A solid ground game catapulted the Shelton High football team to a 46 – 23 victory at Amity High Friday night.
Shelton rushed for 313 yards on 44 carries with Senior quad-captain Greg Bukoski, classmates Robert Gelozin, Tyler McNamara and James Keleman and junior Patrick Gillen opened up gaping holes that Mack trucks could easily drive through. In fact, the Gaels, who raised their record to 5 – 3, didn’t punt once all night.
Amity dropped to 2 – 5.
Shelton failed to score on only two drives, starting with its opening drive of the game when junior Jon Groth’s 21-yard field goal attempt was partially blocked and an interception with 2:48 remaining in the first half.
Senior starting quarterback Ray Pendgast got the Gaels going with his running (three carries for 41 yards) and passing (3‑for‑6, 52). Pendagast hit juniors Shaquill Holman (two catches for 41 yards) and Mike Georgalis (two catches for 20 yards) to move Shelton into the red zone on its second drive of the game. On a second and goal, Pendagast hit Holman in the flat, who broke tackled in scampering in for an 11-yard touchdown catch with 2:10 left in the first quarter. Groth’s kick made it 7 – 0.
The Spartans had some success moving the ball and answered with a nine-play, 81-yard scoring drive. Sophomore quarterback Tyler Vallie scored on an 11-yard keeper with 11:15 to go in the half. Senior Ned Wood kicked the extra point to tie it, 7 – 7.
On the Gaels’ scoring drive, Pendagast absorbed a hit. Although he capped the drive, he didn’t play the rest of the game because of the after-effects from the hit. He could be back for next Friday’s home game against Daniel Hand High.
Groth (6‑for‑8 for 75 yards, 10 carries for 33 yards) ably filled in for Pendagast and successfully ran the offense.
“The offensive line protected me well and opened things up, which made it easier for me,” said Groth.
After Amity scored, Groth led Shelton on a four-play, 69-yard scoring drive, hitting senior quad-captain Paul Piccirillo (three catches for 43 yards) with a 22-yard pass and capping the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run with 9:59 left in the half. The extra point was no good and the Gaels led, 13 – 7.
Following a shanked Spartan punt, Shelton began its next drive on Amity’s 29. Senior Joel Youd (11 carries for 75 yards) set the tone with a 24-yard run on a second-and-10 play. Groth hit Georgalis for a 5‑yard touchdown pass on a third-and-goal with 6:38 remaining. The Gaels went for two but Groth’s pass to Piccirillo was incomplete and the score was 19 – 7.
It remained a 12-point game at the break.
Senior Tom Scanlon intercepted a Groth pass to give the Spartans an opportunity at Shelton’s 47. However, Piccirillo, who broke up four passes, answered with an interception and prevented Amity from making it a one-score game.
“Against the spread option, we bent but didn’t break,” said Piccirillo.
Junior Cody Kitson (11 tackles) led the defense. Classmate Ricky Raphael and seniors Eric Sinko and BJ Wood each had five tackles. Youd and junior Dan Guerrera (two passes broken up) also had interceptions and juniors Pat Gillen and Ted Hopnick recorded one sack each.
After Youd intercepted Vallie on the first drive of the second half, the Gaels marched 84 yards on 12 plays for the score. Groth hit Sinko for 15 yards and Piccirillo for 16 on the drive and junior Ryan DeAngelis (17 carries for 158 yards), eclipsing double figures on two runs before closing the drive with a 5‑yard touchdown run with 4:41 to go in the third quarter to make it 25 – 7. DeAngelis had a 1‑yard touchdown run with 9:15 left in the game and Groth’s kick made it 32 – 7.
Amity scored twice and made both two-point conversions when the outcome was no longer in doubt.
Piccirrillo answered the first score with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
“The line blocked well and set up a wall and I found the open seam,” said Piccirillo. “We were determined to run the ball on them. We were enthusiastic and played Shelton football.”
DeAngelis scored on a 50-yard run with 3:01 to go and Groth’s kick made it 46 – 15 before the Spartans closed with another meaningless touchdown.
