Patriots top Reds in NCAA opener
Following an on-field prayer by Father Ronald Angervil, the Niagara Catholic Athletic Association senior football season kicked off Wednesday afternoon with the host Saint Paul Patriots knocking off the visiting Denis Morris Reds 28-7.
As always, there was a special feel to the opening of the football season.
“I was so excited and the whole team was excited,” said Saint Paul 12B student Jake Costabile. “Everyone was pumped up and ready to hit and we made some big hits today.”
The excitement began to build Tuesday for the 17-year-old.
“The night before I stayed up an extra half hour or hour just because I am thinking about the game but other than that I had a great sleep. I am a 12B so I don’t have that many courses to focus so after I do my schoolwork during the day I can focus on the game and get ready for it.”
Despite only weighing 185 pounds, Costabile plays defensive end and right guard for the Patriots. He routinely goes up against players more than 50 pounds heavier than him.
“I have been doing that for two years. I have been playing O line for four years since I started high school but I was 230 back then. I wanted to get a lot healthier and try defensive end and that’s why I dropped the weight,” he said. “I feel so much faster, I have more aggression and more everything.”
Expectations for his team are high.
“I think we are going to do well. We have a great group of kids here today and we have some Grade 11s who are stepping up. We will definitely have a good year but we’ve just got to work.”
Saint Paul head coach Rick Oreskovich congratulated his players and coaching staff on their first win of the season.
“We played as well as we could given this point in the season and we hope to build on this win, play by play and game by game. I would like to commend (Denis Morris) coach Steve Roach and his staff for an outstanding effort both offensively and defensively. That team will improve every game and they will meet the competition level in future games.”
Oreskovich expects the season to be a battle.
“The only way our team will be able to compete against our future opponents is to stay healthy, get much better fundamentally and execute effectively both offensively and defensively. It’s easier said than done, however, that is our goal. We must get better every play on both offence and defence.”
If veteran players Costabile, Damien Decembrini, Julian Mangicasale, Nico Herjavec and Phil Hollet can stay healthy throughout the season, he feels the Patriots should be competitive.
“We lost one of our top Grade 11s today with an arm injury which is not a good way to begin the season.”
Reds head coach Steve Roach was disappointed with the result but liked many of the things happening on the field.
“We had lots of success on offence. We have a great new running back in James Clutterbuck and our offensive line was pretty decent,” he said. “Our quarterback had some time to throw today.”
The Reds are excited about the season ahead.
“We are teaching some new guys how to do some things so it might take a little bit of time to figure everything out but I believe that we can win,” Roach said. “We have some new players, we are really committed, our Grade 12 group is excellent and there is a lot of talent on this team. It is just a matter of putting the pieces in the right places and giving our new players time to develop.”
Key players for the Reds this season will be: Clutterbuck; quarterback Lincoln Marsh-Hall; receivers Cole Kelly and Tyler Thompson; halfback Sam Kramar; lineman Matt Castellan; defensive back Alessandro Albano; defensive end Josimar Granja; and, tight end/defensive end Travis Palmer.
STATS PACK
Patriots 28 Reds 7
Cat’s Caboose Player of the Game: Julian Mangiacasale with a strong game running the ball and a seven-yard rushing major.
For the Saint Paul Patriots: Mangiacasale, TD; TD runs of one and 13 yards by Blake McKinnon; 29-yard TD pass from Remy Dino to Luke Berezowski; interception by Philip Hollet.
For the Denis Morris Reds: 19-yard TD pass from Lincoln Marsh-Hall to Cole Kelly; sack by Alessandro Albano.
Games stats: First downs: SP 17, DM 10. Net offence: SP 275, DM 196. Turnovers: SP 0, DM 1. Penalties: SP 7 for 40 yards, DM 7 for 65 yards.
