Football
York routs Poland 47-13 in opener
By Stan Ross
POLAND - Last Saturday, Sept. 2, the loyal York fans traveled to Poland to enjoy the weather and the opening football game of the season.Head Coach Randy Small conceded after the game that York "had good line play and our running was OK."
Line Coach Stacy Bradburn added, "Some of the holes our line created were big enough for the coaches to run through!"
Senior tailback Zach Pruger was unofficially credited with 200 yards on 20 carries.
York took the opening kickoff at their own 25 yard line but were forced to punt on fourth down. The kick by Tony Romano went out of bounds at the York 48, and Poland took over first and 10.
Ben Lipton was credited with good coverage on one pass attempt and Romano broke up another and York forced the Poland Knights to punt. Their kick went into the end zone for a touchback and York took over on their own 20 yard line.
After a five-yard offside penalty, York started a 13-play, 85-yard drive resulting in a 40-yard touchdown run by Pruger. The conversion trio of long snapper Ryan Vokey, holder Alex Blomquist and kicker Ryan MacGlashing split the uprights for the P.A.T. After the next kickoff, Poland returned to their own 40 yard line but on the first play from scrimmage, Romano was credited with a strip and Sal Sala recovered the fumble.
Starting from the 35 yard line, York took just seven plays. resulting in a 14-yard touchdown scramble by Pruger. Again the conversion was good and York led 14-0 with 4:04 left in the first quarter.
Poland then started from their own 35, but York forced a fourth-down punt and took over on their own 25 yard line. Sophomore quarterback Evan Wallace picked up five yards on a keeper left. Pruger carried three straight times and then Alex Quinn picked up a first down on the Poland 45 yard line. Pruger picked up another 11 yards and after a pass from Wallace to Pruger was negated by a holding penalty. Wallace completed a pass in the flat to Romano, who fought his way 40 yards for another touchdown and, after the conversion, York led 21-0 at the 8:59 mark.
Poland returned the York kickoff to their own 20 yard line and then, running a "no huddle" offense, picked up one first down to their own 35. York pressured their quarterback and forced a Poland punt which was returned by Dan Moran to the York 44 yard line. York started a long march on the ground and after carries by Quinn and Blomquist, they set up York on the Poland 20 yard line.
York finally turned the ball over on downs and the Knights were at their own one yard line with 1:23 to play in the half. The York line, led by Ian Bond, stopped Poland three straight times and forced them to punt from their own two yard line. A "roughing the kicker" penalty against York gave Poland a first down and they were able to run out the half with York still leading 21-0.
The second half opened with Poland returning the York kickoff to their 35 yard line and, using a "no huddle" offense, managed to pick up four first downs and Knights QB Joe Douglass scampered for a touchdown around the right end. York still led 21-7 at the 9:09 mark. The Wildcats scored again quickly on runs by Pruger and Quinn, which led to a TD scramble by Pruger from the Poland 34 yard line. After the P.A.T., York led 28-7 at the 5:34 mark.
Daniel Petruzzella was credited with an open field tackle on the kickoff. Tom Ross and Buddy Gauthier made successive stops and forced Poland to turn the ball over on downs. This time York stayed on the ground and, paced by a 20-yard gain around the left side by Sala, they reached the Poland four yard line. From there, Quinn bulled over for the TD, but the P.A.T. was wide left and York led 34-7 as the quarter ended.
York gave ground grudgingly with Gauthier making several solid tackles, but the Knights finally scored on a QB sweep left by Douglass. Tom McLin stopped the conversion attempt and the score remained York 34, Poland 13.
Sala returned the kickoff to the York 25 and Vokey and Matt Day keyed the blocking as York marched down to the Poland 13 yard line. From there, John Jiminez fought his way into the endzone for a touchdown and York led 41-13 with 4:24 to play.
Poland was forced to pass and Jiminez picked off an interception and, behind a solid block from Greg Hanson, raced 50 yards into the endzone for another York TD to make the final score 47-13.
The next game for the York Wildcats will be at Gray-New Gloucester on Friday night Sept. 8, at 7 p.m.
