The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Bay takes advantage of University miscues in win
Bay picked up its second-straight win of the season, as it topped University School at home, 31-14, on Aug. 31.
The Preppers, who have lost two straight, got off to a quick start in the first quarter, as they got on the board when sophomore quarterback Solomon Perez was able to find senior wideout Jack Voudouris on a 21-yard strike.
Bay, however, answered right back the very next series with a solid drive of their own, as senior running back Andrew Veverka found the end zone on a seven-yard run, making it, 7-7.
University School looked to strike back the very next series, as they marched down the field to their the very own 10-yard before a fumble from senior running back Dylan Loconti turned right over to the Rockets.
“We say 80-0-6,” University School head coach Ben Malbasa said. “We say run 80 plays, no turnovers, and penalties and score six in the end zone. If we did that tonight we would have had a really good chance to win. We just committed a penalty in a key situation and we turned the ball over in the end zone and we just didn’t execute quite as well as we needed to.”
The Rockets would capitalize on that fumble, as senior running back Connor Shell break off a 55-yard Bay running back Jared Riess takes a handoff from quarterback Logan LaMere on Aug. 31.
run, giving his team a, 14-7, lead in the second quarter.
Three plays later the Preppers would cough the ball over again, this time on a thrown interception by Perez intended for Voudouris.
“I was kind of worried it was going to turn into a slugfest, which is not really what we wanted,” Bay head coach Ron Rutt said. “They have some really talented wide receivers and some kids that make so big plays like Vourdouris. He’s a heck of a target for them and luckily we were able to slow him down.”
Bay would take advantage of University School’s mistake once more, this time settling for a 22-yard field goal by Cade Gergye.
“They’re a very good football
team, and we’re a very young football team,” Malbasa said. “We have one run returning starter on defense. There were points where we did some really good things on defense. I think it’s telling we didn’t give up any 60-yard runs tonight, but we gave up a lot of six and seven yards, and the body blows take their toll.”
The Rockets would carry that first half momentum into the second, as Veverka was able to find the end zone once more, this time on a four-yard run, giving his team a, 24-7, lead in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, the Preppers would answer back in the fourth quarter with a oneyard run by Perez, cutting
the lead to, 24-14.
However, Veverka would sniff out the end zone for a third time, sealing the Preppers fate and giving Bay a 31-14 lead in the fourth quarter.
Despite the Rockets picking up two more touchdowns in the second half, their focus was not all there, as they committed a total of eight penalties.
“This has been something that in the first two games now it’s been a problem for us,” Rutt said. “We had three holding penalties in the first half last week, and three penalties tonight in the second half on wide receivers and then a couple of other penalties on guys so it’s definitely something we have to clean up.”