Herald Staff reports
ä Kennedy Catholic 20, Conneaut Valley 8 — At Butala Stadium, the host Golden Eagles ended a 2-year drought.
“Oh, you just don’t know what this means ... I am so happy for the kids,” Kennedy head coach Joe Kenneally confided.
After a winless, 9-loss ’07 season, it was the Golden Eagles gridders’ 1st victory since a 41-14 rout of Saegertown in the District 10 Class A quarterfinals, Nov. 10, 2006.
Richard Ellebie enabled the Golden Eagles to ease to 294 yards rushing as the 260-pound sledgehammer posted a career-best 26-carry, 157-yard, 2-touchdown performance. He was complemented by Matt Furey’s 15-carry, 78-yard, 1-TD effort. Furey spelled Marlon Davis, who rolled his right ankle 73 seconds into the 2nd stanza after rushing 6 times for 35 yards.
After a scorless 1st frame Furey fashioned a 5-yard TD run after taking Danny D’Onofrio’s option pitch, culminating a 7-play, 33-yard drive set by Chris Baker’s 18-yard punt return.
Valley’s Kyle Welber and Jacob Walters collaborated on a 56-yard 2nd-stanza scoring strike. But the Indians’ attempted 2-point conversion run was thwarted by Andrew Miller as Kennedy clung to a 7-6 margin at intermission.
KC climaxed a 7--play, 60-yard, 3-minute 3rd-quarter scoring drive with Ellebie’s 9-yard run. On the drive he carried 4 times for 33 yards and Furey jump-started the series with a 22-yard sprint.
The capper for Kennedy (1-3, 1-4) occurred with 52.4 ticks to play in the 3rd on Marcus Davis’ interception and a subsequent 11-play, 50-yard, 5-minute, 12-second march. Ellebie eased in from 4 yards out with 7:37.
Ellebie and Furey ran roughshod behind the blocking of Tyler Bord, Jay Leipheimer, Bryan Sundy, Evan Mihlo and Anthony DeMarco and tight end Matt Luce. Defensively, D’Onofrio, Ellebie and Trent Bernat also pilfered passes, and Miller and J.T. Swogger pressured Welker into an 8-for-21 passing performance. Valley (0-4, 0-5) accumulated only 167 total yards (46 rushing), and 4 of the Indians’ 11 first downs were courtesy of KC penalties.
The Golden Eagles were flagged 13 times for 90è yards in losses and fumbled 4 times, losing 3.
Andrew Butterfield and Jake Conley collected 15 and 12 tackles, respectively, for Valley, and both recovered fumbles. — By Ed Farrell, Herald assistant sports editor.
ä Mercer 60, Harborcreek Youth Services 18 — At New Wilmington on Friday, Rawlins Huntley scored a trio of touchdowns and Andy Reda had 2 scores as the Mustangs (4-1) routed HYS (0-5).
Huntley scored on runs of 10 and 17 yards and returned an interception 51 yards for a TD. Reda scored on a 2-yard run and on a 15-yard pass from Andrew Erdos.
Other Mercer touchdown runs were posted by Erdos (10 yards), J.T. Mannozzi (35), Nick Campbell (21) and Kyle Mariacher (30). The Mustangs also recorded a safety.
Andrew Smith, who caught 10 passes for 100 yards, led HYS with a pair of touchdowns.
Despite giving up 121 passing yards, the Mercer defense dominated on run defense, as the Mustangs held HYS to minus-36 rushing yards.
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VALLEY 0 6 0 2 8
KENNEDY 0 7 7 6 20
Scoring plays
KC — Furey, 5 run (D’Onofrio kick)
CV — Walters, 56 pass from Welker (run failed)
KC — Ellebie, 9 run (D’Onofrio kick)
KC — Ellebie, 4 run (pass failed)
CV — team safety
Team stats
VALLEY KENNEDY
11 First downs 17
46 Rushing yards 294
121 Passing yards 23
21-8-4 Att-comp-int 4-1-0
121 Total yards 317
1-0 Fumbles-lost 4-3
3-20 Penalties-yards lost 13-90è
Individual stats
Rushing: CONNEAUT VALLEY — Welker 8-37, Butterfield 4-9, Conley 2-4, Harris 3-0, Leonard 9-(-1), Hyde 1-(-3); KENNEDY CATHOLIC — Ellebie 26-157, Furey 15-78, Davis 6-35, Baker 2-14, D’Onofrio 10-10.
Passing: CONNEAUT VALLEY — Welker 21-8-4, 121; KENNEDY CATHOLIC — D’Onofrio 4-1-0, 23.
Receiving: CONNEAUT VALLEY — Hyde 3-33, Walters 2-66, Leonard 1-21, Harris 1-4. Butterfield 1-(-3); KENNEDY CATHOLIC — Ellebie 1-23.
Missed Field Goal: KENNEDY CATHOLIC — D’Onofrio, 43.
———
HAR. YOUTH 0 6 6 6 18
MERCER 12 29 19 0 60
Scoring plays
M — Huntley, 10 run (kick failed)
M — Huntley, 17 run (kick failed)
M — Reda, 2 run (kick failed)
HYS — Smith, 2 run (kick failed)
M — Erdos, 10 run (Hennegan kick)
M — Reda, 15 pass from Erdos (Hennegan kick)
M — team safety
M — Mannozzi, 35 run (kick failed)
M — Campbell, 21 run (kick failed)
M — Huntley, 51 interception return (kick failed)
M — Mariacher, 30 run (Kress kick)
HYS — Andrews, 85 kickoff return (kick failed)
HYS — Smith, 15 pass from Davis (kick failed)
Team stats
HAR. YOUTH MERCER
8 First downs 20
-36 Rushing yards 379
138 Passing yards 25
29-15-2 Att-comp-int 4-2-0
102 Total yards 404
2-2 Fumbles-lost 1-0
3-25 Penalties-yards lost 3-25
Individual stats
Rushing: HARBORCREEK YOUTH SERVICES — House 1-(-3), Smith 2-(-9), Davis 2-(-24); MERCER — Hennegan 6-81, Mariacher 4-70, Huntley 6-54, Mannozzi 2-37, McClearn 1-31, Campbell 4-24, Erdos 5-21, Reda 3-21, Collins 5-16, Shealy 2-10, Selders 1-3.
Passing: HARBORCREEK YOUTH SERVICES — Davis 29-15-2-138; MERCER — Erdos 4-2-0-25.
Receiving: HARBORCREEK YOUTH SERVICES — Smith 10-100, Andrews 2-21, House 1-10, Nichols 1-7; MERCER — Reda 1-15, Mariacher 1-10.
