Special teams carry Hopewell past Steinert
HOPEWELL TWP. » Justin Venezia has won plenty of matches on the wrestling mat during his high school career, but when he’s on the gridiron, he doesn’t score many touchdown.
Yet there Hopewell Valley senior arms raised with the ball in his right hand after falling on a loose ball in the end zone.
Venezia recovered a fumble in the end zone after a bad snap on a punt attempt to help swing momentum and the Bulldogs beat Steinert, 19-7, at Ackerson Field on Friday night.
“In (wrestling), you beat a lot of guys and show you’re on top of everybody and (in football) you also beat a lot of guys and you show them you’re ready to play,” Venezia said. “This is pretty cool, though.”
It was the second straight week the Bulldogs (2-0) found a way to win thanks to a special teams touchdown. In fact, special teams have accounted for 23 of their 29 points this season.
“After the first game, one of the things we learned was it’s three phases of the game,” Hopewell coach Dave Caldwell said. “I felt like we won two out of three phases of the game in the first game. We got a little bit better on offense tonight, but defense and special teams have been pretty consistent . ... Grinding out wins like this is good to build character, but we definitely have to move the ball a little better.”
Venezia’s touchdown was actually set up by Rob Cacciabaudo’s 60-yard punt from his own end zone that flipped the field position. When the Bulldogs forced the Spartans into a punt, the snap was low and after the ball was kicked around in a mad scramble Venezia came up with it in the end zone.
“I didn’t know what was going to happen there because everyone was reaching for the ball,” Venezia said. “It eventually got kicked out and I hopped on it. It could have been anybody, but I was there. It could have been a person on the other team.”
Cacciabaudo later kicked the go-ahead field goal from 27 yards with 4:04 left in the third quarter, points that were set up when his younger brother, Christian, scooped up a fumble and returned it 37 yards to the Steinert 33.
The game was still in the balance when Hopewell converted a 4th-and-8 on a pass from Brennan Rouse to Hunter Ohsman for 12 yards. Three plays later Rouse plunged in from two yards out to give Hopewell a 17-7 lead with 5:24 left.
Steven Doldy finished with 87 yards on 16 carries for the Bulldogs before limping off in the fourth quarter. He also picked off a pass as Hopewell turned Steinert over three times.
Will Laster carried 13 times for 76 yards and touchdown for the Spartans (0-2). His 34-yard burst gave Steinert a 7-0 lead in the second quarter.
But little else went right for the Spartans, including another bad snap on a punt that went out of the end zone for a safety.
“I think effort has been the difference,” Venezia said. “We got beat off the ball in the first quarter last year and kind of fell from there. We didn’t really have the motive to continue and it snowballed from there. This year, we’ve been feeling great and getting pumped. Obviously, we’re 2-0 now, so keep the ball rolling.” Steinet (0-2) 0 7 0 0 - 7
Hopewell (2-0) 0 7 3 9 - 19
S- Laster 34 run (Riordan kick)
HV- Venezia fumble recovery in end zone (R. Cacciabaudo kick)
HV- R. Cacciabaudo 27 field goal
HV- Rouse 2 run (R. Cacciabaudo kick)
HV- Safety, snap out of end zone
OTHER SCORES
Ewing 41, Seneca 27 Robbinsville 18, Maple Shade 10 Collingswood 49, Bordentown 21 Haddonfield 21, Cinnaminson 0 Gateway 33, Florence 14 Lindenwold 12, New Egypt 7 Woodbury 42, Palmyra 14 Burlington Twp. 45, Triton 8 Delran 30, Holy Cross 22 Willingboro 26, No. Burlington 13 Hammonton 21, Shawnee 17 Winslow Twp. 34, Cherokee 14
PENNSYLVANIA
Abington 41, Bensalem 10 New-Hope Solebury 21, Bristol 2 Souderton 35, William Tennent 16 Upper Moreland 49, Quakertown 14 Upper Dublin 34, Hatboro-Horsham 7