The Ruby Review: 2015 Week 1

Tagged under: District 11, District 2, District 4

Joe Ruby | September 8, 2015

I made it to three games this week, so here’s the scoop on each of them!

Berwick 34, Crestwood 14

Oh, how nervous I was, sitting at Berwick’s Crispin Field, as the Bulldogs and Crestwood Comets went to the locker rooms at halftime, tied 7-7. And how could I not be?! My professional (well, amateur) reputation was on the line; I had been telling people all week how good Berwick’s RB Daquan Hellenthal was, and he didn’t even get a carry in the first half. How would I spin this when I wrote the Week 1 article? And how could Berwick, in such a tight game, not be utilizing him, given how downright explosive he looked towards the end of last year?

Then I overheard some Berwick fans behind me: “Now’s when [Berwick Coach George] Curry makes his adjustments,” one said to another. “Give him time.”

And Curry, who was likely coaching his last first game of the season, made the right adjustments. Hellenthal went from 0 yards rushing at halftime to an astonishing 182 on 13 carries (I vaguely recall someone writing, last week, that “Daquan Hellenthal could put up some eye-popping yards-per-carry numbers.” Whoever wrote that should get a medal), and Berwick outscored Crestwood 20-0 in the fourth quarter to get revenge for last season in convincing fashion. The home team’s depth was on display not only at running back but all over the field; five different players scored for the Dawgs. Junior QB Mike Force had a very tough go of things as the starter, connecting on only one of nine passes and throwing a pick, but he showed quickness on QB keepers, including a three-yard scamper for Berwick’s first score, and should continue to figure into the offense. Sophomore Jared Marshman spelled Force more and more as the game went on; with the defense chasing Hellenthal all over the field, Marshman was able to show off some arm strength, and completed two of his four passes, including a beautiful pass to Senior wideout Luke Fisher, who was able to run the remainder of the 51 yards for the score to put Berwick up for good 50 seconds into the final frame.

For as well as the last frame went for Berwick, Crestwood’s start was nearly as good. Crestwood’s Senior RB dropped the opening kickoff, but as he took time to gather it up again the 21 other players on the field converged directly in front of him; calmly shedding an early tackle, it took him only 10 yards or so to find daylight, and he raced down the left side of the field for an 87-yard score. Unfortunately, this was indicative of a bigger problem for the Comets: while Berwick kept grinding away to keep things level early, Crestwood had to rely on big plays to generate chances. Of course, with the athletes Crestwood carries, it should be no surprise that the big plays came, such as the big fumble recovery and return halfway through the third quarter, set up by Connor Keenan’s blindside QB sack and followed by a 14-yard Kahlau score on the next play, but the Comets’ offense was simply not consistent enough to keep Berwick from running away with things. Consistency would have been forthcoming, I imagine, if RB/FS/super-athlete Lance Blass (all-state honors at FS last year as a sophomore) would have been able to get the ball in space more, but the stout Berwick defense did a fantastic job on the edges.

Unsung Heroes

This year, I’m going to give you a player from each team in each game that might have flown under the radar. This guy could be a lineman, a kicker/punter/special-teamer, a back-up who really showed me something, or someone else who didn’t make the headlines but deserves a shout-out here.

For Berwick, Junior Linebacker Kyle Roberts was able to pin his ears back much of the night and make things difficult for the Comets. He and the rest of Berwick’s front 8 got behind the line of scrimmage constantly, stifling Crestwood’s vaunted single wing for much of the evening.

On the Crestwood side, a melancholy shout-out is due for star lineman Noah Kita. The Senior, who plays on both sides of the ball, was doing a lot of the work clearing out his counterparts on the Berwick line when he was hurt midway through the second quarter and had to leave the game permanently. Once Kita went down, the Comets’ lines were never able to generate the same kind of push. Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery, because Kita’s a heckuva lineman.

Holy Redeemer 21, Holy Cross 0

On Saturday morning, I slept in, waking up at noon, and walked the mile down Carey Avenue from my apartment to Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium for the first half of a day-night doubleheader, as Holy Redeemer and Holy Cross met in the hot sun. And, when I say hot sun, I mean hot sun; the temperature exceeded 90, and the combined glare from the sky and the bleachers blinded and burned anyone foolish enough to not wear a hat or sunglasses. Coincidentally, I may have been the only person in the stadium foolish enough to not wear a hat or sunglasses. I consider it a lesson learned.

The heat was a problem for the players too; the teams in this game dressed under 60 players combined, meaning a lot of young men had to play a lot of downs on the hot turf. Cramps were a consistent problem (as they were all over the PIAA this weekend), and water breaks were frequent.

Despite the temperature, though, it took these teams a while to warm up (har, har); despite a solid opening drive from Holy Cross and a number of sustained drives by Holy Redeemer, the score was 0-0 at the half. The visiting Crusaders’ RB Josh Mies was called on early and often, but just wasn’t able to find much room despite showing some very nice flashes of elusiveness. Royals Junior RB Thomas Engle proved to be a workhorse as well and carried the ball 22 times for just over 100 yards; in fact, the Holy Redeemer offense ran the ball an even 50 times on the afternoon, and ended up wearing down the visitors in the second half.

Unsung Heroes

One of the real bright spots for Holy Cross was Senior LB/WR Casey Connolly, who shot through the line multiple times to pressure Royals QB Cameron Brennan all afternoon. Connolly, who like many Crusaders was pressed into action on both sides of the ball, also caught two passes from his own QB Deion Lewis.

For the Royals, Sophomore Wideout Jonathan Winter (already 6’1”, 190) gave the offense a great deal of flexibility; he ended up with 4 carries for 38 yards and 4 receptions for 50. Look for him to develop as a real threat for this Holy Redeemer offense.

Old Forge 44, G.A.R. 32

After a brief interlude during which I saw a certain college team from the middle of the state get pounded by a certain college team from the southeastern corner of the state, I was right back at Wilkes-Barre Memorial for the nightcap, which saw the Old Forge Blue Devils visiting the Wilkes-Barre G.A.R. Grenadiers. Old Forge, as perennial of a power as it’s possible to be, hadn’t lost a regular season game since September 20, 2013 at Dunmore, so the fact that many local experts picked G.A.R. to snag the victory gave this one a playoff atmosphere.

The most amazing thing about this game, perhaps, is how differently these two teams go about being good. The Grenadiers, led by Senior RB Anthony Maurent (4th in the state in the 100-meter dash last year) and Senior QB Garry Kroll, are all about speed, speed, speed. And though they have some strength up the middle, this team is going to try to run circles around you. The Blue Devils, led by a bruising backfield and punishing offensive line, are all about strength, strength, strength. And though they have some speed around the edges, this team is going to try to wear you down.

Both teams’ talents were on display early; Old Forge jumped out to a 13-0 lead on a bruising run by Brendan Mozeleski and a beautiful open-field juke by Cooper Califano, but G.A.R. got right back in it before the half, as a long Gerson Peralta kick return set up a 39-yard sprint for Maurent, and the Grenadiers’ next drive was capped by a 21-yard catch by Maurent on 4th down to make things 13-12. Old Forge’s Jaret Horn, who also had 40 yards on 9 carries, just snagged a 29-yard field goal as time expired to give the Devils the 16-12 lead at the break.

After receiving the kickoff to start the second half, it didn’t take long for the home Grenadiers – who have the best uniforms in District 2, by the way – to take their first lead of the game. After Old Forge bottled up the first two runs by heavy-hitting change-of-pace back Mike Drozda, Maurent got the call on 3rd and 1. As I saw the play develop, I couldn’t believe it: they were taking their speedster and running him on a dive right up the middle. “That’s not how you utilize his skills,” I thought to myself as the D-line closed in on him, “you have to get him out in space!” By the time I had finished my thought, Maurent had bounced back, rolled out to the right, and was already burning down the right sideline on the way to a 62-yard score. Shows what I know.

Unfortunately for the Grenadiers, their first lead of the contest would also be their last, as Old Forge hunkered down and showed a rare mixture of physicality and technique. All night, the Blue Devils had been trying to find space for their athletic Senior QB Joey Gutowski (6 for 8 passing for 72 yards), lining him up at WR maybe a third of the time and trusting Junior backup Paul Cariati with duties under center. Gutowski finally found his space over the middle, as Cariati’s only pass attempt was laid beautifully into Gutowski’s hands downfield for a 55-yard completion.

The momentum finally swung Old Forge’s way for good after G.A.R. drove to the red zone but couldn’t convert on 4th down to open the final quarter. In the last 4 minutes of the game, with the Grenadiers hanging around, Sallavanti closed things out with his only three runs of the game: a 15-yard scamper with a massive stiff-arm, a 10-yard run for a TD, and a 55-yard score on the Devils’ very next play to put things away and give Old Forge the 44-26 lead. To G.A.R.’s credit, they continued to work on their offense, running a nice two-minute drill to go 56 yards and close out the scoring with 23 seconds left in the contest.

Unsung Heroes

One of the players in this game who really impressed me was G.A.R.’s Senior Linebacker Shaquan Everett. Playing a low interior line position, Everett functioned as a high-powered defensive tackle, breaking through for a number of tackles for loss when he found room and absolutely clogging the center of the line when he didn’t. Old Forge eventually found their running space, but not much of it was up the middle, thanks to Everett and Junior DT Chris Kolativa (6’5”, 255).

For Old Forge… I don’t know exactly what to say, because everyone I didn’t get a chance to mention was an unsung hero. This squad plays more as a team than just about any unit I’ve ever seen. Every single player brings something to the field, and when someone’s having a tough time his teammates pick up the slack until he can get back in there and make things happen. Because I didn’t give enough love to the offensive line in this one, they get the unsung hero recognition, but it could just as easily go to anyone else on the team, or even Old Forge’s weight room, which is a huge part of the Blue Devils’ constant success.

Thank you tremendously for reading, everyone! Next week, I’ll be taking in Delaware Valley @ Wyoming Valley West on Friday night, and on Saturday night I’ll give some love to Kingston’s other team, as Wyoming Seminary, in their second year back after a brief hiatus, hosts Blair Academy, a New Jersey school that frequently contends with Sem for the national high school wrestling championship.

As always, hit me up on Twitter (@JoeRuby1009) or in the comments section here!

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