Second-Quarter Outburst Leads Bellaire Over Crusaders
Written by Mario Saggio
Fans expecting to see a high-scoring, pass-filled shootout Saturday night at Harding Stadium had to be scratching their heads at the end of a scoreless first quarter between Steubenville Catholic Central and Bellaire. By the end of the first half, they had to be shaking their heads in disbelief as the visiting Big Reds had put up 35 unanswered points. Both teams then put on an aerial display over the next 24 minutes as Bellaire left town with a 63-27 victory.
Sophomore quarterback Spencer Badia passed for a school-record 507 yards and seven touchdowns for the Big Reds, completing 29 of 42 attempts. The Bellaire signal-caller completed passes to five different receivers, connecting with four different teammates on scoring tosses.
Badia led his squad on an impressive opening drive, moving the Big Reds from their own 33 to the Central 20-yard line where they faced a third-and-three. What looked like a drive-sustaining completion turned into an interception as Crusader sophomore Aleks Porreca wrestled the ball away from a Bellaire receiver at the five-yard line.
Neither team was able to muster much offense throughout the first quarter before the Big Reds’ offense caught fire, needing only four plays to go 70 yards as Badia found Juwan Whetstone behind the Crusader secondary for a 42-yard score early in the second quarter. Tyler Conroy’s PAT gave the visitors a 7-0 lead.
After forcing a three-and-out by the Central offense, Bellaire struck again as Badia hit senior wideout Chuck Myers on a second-down slant for a 47-yard touchdown. Conroy again converted the PAT.
Things quickly went from bad to worse for Catholic Central, as Bellaire’s Manny Ray picked off a Crusader pass on the first play after the kickoff and returned it 43 yards for the score. Conroy’s conversion kick upped the lead to 21-0.
Another Central punt gave the visitors possession on their own 44. Five plays later, the Big Reds were on the board again as Whetstone hauled in his second scoring pass of the night, this one down the right sideline from 41 yards out. Conroy’s extra point attempt again split the uprights, making the score 28-0 midway through the second quarter.
The Bellaire defense forced another Crusader punt before Badia capped a six-play, 72-yard drive with a 19-yard scoring toss to Ray. Conroy’s fifth PAT of the half put the score at 35-0.
The Big Reds showed no signs of letting up after intermission as Nick Patrone’s interception on the first play from scrimmage gave Bellaire possession on their own 35. Eight plays later, Patrone found himself on the receiving end of Badia’s 13-yard scoring toss. The Crusaders blocked Conroy’s conversion attempt.
The Central offense finally got untracked as they needed only four plays to go 65 yards for their first score of the night. Sophomore quarterback Brenton Colabella hit Jon Emmerling on a screen pass that the senior back turned into a 30-yard gain. After a 10-yard run by fullback Jim Panella, Colabella found Brannt Pieniazek down the right sideline for a 25-yard score with 7:04 left in the third quarter. Doug Maslowski added the PAT for Central.
On Bellaire’s ensuing first play from scrimmage, Porreca picked off his second pass of the night, giving the Crusaders possession at the Big Reds’ 44-yard line. Three plays later, Colabella connected with Pieniazek again, this time from 35 yards out and Maslowski’s PAT cut the margin to 41-14.
Bellaire answered on their next possession, marching 65 yards in six plays for the score. Despite tight coverage by the Central defense, Ray hauled in Badia’s fourth-and-two pass for a six-yard score. Conroy’s kick made it 48-14.
The Crusaders came right back, going 84 yards in seven plays for their third score of the night. Colabella hit Emmerling twice for 39 yards, and Panella once for 13 before toting the ball himself for an 11-yard gain that gave Central a first down at the Bellaire 18. From there, he connected with junior Michael Carapellotti, who made a diving catch in the left corner of the end zone with 1:37 left in the third quarter. Maslowski’s conversion attempt was blocked.
Badia connected with Ray from 33 yards out for their third, and final, scoring combination of the night on Bellaire’s next possession, an eight-play, 72-yard drive. Conroy converted his seventh PAT of the night for a 55-20 Bellaire lead.
Keyed by a 22-yard pass from Colabella to junior wideout Zac Herrington, the Crusaders punched in their final score of the night with an eight-play, 63-yard drive that was capped by Panella’s five-yard scoring jaunt. Maslowski capped the Crusader scoring with his third successful PAT.
Bellaire tacked on another score with 2:21 left after recovering a fumble at the Crusader 20-yard line. Bruce Burger’s four-yard run upped the lead to 61-27 before the Big Reds threw for a two-point conversion to close the scoring.
Ray led the Big Red receiving corps with 11 catches for 177 yards and three scores. Whetstone grabbed four passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns, and Myers snagged five for 104 and a score.
Patrone added five receptions for 69 yards and a score, while Josh Davis hauled in four for 45 stripes. The latter paced the Bellaire rushing attack with 58 yards on 11 carries. Burger added 21 yards on five rushes.
For the Crusaders, Colabella finished the night with 304 yards and three scores on 19 of 31 passing.
Pieniazek was on the receiving end of five of those spirals, totaling 128 yards and two scores. Besides Carapellotti’s scoring catch, Emmerling added 76 yards on four catches, Herrington grabbed five passes for 51 yards, and Panella caught three passes for 29 yards.
Panella’s scoring run was part of a nine-carry, 26-yard effort. Sophomore Khalil Jones added 43 yards on two carries.
The Big Reds move to 2-1 on the season, and up their series lead over the Crusaders to 20-15-2. They will be on the road this Friday night against Buckeye Local.
Catholic Central falls to 1-2 with the loss. The Crusaders will try to even their record Saturday night at 7 p.m. against Homecoming opponent Toronto.