Holy Cross at Carbondale

Recap

CARBONDALE AREA 45, HOLY CROSS 15

At Carbondale Area High School, the Chargers improved their record to 3-1 by handing the visiting Holy Cross Crusaders a 45-15 setback. The Crusaders fell to 1-3 on the season.

The Chargers wasted little time in getting on track offensively, scoring on their very first possession of the game. Carbondale covered 64 yards in just four plays. Francisco Roman did the honors for the Chargers from a yard out. After the failed extra point, Carbondale Area led 6-0 with 9:44 left to play in the opening quarter.

Holy Cross was able to take their only lead of the contest a few possessions later, courtesy of Kevin Vincent who carried four times for 50 yards on the drive. His touchdown run gave Holy Cross a 7-6 lead with 4:01 remaining in the opening stanza.

From there on out, it was all Carbondale Area. The Chargers were able to take the lead for keeps late in the first quarter, driving 59 yards in just five plays. Once again, it was Roman who found the end zone, this time from 3 yards away. A Cole Becchetti pass on the two-point conversion was on the mark, making it 14-7 Carbondale after one period.

After recovering a Crusader fumble, a pass interference penalty set the Chargers up on the Holy Cross 13 where Caedon Voglino struck for another Carbondale Area touchdown. Another failed point after made it 20-7 Carbondale with 11:25 left to play before intermission.

The Chargers would then take advantage of another Holy Cross turnover when Kayden Fitzgerald returned an intercepted pass to the Crusader 17-yard line. On the very next snap from center, Becchetti hit Keagan Kuna with a strike to extend the Charger lead to 26-7 with 9:58 remaining in the second frame.

But the Carbondale Area defense was not yet finished. David Myers picked off another Holy Cross pass, returning the football to the Holy Cross 33. From there it took the Chargers 5 plays to find paydirt. Cole Balderas notched the tally from 2-yards out, followed by another failed point after attempt. At halftime, the Chargers held a commanding 32-7 lead.

The Chargers struck quickly in the third quarter. On their first possession, Nick Zaccone hit Myers behind the Holy Cross secondary for the score. With 9:03 left in the third quarter, it was 38-7 Carbondale Area.

Carbondale Area scored their final touchdown late in the third period on their longest play from scrimmage of the evening. Voglino broke through a hole in the Crusader line and sprinted 90 yards for the score. This time the extra point was good and the Chargers had extended their lead to 45-7, putting the mercy rule into effect.

Holy Cross did manage another touchdown in the final period, mounting a 70-yard drive highlighted by the running of Henry Chilewski, who scored from 10 yards away. The successful two-point conversion made the final tally 45-15.

Carbondale Area, winners of their last three games, will host Dunmore next Friday night. Holy Cross will look for their second victory of the season at home next Saturday against Columbia Montour Vo-Tech.

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER

CAR – Francisco Roman 1-yd run (Kick failed) – Carbondale 6-0

HC – Chris Transue 28-yd run (Simon Madore kick) – Holy Cross 7-6

CAR – Roman 3-yd run (Cole Becchetti run) – Carbondale 14-7

2ND QUARTER

CAR – Caedon Voglino 13-yd run (Run failed) – Carbondale 20-7

CAR – Keagan Kuna 17-yd pass from Becchetti (Kick failed) – Carbondale 26-7

CAR – Cole Baderas 2-yd run (Kick failed) – Carbondale 32-7

3RD QUARTER

CAR – David Myers 20-yd pass from Nick Zaccone (Kick failed) – Carbondale 38-7

CAR – C. Voglino 90-yd run (Levi Gabriel kick) – Carbondale 45-7

4TH QUARTER

HC – Henry Chilewski 10-yd run (Chase Rutkoski run) – Carbondale 45-15