Trinity-Pawling Pride 33, Cushing Penguins 0
Pride racked up 435 yards, allowed just 50 yards in home opener on September 22
Next Game: At Kent, 7 p.m. on Friday, September 28
Game Summary Below
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By John M. Benson
September 22, 2007
Trinity-Pawling totally dominated the visiting Cushman Academy Penguins in the 33-0 home opening victory on September 22.
The Lions feature massive yet agile offensive and defensive lines, and great speed and talent at the skill positions.
The Pride racked up 435 total yards, 335 yards on the ground, while allowing Cushing just 50 yards for the game and no first downs until midway through the fourth quarter when coach Dave Coratti had inserted his second string defense.
“We were very pleased with the performance by our football team in the opening game of the season,” said head coach Dave Coratti after the 33-0 win over Cushing. “Our skill players had an outstanding game. I was very pleased with our offensive line, they are big and they can move very well. We have seven out of eleven returning starters on defense, with three very good down linemen, four very mobile linebackers, and very good defensive backs, and they held Cushing to just 50 yards total offense. It was a great way to start, because Cushing is a very fine school with a very good football program. But we take them one game at a time, and right now we are beginning our preparation for Kent, which is always a very tough game.”
Coach Coratti gave the Herald the statistics following the game.
Halfback Quendel Ellison led the Pride with an outstanding 181 yards on 15 carries with touchdown runs of 82 yards and 2 yards. Quarterback Aaron Gregory ran a sneak for one touchdown and had a remarkable day throwing the ball, hitting Shayne Skov and Tommy Jacobs with touchdown passes. Skov caught five passes for 100 yards and one 30-yard touchdown, and intercepted the pass that ended Cushing’s only drive of the game in the fourth quarter. Jacobs caught two passes for 45 yards, including the touchdown toss from Gregory that covered 25 yards.
Inside linebacker Chris Coratti led the defense with eight solo tackles, as the outstanding unit held Cushing to 50 yards and no first downs until the fourth quarter.
The Lions’ starting defense features Owen Fraser, Dillon Quinn and Mike Pranulis on the line, linebackers Chris Coratti, Matt Colucci, Tommy Jacobs and Rob McGregor, cornerbacks Anthony Verdi and Adam Di Benedetto, and safeties Shayne Skov and Charlie Cook.
The offensive starting unit includes linemen Matt Colucci, Owen Fraser, Max Pitts, Quinn, Ben Eedle and Mike McCarron, wide receiver Shayne Skov, running backs Quendel Ellison, Chris Coratti and Tommy Jacobs, and quarterback Aaron Gregory.
Trinity-Pawling and Cushing Academy sparred without landing a punch in the first quarter. Cushing punted three times without a single first down, while the Pride punted twice with just one first down.
The Trinity-Pawling offensive dominance began when the Pride began its third possession of the game with time for just one play before the first period expired.
The drive began with good field position at the Pride 47-yard line, when Ellison blasted over left tackle for five yards to end the first quarter.
Quarterback Gregory opened the second quarter with a keeper over right tackle for five yards, Ellison made three yards up the middle, and an incomplete pass and two-yard run by Ellison set up a fourth and five at the Cushing 35-yard line. Coach Coratti decided to go for it, so Gregory rolled right and lofted a perfect pass over the inside shoulder of Jacobs, who had drifted out of the backfield and up the right sideline, for a gain of 20 yards and first down at the Cushing 15. It had worked once, so Gregory again hit Jacobs up the right sideline for the touchdown. The PAT by Charlie Cook was good, and Trinity-Pawling led 7-0 with 8:51 remaining in the second quarter.
The defense held Cushing to 3-and-out and forced the punt.
Then Ellison lit up the field with the most spectacular offensive play of the game. On a sweep right, Owen Fraser buried the defensive tackle, Max Pitts kicked out on the defensive end, Coratti and Jacobs led through the hole, and Ellison ran to daylight and scampered 82 yard for the touchdown. Trinity-Pawling led the game 14-0 with 6:40 remaining in the second quarter.
The Pride mounted the third scoring drive of the second quarter after forcing Cushing to one more 3-and-out and the punt. Ellison ran for five yards over right guard. Coratti blasted through the line at left tackle and broke tackles for a 25-yard gain, Ellison made the corner for 18 yards on a sweep right, to set up a first down at the Cushing 17-yard line. On second down, Gregory lofted a perfect pass to the inside shoulder of Skov, who had run a fade route up the right side, and the Pride had its third touchdown of the quarter to lead 20-0 with 4:06 left in the first half.
The Gregory-Skov connection led the Pride to the fourth touchdown of the second quarter. When the Lions held the Penguins to 3-and-out once again, Skov took the punt and returned it 15 yards to the Cushing 37-yard line. Gregory immediately hit Skov on a deep crossing pattern that the wide receiver caught under pressure from two defensive backs, giving TP a first down at the Cushing 6-yard line. A pitch sweep to Ellison took the ball to the 1-yard line, where Gregory ran the quarterback sneak for the touchdown.
Trinity-Pawling led 27-0 at the half.
Trinity-Pawling received the kickoff to open the second half, and since Cushing was unable to stop the Pride offense, the Lions made a valiant effort in the ensuing possession to stop themselves.
Skov showed his incredible talent when he returned the kickoff 40 yards to the Cushing 46-yard line, but a holding penalty brought the ball back to the TP 39-yard line. A penalty for an illegal snap dragged the Pride back to the 34-yard line.
TP got the engine revved up, as Ellison gained 16 yard over left tackle, Coratti gaind five yards over right tackle, but a holding penalty on the next play nullified a 10-yard gain by Ellison and brought the ball back to the TP 45-yard line. Gregory hit Skov up the left sideline for 30 yards, Ellison and Coratti runs took the ball down to the Cushing 14, but a holding penalty dragged the Pride back out the 19-yard line. Runs by Ellison of five yards and Adam DiBenedetto carried the Pride down to the 4-yard line, but a false start penalty brought it back out to the 9-yard line. Coratti followed his massive offensive line for four yards, Ellison swept left to the one-yard line, and Ellison finished the stuttering drive with a one-yard sweep for the touchdown.
The Pride had finished the scoring for the day, taking the lead at 33-0 with 5:09 left in the third quarter.
Quarterback Rob McGregor led the second offense the rest of the way, and while the unit did not score, they moved the ball very well.
Cushing finally got a first down in the fourth quarter and wandered into Pride territory, so coach Coratti put his first string defense back in to preserve the shutout. Safety Shayne Skov finished his brilliant day with an interception, ending the modest Cushing drive and effectively ending the game. |
