed the Crusader advantage to 28-13.

Taking over on their own 28, the Saints decided to forego a punt on fourth-and-two from their 36 but Central sophomore Khalil Jones’ blanket coverage forced an incompletion that gave the Crusaders excellent field position.

Again, the Crusaders wasted little time in reaching paydirt. A 10-yard completion from Colabella to Fletcher garnered one first down before the sophomore signal-caller fired his fourth touchdown pass of the night, splitting the Saints’ secondary with a bullet to Pieniazek for his third score of the young season, this one from 24 yards out. Maslowski was again perfect on the conversion in capping the night’s scoring.

While Pieniazek led the Crusaders with 121 yards on five receptions, Colabella spread the wealth, connecting with seven different receivers in going 12 for 18 through the air. Emmerling latched onto two passes for 35 yards, while Panella, Fletcher, Grandinetti and Bednar, along with junior wideout Zach Herrington, added one reception apiece.

Despite the limited production from the rushing game, Panella converted two crucial fourth-and-short situations, sustaining drives for the Central offense. Colabella added nine yards rushing on three carries.

The Saints did control time of possession and first downs, by a 16-10 margin, with a strong running game that racked up 200 yards on 59 carries. However, the Crusader defense buckled down in the second half, limiting the Saints to 47 yards rushing on 25 attempts after intermission.

Lawless and Burley each rushed 22 times, gaining 96 and 80 yards, respectively. Alex Lawless added another 30 yards on nine carries.

Saints’ quarterback Craven completed nine of 14 passes for 64 yards, with Burley hauling in five of those for 39 yards. Cade Cummings was on the receiving end of the other four completions, adding 25 more yards through the air.

The Saints will look to rebound this week when they entertain Gates Mills Gilmour Academy Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

The Crusaders return to action this Saturday at Jimmy Carey Stadium in Weirton, taking on the Blue Dons of Weirton Madonna. Although Central owns a 7-3-1 advantage in the all-time series, the Blue Dons have won the last two meetings between these cross-river rivals, and are coming off a 37-12 season-opening win at Pine Grove Valley.

Kickoff for Saturday’s contest is set for 7:00 p.m.

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