Knights Prevail 53-27 Over Center Moriches

It was a picture perfect autumn day at the Elwood-John Glenn Academic and Athletic Campus with the Elwood Knights hosting the Center Moriches Red Devils. The Red Devils sported a 2-0 record and were fresh off an upset over Shoreham-Wading River. As Coach Steve Failla told Newsday for its Football Season Preview, the Red Devil’s upperclassmen started the Center Moriches program in middle-school and are intent “on making their mark” this year, their last together. Plus, Newsday highlighted this game as one to watch while giving the Red Devil locker room motivational material by picking the Knights to end the Red Devils’s winning streak.

In contrast, although Elwood also entered the game with a 2-0 record, both wins were desultory affairs marred by sluggish first quarters. Nonetheless, the Knights had won because of outstanding plays by individuals but the team had yet to click. For the Knights, this was a chance to step up the intensity from the opening whistle.

In the first quarter, the Knights executed perfectly while the Red Devils misfired. The quarter ended with the Knights ahead 23-0. The Knights blocked a punt, sacked the punter in the end-zone for a safety, and displayed an array of offensive weapons. In the second quarter the tide shifted. Red Devils quarterback, Joe Ratti, bought time in the pocket, found open receivers, and threaded the needle on several passes. Ratti also proved to be an elusive and tough runner challenging the Knights at the edges and up the middle.The Red Devils put together two long touchdown drives and may have scored a third touchdown but for outside linebacker Joe Giaramita’s jolting hit that forced a fumble. The Knights also recorded a second quarter touchdown and field goal, and the half ended with the Knights ahead 26-13.

In the second half, the Red Devils kept up their challenge with quarterback Ratti continuing his outstanding play along with contributions on both sides of the ball by Myles Jones, Kyle Manico, and Dillon Simpson. The Knights, however, had too many weapons and came up with key defensive stops. Joe Gannon and Patrick Pascal provided outstanding coverage on the Devils talented receivers. In addition, Matt “Dirty Jersey” Forsberg and the Mighty Jack Moorehead both continued their inspired play this season and delivered some resounding hits.

The Knight Line: Three Knights each had two touchdowns. Ryan Valdez caught two touchdown passes, one from each quarterback, Ryan Reilly and Rich Czeczotka. Jack Moorehead and Austin Cohen both had two running touchdowns and reaped the rewards of the hard work and holes opened by the Knights talented O-line Big John McDermott, Kyle Satchel, Steven Jeanty, and Joe Kohout. For the second time in this young season, Pat Pascal fielded a punt on the run and returned it for a touchdown. Throughout the game, the Knights special teams stood out.  Placekicker Reyes Guevara repeatedly boomed kickoffs, and there were several given the fifty three points that the Knights put on the board. Most of Guevara’s kickoffs went for touchbacks and on the rare opportunities the Red Devils had to run a kick-off back, they were pinned inside their own ten yard line.