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Pirates football jumps on Knights

Big start aids South in win

By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
   The West Windsor-Plainsboro South football team wanted to set the tone early.
   The Pirates did just that, scoring on their first six possessions on the way to a 42-0 halftime lead and 49-13 victory over rival WW-P North before more than 3,000 Homecoming Day fans on Saturday. A year ago, the Pirates had been knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 21-9 upset loss at the hands of the Knights.
   ”We didn’t want to do what we did last year,” said junior lineman David Calves, who helped the Pirates dominate on both side of the line. “We didn’t want to mess up. We knew they were a good team. We watched a lot of film. We didn’t believe their record. We just wanted to come out and play as hard as we could. The coaches were pushing us and didn’t let us take it easy at all. Last year we went in their sleeping and we weren’t going to let that happen again.”
   With the win, the Pirates improved to 6-0 heading into this week’s showdown with Nottingham. The Knights, who had won their first game the previous week, fell to 1-5 on the season.
   ”It’s a great atmosphere and you just hope that everyone comes out healthy,” South coach Todd Smith said of the rivalry between the two schools. “I thought in the first half our varsity got a chance to do some stuff and we worked on some things. I thought we played well. Then we got a chance to play some new guys in the second half, which was nice.”
   The win gave the Pirates a 4-3 edge in the all-time series between the teams.
   ”North has great heart,” Calves said. “They always come out hitting so we wanted to make sure we didn’t get caught in a surprise this year.”
   The Pirates set the tone early in the contest. An interception by Andrew Manley stopped the Knights’ first drive. Three plays later, David Twamley scored the first of his two rushing touchdowns for a 7-0 lead. Twamley scored again on the Pirates’ next possession. Three Connor Farrell touchdown passes — two to Jack Dennehy and one to Jeff Riemann — as well as a Chris Matthews touchdown run gave the Pirates a 42-0 edge by halftime.
   The South defense held the Knights to just 25 yards in total offense in the first half. It wasn’t until a 78-yard touchdown run by Tarelle Thomas in the fourth that the Knights got onto the board. A touchdown pass from Rob White to Tyshaun Chandler closed out the Knights scoring.
   The South defense finished with five sacks as they controlled the line of scrimmage.
   ”The offensive and defensive lines are coming along well,” Smith said. “Will (O’Brien) is the only one back on the offensive line. They work hard. They have great size and they have great speed for their size. Things are just rolling right now with those guys.
   ”The front seven, looking on film, I thought we could do some things there with our guys. I thought we did a good job on offense spreading things out a little bit. Everyone got some touches and we had a lot of guys involved.”
   Calves is one of four newcomers on the offensive line, joining Andrew Neiffer, Ling Zhou and Zach Hundertmark. He saw limited action a year ago, but is now established as a starter on both sides of the ball. On defense, he rotates on the line with O’Brien, joining starters Neiffer, Hundertmark and Etienne Aduya.
   ”I got in a couple of weeks last year because Will O’Brien, the starter, got hurt,” Calves said. “It’s been a great experience. The coaches have helped me out a lot. I’ve been playing on the defensive and offensive lines. I like to get downfield tackles on defense.
   ”We’re working really hard. Now we’re looking towards next week with Nottingham. We’re always looking forward.”
   For a quarterback like Farrell, who completed 12 of 13 passes for 208 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday, having a strong line is what makes things happen.
   ”They’re doing a real good job,” Farrell said. “They’ve only allowed three sacks in six games. They look out for me a lot. They all move well. They communicate real well.”
   And it’s given the Pirates as prolific an offense as you’ll find. In six games they’ve scored an average of 44.5 points a game.
   ”I like the way our offense is clicking right now,” Smith said. “We’re passing and running. We’re about 50-50 and that makes us tougher to defend, no question.”