It was a great way to end WJ Football 2009. The Wildcats pounded the Richard Montgomery Rockets 49-0 to end the season with a three-game winning streak.


 

WJ’s dominance was evident from the get-go. The team ran the ball successfully in their first drive and finished the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run by senior running back Michael Pitsenberger. The Wildcats then got a quick stop on defense, and got the ball back in the hands of the dominant running game.

Behind a healthy offensive line consisting of seniors Richard Benjamin, Tristan Plunkett, Nic Taylor and Patrick Teixeira and junior Tyler Phelps, WJ was able to sustain success on the ground. The Wildcats followed this force of blockers to the goal line.

Senior lineman Patrick Teixeira lined up at the full-back position. Junior quarterback Cole Ahnell took the snap, handed the ball off to Teixeira, and watched as his body barreled past the goal line and into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown run.

Then after more solid defense from the Wildcats, the rushing attack would strike once more. This time it was junior running back Ryan Davis, who took the handoff from Ahnell, found a hole and shot through it for a 29-yard touchdown run.

All of this scoring came in the first quarter. But WJ’s toughest test of the game would come early in the second quarter. Although RM quarterback Thomas Bradley wound was a big run against the Cats, WJ was able to respond. Senior linebacker Connor Gleason dropped back in coverage and saw that the pass was coming his way. He leapt up and trapped the ball against his body, coming down with it and getting some additional yards before he was tackled.

The offense then took the ball down to the 10-yard line, but was unable to get anything going on three straight plays. The special teams unit then came onto the field to try a field goal, but that attempt was snuffed out by the RM defense. So RM got the ball back, desperately trying to get points on the board. And it looked promising for the Rockets early in the drive, as Bradley had a truly exhilarating run, zig-zagging his way to about the WJ 35.

But, once again, WJ was able to respond, coming up with a big sack on the very next play and stopping any first downs in what followed in the drive.

WJ, with a 21-point lead, took some chances on pass plays, and converted these chances into big gains. Senior wide receiver Alec Sterling caught a pass over the middle, and ran with it for a gain of 36. The drive resulted in a 6-yard Davis touchdown run, and put WJ ahead by a score of 28-0 – a score that the Wildcats would take into halftime.

In the second half, WJ continued to score, seemingly at will. But coach Jon Kadi made sure to get everyone into the game, and let everyone get a taste of playing time at the varsity level.

“Every player on our team played in the game,” said Kadi. “The players that entered the game were able to keep a high level of effort and made some key plays in the second half.”

The Wildcats continued to score, no matter who was on the field. Pitsenberger put on a show with a 10-yard touchdown run, an 11-yard touchdown catch and another touchdown run, this time for 50 yards.

But that’s not to say that others didn’t get involved. There were a handful of underclassmen that gave the fans a taste of WJ Football 2010.

“The returning players should know that they have the talent and athletic ability to compete with any team we line up against,” said Kadi. “They have won on the JV level, and now the varsity level.”

Junior linebacker Daniel Alonso got his first sack of the year; junior defensive back William Alberto got his first interception of the season, and returned it for 41 yards; junior defensive back Zach Hazlett and sophomore defensive lineman Daniel Curtin had a game-high five tackles.

“We set out to earn some respect this season,” said Kadi. “And hopefully we have done that, and we know that goal will continue into next season.”

The juniors who will be the leaders of the varsity team next year are confident in the players’ abilities and the turn WJ football has taken.

“We’re moving in the right direction as a program,” said Ahnell. “With this game we gained some more respect. This three-game streak shows the county we’re not gonna be pushed around.”