By: Kyle Moylan
With a dominating 27-12 win over Old Bridge this past Sunday at home, the Allentown Pee Wees improved to 1-1 on the season in Pop Warner football play.
"I want to make sure the whole defense is mentioned because we couldn’t play any better," Pee Wee coach Jim Fisher said. "If we play like that again, we’ll have an excellent season. I couldn’t be happier with the effort."
The Allentown offense was also spectacular. Quarterback Joe Karbowski did a great job throwing and running the football. Melvin Charleston, Marc Bandola and Pat Pape all caught passes. Pape, Tim Ortenzio, Zach Burke, John McDermott and Sean Mulligan all did a good job carrying the ball.
McDermott had scoring runs of 35 and 40 yards. Burke scored on a 20-yard run. Karbowski scored on a 30-yard run on a quarterback keeper.
One of the major reasons Allentown was able to run the ball so effectively was the play of the offensive line. John Guidone, the center, anchored the offensive line. Jimmy Candia, Joe Joe Hopkins, Danny Nobile, Ryan Burke and James McCormick also had great games on the offensive line.
Allentown got off to such a big lead that Old Bridge was able to play under the blowout rules, where the losing team is helped out by better field position. Old Bridge managed to scored six of its points because of that rule.
On defense, Burke, Alex DeHart, Nick Adler, Mulligan, Ryan Singler, Justin Darlea, McDermott, Joe Bonnano, Ortenzio, Karbowski, Pape, Bandola and Guidone made it very difficult for Old Bridge.
Dan Lordi and Barry Bandola were the coaches that got the defense ready. Dennis Todd called an effective game as the offensive coordinator. Fisher was also pleased with the work of sideline coach Dave Winecoff. This was one game where everything went right for Allentown.
"We have 19 kids and one of them came out with heat exhaustion," Fisher noted. "These kids gave everything they have. The one thing we ask is 100 percent effort 100 percent of the time. They delivered."
Allentown will try and move over the .500 mark when it hosts Hightstown on Sunday.
The Allentown Jr. Pee Wee team played a tremendous defensive game, but still came out on the short end of a 9-0 game against Old Bridge this past Sunday.
The game was scoreless into the fourth quarter when Old Bridge recovered a fumble and was able to drive down to the Allentown two-yard line. Remarkably, the defensive line of Demetrius Smith, Shane McKenna, Chris Leva, Jesse Rowe, Robert Sopher and Adam Matei held.
"We held them and that was great," noted Jr. Pee Wee coach Vince Spiezio.
Allentown didn’t have much time to celebrate its accomplishment, though. On the first play of its ensuing possession, Old Bridge was able to force Allentown into a safety.
Allentown now had to kick the ball back to Old Bridge, which returned the ball to the 30. Old Bridge drove in from there to make the score 9-0.
The loss drops Allentown to 1-1 on the season. According to Spiezio, however, this loss might be the start of something big for Allentown.
"Last year we lost a game early and then won five in a row," Spiezio noted. "I’ve got my fingers crossed that we can do that again."
Allentown will face off against Hightstown on Sunday.
With the Allentown Midgets just 23 yards away from taking the lead, it had its game suspended against Old Bridge this past Sunday because of bad weather.
The Allentown-Old Bridge contest was stopped with 4:28 left in the third quarter and the score tied at 6-6. The game is set to resume when the two teams can line up officials.
All the scoring in this game came in the first quarter. Old Bridge broke out on top with a touchdown. Allentown came right back with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Mike Iannatto to Vic Alfieri.
"In the first quarter, Old Bridge moved down the field and shoved the ball down our throats," Midget coach Joe Murphy noted. "We blocked the extra point and then we got the ball back and shoved it down their throats.
"Our team doesn’t have a lot of size, but their hearts are big. Our kids played like giants today."
Murphy was particulary pleased with the play of Mike Asprocolas, Phil King, Sean Noonan, Chris Reiser and Thomas Hill. In addition to catching Allentown’s lone touchdown, Alfieri also knocked down two possible touchdown passes by Old Bridge.
With the outcome of Sunday’s game undecided, Allentown is still 0-1 on the year. Allentown will go after its first win when it host Hightstown on Sunday.