Golden arm reaches into record books for Perry

Schiano ties state mark with nine TD passes as Pirates prevail

Midway through the fourth quarter at Perry’s Alumni Stadium on Aug. 30, Perry assistant Marc Schiano approached his son Drew with some family history.

Drew Schiano, Perry’s senior quarterback, had just hit Devon Holbert on a 20-yard fade pattern for his ninth touchdown pass of the game.

“He told me that I had as many touchdown passes tonight as he had his entire senior year,” Schiano said with a grin. “I thought that was pretty funny.”

The Pirates needed them all, too.

Behind Schiano’s nine touchdown passes, which ties a state record for the most touchdown passes in a game for a quarterback, Perry outlasted Riverside, 63-54, in a game that featured 17 touchdowns, 42 first downs, 124 plays from scrimmage and 968

yards of total offense.

“I tell ya what,” exclaimed Perry coach Matt Rosati, “that was an unbelievable football game.”

Smack-dab in the middle of it was Schiano, whose nine touchdown passes tie eight other quarterbacks in Ohio history for the most touchdown passes in a game, the most recent being Haviland Wayne Trace’s Colby Speice on Nov. 22, 2013.

Schiano connected with senior Anthony Rosati on four of his touchdown passes. Matthew Sullivan and Holbert

each hauled in a pair of scoring passes, while Jaylen Anderson took one to the house.

Schiano finished the night 21 of 32 for 353 yards.

Rosati had six catches for 131 yards, while Holbert had six for 100 to lead Perry.

Schiano’s nine touchdown passes also eclipse the former News-Herald record for touchdown passes in a game (7) formerly held by South’s Ray Russ, Chagrin Falls’ Tommy Iammarino and VASJ’s Trevon Williams. PERRY » PAGE 5

CARRIE GARLAND — FOR THE NEWS-HERALD Perry’s Anthony Rosati takes a touchdown reception into the end zone Aug. 30 against Riverside. It was one of nine thrown by Pirates quarterback Drew Schiano, who tied a state record with the feat in a 63-54 win over Riverside.