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The Eagles (5-0) showed their ability to pound the ball on the ground early. They took over on their own 20 after blocking Chris Tyler’s field goal try. They then marched the ball 80 yards on eight rushes, highlighted by a 44-yard run by Dahna Deleston and capped by a six-yard plunge by Joe Hartigan with 3:36 left in the first quarter.
It was what happened next, however, that put Rocky Hill in a hole from which it could not escape. Rocky Hill (1-4) went three-and-out on the ensuing drive, but thanks to a good kick return, had left the Eagles with poor field position.
It didn’t matter.
East Catholic took over at its own 30, then marched 70 yards, with the key plays being a 23-yard keeper by quarterback Dan Belli, and a 57-yard touchdown heave to Bryah Williston over the middle on the first play of the second quarter, making it 14-0. The Eagles recovered an onside kick and took over on their own 49. This time, they didn’t need a long, time-consuming drive.
On the very next play after the onside kick, Belli rolled left, escaped pressure, and fired it down the sideline to Akwan Shabazz, who dragged his feet, staying inbounds to make the catch in the endzone and making it 21-0 just 1:02 into the second quarter.
Rocky Hill’s big play came right before halftime, when Eric Fritz found Jeff Courneen for a 39-yard touchdown with 26 seconds left in the half. The Terriers went to the break with some momentum, and for the first half of the third quarter, kept the game at 28-6. Then the Eagles finished things off.
Shabazz picked Fritz off at the Eagles’ 35 with 6:50 left in the third. Rocky Hill had driven down the field thanks in part to Courneen’s 12-yard run on a fake punt. The Eagles took over and put the game away with a 24-yard run by Deleston. Belli’s 34-yard score three minutes later finished the scoring.
