The Redcoats ran the ball effectively behind the solid blocking of their massive offensive line. Quarterback P.J. Sanzo, afforded the luxury of time in the pocket, hit his mark consistently. And Joel Hartunian did what he does best -- intercept passes.

Hartunian, Laroche and Sam Boccia scored two touchdowns apiece Friday night to lead the Redcoats to a smashing 49-12 victory over Maloney in the non-conference opener for both teams at Ceppa Field.

Sanzo needed only six passes -- three to Hartunian and three to Boccia -- to shred the Spartans secondary for 208 yards and three touchdowns, all in the first half. Junior fullback Chris Laroche hit the holes like he was born to run, knifing through the middle for 155 yards and a pair of scores.

To make the evening complete, veteran Berlin head coach Al Pelligrinelli discovered a freshman kicker with a powerful leg in Robert Dornfried. Dornfried booted a 35-yard field goal and made good on four of his five extra-point tries.

Pelligrinelli relaxed and let the junior varsity run the show for most of the second half.

"We executed our offense well, we ran the ball well, we threw the ball well," Pelligrinelli said. "Defensively we have a little bit to work on but basically we did a great job."

The Redcoats struck pay dirt on their first possession. On second-and-15 from the Maloney 49, Sanzo sat back in the pocket and hit Hartunian slicing toward the right corner of the end zone.

Five minutes later, the pair connected again, this time for 40 yards and a 12-0 lead. The Spartans defense was reeling.

"(Passing) opens things up because teams don’t know whether we’re going to pass or run," Sanzo said. "It keeps teams on their toes."

Laroche put them on their heels. He began leaving rubber in the second quarter, ripping through the line for 98 yards. He consummated an 11-play, 65-yard drive with a 3-yard TD run that pushed the lead to 19-0.

Bryan Hill recovered a fumble two plays later and Sanzo wasted no time cashing in. Boccia hauled down his 24-yard pass at the 1 and scored on a plunge.

The Spartans retaliated with QB Jose Sanchez, connecting with Eric Najduch on a 20-yard scoring strike but Dornfried kicked a 35-yard field goal. An interception by Hartunian, his first of two on the game and a school-record 16th in his career, set up a 65-yard aerial from Sanzo to Boccia. The TD gave Berlin a 36-6 halftime lead.

Sanzo heaped praise on his blockers -- center Mike Mendoza, guards Andy Long (6-foot-6, 315) and Anthony Boguslawski and tackles Mike Arciszewski (5-foot-11, 235) and John Senia (6-foot-4, 325).

"The protection was unbelievable," Sanzo said. "I had so much time back there. They did an excellent job."

Laroche’s 6-yard TD with 8:51 to go in the third quarter ended the night for the first string. His understudy -- sophomore Jay Catalano -- bolted for a 32-yard TD 5 1/2 minutes later.

Ken Lipshez can be reached at klipshez@newbritainherald.com