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Spartans running back Teddy Czipiga ran for two touchdowns, one of 60
yards and the other 21.
Quarterback Norman Roth scored the other, running a sweep around the left side of the
Panthers’ defense.
"They’re a good team,” Pomperaug coach Chuck Drury said.
"They have a good defense and run
to the ball very well. They’re a physical team.”
Despite the three touchdowns allowed, the Spartans’ defense
deserved every bit of praise directed at
them by Drury. They contained the Panthers’ running game and completely shut down
their passing game.
The loss was shocking for the Panthers’ coaching staff, which now
has to find a passing attack
and the ability to sustain an offensive drive.
"A coach knows there is always a chance his team will lose,”
Drury said. "But I never
thought we would be shut out.”
The Panthers only gained 117 yards of total offense in the game, and
just
45 yards in the first half.
The Panthers’ deepest penetration of the game came with about seven
minutes left to play.
Pomperaug got to the Amity 23-yard line on an 11-play drive of 41 yards. It ended with a
Pomperaug reception on a swing pass that a Spartan defender smelled out, dropping receiver
Ken Fraser
three yards short of a first down. It was Pomperaug’s first reception of the game.
The Panthers gained 22 yards on 2-of-9 passing, with three Amity
interceptions. Add to that a
fumbled pitchout on the first play of the second half, and it tells the story of
Pomperaug’s loss.
The defense had its share of breakdowns, but it fought to keep the team
in the game until
Czipiga’s first touchdown, midway through the third quarter.
The defense and special teams tried hard to win the game for the offense
beginning
with the opening drive of the game.
On the fourth play, Amity’s Roth stood on his own goal line and
attempted to punt the ball.
The Panthers just missed blocking the kick.
The defense earned another hand on the Spartans’ second possession,
as Amity went three
and out. But the third possession resulted in a 10-play, 68-yard touchdown drive with Roth
dancing
into the end zone on the first play of the second quarter.
"That’s one down and 11 to go,” Amity coach Rick McGowan
quipped after the game. "That’s nine
more for the regular season and two in the playoffs.”
Pomperaug (0-1) 0 0 0 0 — 0
Amity (1-0) 0 7 7 7 — 21
Second quarter
A — Norman Roth 19 run, Collin Sheppard kick, 0:09
Third quarter
A -— Ted Czipiga, 60 run, Sheppard kick, 8:20
Fourth quarter
A — Czipiga, 21 run, Sheppard kick, 6:09
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
POMPERAUG: Ken Fraser 10-36, Steve Hansen 4-16, Keith Shalvoy 8-21, Patrick Kantor 6-10.
AMITY: Norman Roth 11-38, Ted Czipiga 18-155, Curt Sheppard 8-12, Billy Seymour 6-85, Collin Sheppard 3-9
Passing
POMPERAUG: Hansen 2-9-20, 3 interceptions.
AMITY: Roth 2-4-25
Receiving:
POMPERAUG: Timothy Keegan 1-18, Fraser 1-2.
AMITY: Jack Benvenuti 2-25
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