SYRACUSE - Stopping a post usually isn't a difficult task, but try telling that to the Port Byron football team.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
Port Byron running back DJ Helmer tries to escape approaching Frankfort-Schuyler tight end Jim Swienton during the third quarter of Port Byron's 22-8 loss on Saturday afternoon at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.
Port Byron running back DJ Helmer tries to escape approaching Frankfort-Schuyler tight end Jim Swienton during the third quarter of Port Byron's 22-8 loss on Saturday afternoon at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.
The Panthers' defense put forth an outstanding defensive effort against an unfamiliar opponent in Section III, Class D Frankfort-Schuyler during the Kickoff Classic at the Carrier Dome on Saturday.
Playing as the home team, the Panthers allowed only three big offensive plays. Maroon Knights' wide receiver Todd Post punished the Panthers with two of them, along with the biggest defensive play of the game. Port Byron couldn't overcome two Post scores in the first half, and lost 22-8.
The Panthers started slowly, mustering less than 20 yards of offense in the first quarter and in one fell swoop, the Maroon Knights topped that in one defense play. With defenders in his face, Panthers quarterback Brian Locastro threw an interception on his second pass of the game, landing in Post's arms and the speedy defensive back sprinted 67 yards for the first score.
Maroon Knights signal caller Ron Gatto plunged into the end zone for the two-point conversion.
Post made up 41 percent of Frankfort-Schuyler's offense alone, despite being involved in just two plays on that side of the ball. On what should have been a long shot third-and-16 play from their own 26, Gatto found the 5-foot-10, 155 pound wideout for a 74-yard score. Frank Bianchi made it 16-0 at the half after finding the end zone on a two-yard conversion run.
“He played an exceptional game,” Maroon Knights coach Jeff LaGase said. “He's a great athlete that can play great defense as well. He made some really great open tackles out there.”
With just two more catches for 15 yards in the game, Post was a non-factor until an 18-yard catch late in the fourth quarter that set up a five-yard touchdown run by Jordan Lints that sealed the win. Jordan Stevens, who recorded the Panthers' only sack, saved the two-point conversion by taking down Gatto in the backfield, but with under a minute remaining in the game, the Panthers had no time to make a comeback.
“I thought we did a great job, regardless,” Port Byron coach Chris Kudla said. “I'm proud of my kids and how we played. Take away those three big plays and we're right there. We've got a lot to take away from this game, but we're going to get better.”
It's hard to see how the Panthers can get much better on defense. In plays that did not involve Post, they allowed just 131 yards of offense and recovered two fumbles that the Maroon Knights had the better chance to retain.
CJ Kudla earned team MVP of the game at the linebacker position, picking up 12 tackles and recovering one fumble late in the first half in excellent field position, but the offense was out of timeouts and could not take advantage.
Nor could the Panthers take advantage of most of the Maroon Knights' 11 penalties, but they did catch them on a big one. Soon after Frankfort-Schuyler turned the ball over on downs at their own 32, Port Byron found themselves in a fourth-and-inches situation on the 4-yard line. They earned the first down by getting into formation after Frankfort-Schuyler jumped offsides and Matt Janusz scored from one yard out two plays later. Robert Yeomans's bobbling catch in the endzone completed the scoring for the Panthers.
Frankfort-Schuyler's penalties negated runs of 22, 30 and 43 yards, as well as a would-be 66-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Six of them came in the first quarter.
“We played hard and physical, but we were too undisciplined at times,” LaGase said. “We had too many penalties, which is something we need to work on. We kept putting ourselves in a hole and we can't continue to do that if we want to be successful.”
Lints earned team MVP for the winning squad, racking up 32 yards on nine carries and a half a sack on defense. Led by Jim Swienton, the Maroon Knights kept Locastro on his toes all game, constantly flushing him out of the pocket and making him throw on the run. Locastro was sacked twice, but rushed seven times and hit four of those times. That led to three picks, one to Gatto in the third.
Locastro finished 8-of-16 for 53 yards and three picks. Janusz had seven rushes for 41 yards and Steve Cuff led the ground game with 58 yards on three carries. Jordan Stevens had two sacks for the Panthers.
The Panthers coach, for one, was happy to be back at the dome. After watching the Auburn football team go on their playoff run last fall, he was glad to see his own team under the lights, even if the conditions were sweltering there.
“It was awesome to be here,” Kudla said. “It's always nice coming here. It was a bit hot today, but you can't beat the facilities and everyone did a great job of putting this on. We got lucky to be chosen to play here. It's good stuff.”
Despite his team not playing Frankfort-Schuyler for at least 15 years, as long as LaGase has held his job, Kudla left Syracuse with a great feeling about his team, who starts the season 0-2.
“Obviously, they do a good job over at Frankfort-Schuyler, they're well coached and they have a lot of great players,” Kudla said. “It was one heck of a football game though. We're excited, we have a lot of positives here.”
F-S 8 8 0 6--22
PB 0 0 0 8--8
First Quarter
FS - Post 68 interception return (Gatto run)
Second Quarter
FS - Post 74 catch from Gatto (Bianchi run)
Fourth Quarter
PB - Janusz 1 run (Yeomans catch from Locastro)
Fourth Quarter
FS - Lints 5 run (run failed)
Playing as the home team, the Panthers allowed only three big offensive plays. Maroon Knights' wide receiver Todd Post punished the Panthers with two of them, along with the biggest defensive play of the game. Port Byron couldn't overcome two Post scores in the first half, and lost 22-8.
The Panthers started slowly, mustering less than 20 yards of offense in the first quarter and in one fell swoop, the Maroon Knights topped that in one defense play. With defenders in his face, Panthers quarterback Brian Locastro threw an interception on his second pass of the game, landing in Post's arms and the speedy defensive back sprinted 67 yards for the first score.
Maroon Knights signal caller Ron Gatto plunged into the end zone for the two-point conversion.
Post made up 41 percent of Frankfort-Schuyler's offense alone, despite being involved in just two plays on that side of the ball. On what should have been a long shot third-and-16 play from their own 26, Gatto found the 5-foot-10, 155 pound wideout for a 74-yard score. Frank Bianchi made it 16-0 at the half after finding the end zone on a two-yard conversion run.
“He played an exceptional game,” Maroon Knights coach Jeff LaGase said. “He's a great athlete that can play great defense as well. He made some really great open tackles out there.”
With just two more catches for 15 yards in the game, Post was a non-factor until an 18-yard catch late in the fourth quarter that set up a five-yard touchdown run by Jordan Lints that sealed the win. Jordan Stevens, who recorded the Panthers' only sack, saved the two-point conversion by taking down Gatto in the backfield, but with under a minute remaining in the game, the Panthers had no time to make a comeback.
“I thought we did a great job, regardless,” Port Byron coach Chris Kudla said. “I'm proud of my kids and how we played. Take away those three big plays and we're right there. We've got a lot to take away from this game, but we're going to get better.”
It's hard to see how the Panthers can get much better on defense. In plays that did not involve Post, they allowed just 131 yards of offense and recovered two fumbles that the Maroon Knights had the better chance to retain.
CJ Kudla earned team MVP of the game at the linebacker position, picking up 12 tackles and recovering one fumble late in the first half in excellent field position, but the offense was out of timeouts and could not take advantage.
Nor could the Panthers take advantage of most of the Maroon Knights' 11 penalties, but they did catch them on a big one. Soon after Frankfort-Schuyler turned the ball over on downs at their own 32, Port Byron found themselves in a fourth-and-inches situation on the 4-yard line. They earned the first down by getting into formation after Frankfort-Schuyler jumped offsides and Matt Janusz scored from one yard out two plays later. Robert Yeomans's bobbling catch in the endzone completed the scoring for the Panthers.
Frankfort-Schuyler's penalties negated runs of 22, 30 and 43 yards, as well as a would-be 66-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Six of them came in the first quarter.
“We played hard and physical, but we were too undisciplined at times,” LaGase said. “We had too many penalties, which is something we need to work on. We kept putting ourselves in a hole and we can't continue to do that if we want to be successful.”
Lints earned team MVP for the winning squad, racking up 32 yards on nine carries and a half a sack on defense. Led by Jim Swienton, the Maroon Knights kept Locastro on his toes all game, constantly flushing him out of the pocket and making him throw on the run. Locastro was sacked twice, but rushed seven times and hit four of those times. That led to three picks, one to Gatto in the third.
Locastro finished 8-of-16 for 53 yards and three picks. Janusz had seven rushes for 41 yards and Steve Cuff led the ground game with 58 yards on three carries. Jordan Stevens had two sacks for the Panthers.
The Panthers coach, for one, was happy to be back at the dome. After watching the Auburn football team go on their playoff run last fall, he was glad to see his own team under the lights, even if the conditions were sweltering there.
“It was awesome to be here,” Kudla said. “It's always nice coming here. It was a bit hot today, but you can't beat the facilities and everyone did a great job of putting this on. We got lucky to be chosen to play here. It's good stuff.”
Despite his team not playing Frankfort-Schuyler for at least 15 years, as long as LaGase has held his job, Kudla left Syracuse with a great feeling about his team, who starts the season 0-2.
“Obviously, they do a good job over at Frankfort-Schuyler, they're well coached and they have a lot of great players,” Kudla said. “It was one heck of a football game though. We're excited, we have a lot of positives here.”
F-S 8 8 0 6--22
PB 0 0 0 8--8
First Quarter
FS - Post 68 interception return (Gatto run)
Second Quarter
FS - Post 74 catch from Gatto (Bianchi run)
Fourth Quarter
PB - Janusz 1 run (Yeomans catch from Locastro)
Fourth Quarter
FS - Lints 5 run (run failed)
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