Panthers, Saccu too much for Bulldogs

STRATFORD — For a few minutes a sudden silence fell over the Masuk football team’s sideline and among the large contingent of traveling fans from Monroe.

Following a second-quarter Bunnell fumble — and subsequent clearing of bodies from the pile — Panthers senior Nick Saccu lay on the Robert Mastroni Field turf. To that point the do-everything senior had essentially been the entire Masuk offense.

Saccu eventually got up under his own power and missed two plays before returning.

Friday Night Saccu — along with a swarming Masuk defense — led the Panthers to a 37-15 victory over the Bulldogs in the first game for both teams in nearly 22 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I knocked ball out of the quarterback’s hands,” Saccu said. “At that point, the wind was knocked out of me, but I was glad we got the ball back and that’s all I cared about. Pain comes with football.”

Listed as a quarterback on the Masuk roster, Saccu lined up all over the Panthers’ backfield making it difficult for Bunnell to anticipate what would come next. Saccu finished with three touchdown runs and 158 yards rushing.

“It was a game of peek-aboo,” Bunnell coach Ty Jenkins said. “We had to find where (Saccu) was. They did a good job disguising where he was going to be.”

First-year Masuk coach Steve Christy had high

praise for Saccu afterward.

“He’s my Christian McCaffrey, actually he’s more than that because he plays (quarterback) too,” Christy said, referencing the Carolina Panthers superstar. “He goes wherever we need him.”

Jake Dellapiano also went over 100 yards on the ground for the Panthers, including a 60-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

Masuk didn’t waste time making up for a lost 2020 season on its game-opening drive. Saccu’s 29-yard run set up his nine-yard touchdown that put the Panthers ahead 8-0 less than three minutes in.

“We’ve worked harder than anyone,” Saccu said. “I’m so proud of my line and receivers.”

The Panthers extended their lead to 14-0 on Lukas Shamas’ 1-yard plunge in the second.

Meanwhile Masuk’s defense, led by Mike Epifano and Jared Ely, kept Bunnell quarterback Theo Lanham from finding any rhythm with either his arm or legs. Ryan Saccu added an interception, which he nearly returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

“We knew going in having a young offensive line, with a freshman and two sophomores — guys who never played high school football, let alone varsity football — was going to be tough. They came at us,” Jenkins said. “All we could do was battle through it.”

Bunnell (0-1) scored its first points of 2021 on a one-yard Michael Trovarelli run, keyed by an option pass from Jayden Carrillo to Joshua Santos which was the Bulldogs’ biggest gainer to that point. Trovarelli added another touchdown run late in the fourth.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Nick Saccu, Masuk. The senior did nearly everything, on his way to three scores and 158 rushing yards.

QUOTEABLE

“This one was for Masuk nation. This one was for all the people who played at Masuk, all the people who’ve waited two years to watch us, all the alums, all the parents, the whole town — this one was for them, and the boys of course.” — Masuk coach Steve Christy, who won in his debut with the Panthers.