Indians impose their will behind Genevick
Senior lineman makes his presence felt on offense, defense in victory vs. Pride
Two heavyweights from the Section II Class C football ranks collided at Bishop Gibbons High School on Saturday and no one packed more wallop than Cambridge senior two-way lineman Nate Genevick.
At 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds, Genevick is an imposing figure and he proved to be an equal-opportunity menace for the Holy Trinity Pride. Not only did Genevick excel on both the offensive and defensive lines, he also delivered three crushing hits covering kickoffs.
“He’s our leader. He makes a lot of things happen out there,” Cambridgesalem senior running back Tommy English said of Genevick. “He has everyone on the line on the same page. He makes it happen.”
Fueled by its ability to control the line of scrimmage on both sides, Cambridge-salem built an early advantage and withstood a few dramatic replies by the Pride to register an impressive 35-17 road victory.
“They are a very tough team, so it feels great to come out and get a win,” Genevick said of Holy Trinity. “We’ve got to keep working. Overall, this was great.”
Saturday’s showdown featuring two
sectional champions from 2017 saw Cambridge-salem, winner of Class D state titles in 2016 and 2017, making things extremely difficult for Holy Trinity, which is known for its big-play exploits.
The Indians (2-0 overall, 0-0 Class C North) outgained Holy Trinity (1-1, 0-0 Class C Central) 242-77 in the first half — with 72 yards for Holy Trinity coming on a touchdown run by Nelon Priest with 11:35 left in the second quarter — as the visitors built a 21-7 advantage.
The Cambridge-salem offensive line consisting of Genevick, senior left tackle Sam Starks, junior left guard Damon Ferguson, senior center L.J. Johnson and junior right guard Cooper Wood, controlled the line of scrimmage as the Indians amassed 373 yards rushing on 65 attempts.
“We take a lot of pride in what we do,” Genevick said. “We play as one unit, not as individuals. The running backs hitting the holes was key. They ran really hard and we opened the holes. It was good.”
“They were animals. They made things happen for us today,” said English, who paced the ground game with 164 yards and two touchdowns. “The credit goes to them. We’re the ones that look pretty. They’re the ones doing all the hard work.”
What Genevick did Saturday was not lost on Holy Trinity coach John Barber. He lauded the Cambridge-salem standout — a Class D first-team all-state selection as a junior — for his ability to dominate.
“I just love the game of football. I will do whatever it takes to make this team better,” Genevick said.
“We don’t have a lot of Nates in Cambridge. You have to take advantage when you get one like him,” Cambridge-salem coach Doug Luke said. “Nate is just an aggressive kid and he has learned that he is bigger and stronger than anyone else, but what is best about him is his quickness.”
The Indians scored on their opening drive, converting a fourth-and-10 play with a 25yard pass from junior quarterback Calvin Schneider to junior end Phil Mazzucco.
On the next play, English rumbled into the end zone from 6 yards out.
The lead was extended to 14-0 on the first play of the second quarter when Schneider connected with Gabriel Sgambettera on a 12-yard touchdown pass, but Priest scored on a sweep left 18 seconds later.
Cambridge-salem responded with a 12-play, 67-yard march culminated by a 3-yard touchdown run by senior running back Tyler Linendoll (148 yards, two touchdowns).
Holy Trinity junior quarterback Joe Tortello, who set a Section II record with 39 touchdown passes in 2017, barely had time to operate. He went 8-for-15 passing for 115 yards and threw two interceptions. He also was sacked three times.
“Up front, we’ve got to get better,” Barber said. “They’re a good team. They’re physical. I think this game actually will help us.”
The Pride produced 283 yards offense, 236 of it on four plays, compared to 454 yards by the Indians.
The Pride’s biggest gain came in the fourth quarter when receiver Nacier Hundley threw an 85-yard touchdown strike to Noah Foster.