Devil Machine destroys Riverside

Call them a juggernaut.

Call them a buzzsaw.

Maybe even call them the best Old Forge football team in 25 years. But don't call them champions just yet, because the way the Blue Devils go about their business on the gridiron, they know it's one-day-at-a-time before they can wear the crown.

Still, the Big Blue Wrecking Crew has the look of a champion after dismantling arch-rival Riverside in a record-setting, 54-7, victory on Friday night at Taylor Veterans Memorial Stadium in front of over 3,500 fans.

Playing with a focus and an intensity not seen in decades, Old Forge continues to bring it's lunch pail every Friday night as it wears down opponents by dominating the line of scrimmage.

And Riverside was just another check mark on a list goals the Blue Devils seek to accomplish in 2012.

The Old Forge defense started the game with its backs against the wall as Riverside quarterback Nick Dranchak completed two passes to Jim Tucker for a total of 23 yards around a rush for 19 yards to give the Vikings a first down at the Blue Devils 29.

But the Big Blue Wrecking Crew stood tall, forcing Dranchak into three incompletions, including one on fourth-and-5 from the OF 24, to turn the ball over to tailback Bubba Tomasetti and the Old Forge offense.

Tomasetti carried the ball three times for 19 yards to start the drive before quarterback Brenden Wahl connected with Anthony Piccolini down the seam for a 27-yard gain to the Vikings 35.

Tomasetti went for nine yards on the next play and then electrified the crowd on his next carry.

The senior took the handoff and followed fullback Jorden Sekol through a hole created by Ryan Paulish, Paul Papi, and Shane Schuback on the right side, before cutting left off a punishing Sekol block and sprinting 26 yards to the end zone for the first of his school record six touchdowns.

Matt Mancuso drilled the extra-point, and Old Forge took a 7-0 lead with 6:30 left in the game.

Riverside came right back as Dranchak hit Nico Munley across the middle and the senior wide out outran the Blue Devils defense to the end zone for a 70-yard touchdown. The point after was good and the game was tied 7-7 just 32 seconds later.

Riverside committed a personal foul penalty on the ensuing kickoff to put Old Forge at the Vikings 42 and five plays later Wahl hit Piccolini in the back of the endzone for a 18-yard touchdown play that saw the senior wideout hold onto the pigskin after taking a big hit.

The PAT was blocked but the Blue Devils were back on top, 13-7, with 2:58 left in the first.

On the next play from scrimmage, momentum snowballed for Old Forge.

Riverside tried to get those six points back quickly but Tomasetti made an acrobatic interception at his own 10 and returned it 57 yards to the Vikings 33.

Brandon Yescavage gave Tomasetti a break on the next play and the offense didn't miss a beat. The junior went 24 yards over right tackle to give the Blue Devils first-and-goal at the 9.

Two plays later, Tomasetti bulled in from four yards out and followed with a two-point run for the 21-7 lead with 1:50 left in the first, and the rout was on.

On Old Forge's next series, Tomasetti carried four straight times for 40 yards to end the quarter and put him at the century mark after just one stanza.

Yescavage spelled Tomasetti again and took the next snap 28 yards for the score. But the play was nullified on a holding penalty.

After the penalty, and a loss on the following play, Wahl hooked up with Jake Manetti for a 39-yard gain to set up first-and-goal at the 4.

Tomasetti went over right tackle again to the endzone, and after Mancuso drilled the PAT, the Blue Devils led 28-7 just 2:43 into the second period.

The Big Blue Wrecking Crew held the Vikings to just four yards on its next three series on the first half, and the offense added another score as Wahl hit Schuback for a 35-yard strike to set up a 4-yard Tomasetti touchdown with 54 seconds left in the half. The extra-pont was no good, but Old Forge took a 34-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The carnage did not stop there.

Old Forge received the second-half kickoff and ran off an 11-play, 58-yard drive which Tomasetti capped with a 7-yard touchdown run to give the Blue Devils a 40-7 lead with 6:03 showing the the third quarter clock.

A defensive stand on fourth-and-1 from the RV 44 handed the ball back to the Old Forge offense.

Wahl found Schuback for 15 yards on second down, and two plays later Tomasetti galloped 29 yards for his sixth touchdown of the night. Mancuso was true on the extra-point, and the Mercy Rule went into effect as the Blue Devils took a 47-7 lead with 3:37 left in the third.

Riverside tried to answer as Dave Sweetman carried three straight times for 48 yards, but the Old Forge defense stiffened and forced a turnover on downs at its own 32 yard line.

From there, Tomasetti carried one last time for 15 yards before turning the toting over to Yescavage who rushed seven straight times for 53 yards, including a 2-yard touchdowns with 5:28 left for a 54-7 lead.

Tomasetti finished with 222 yards on 30 carries, while Yescavage finished with 86 yards on the ground. Wahl needed the night 7-for-11 for 147 yards, and Piccolini caught three balls for 56 yards.  

B&G Blog Player of the Game: Ok this is getting quite ridiculous. So with apologies to Bubba (You cannot win this award every week!!!), the B&G Blog POY is Jorden Sekol. Sekol was a bulldozer on Friday night, leading the way for Tomasetti's record-setting night in the end zone. From his fullback position, Sekol punished the Riverside defense, clearing the way for his tailback's 222-yard, six-touchdown night.

B&G Blog Defensive Player of the Game: The Old Forge defensive ends. Tony DeSando, Brandon Yescavage, and Kyree Toomey harassed RV quarterback Nick Dranchak into a 5-for-21 night by putting continual pressure on the four-year stater and keeping him in the pocket for most of the night.

B&G Blog Play of the Game: The play of the game was Brenden Wahl's perfect toss to Anthony Piccolini in the back of the endzone to give the Blue Devils the lead for good. Piccolini hauled in the pass despite knowing he was going to take a big hit from either a defender or the post of the uprights as he caught the ol pigskin right in front of the right post a split second from getting knocked down.

B&G Blog Coaching Move of the Game: The coaching move came before the game started as Coach Mike Schuback had his defense giving the Riverside offense multiple looks by rotating up to 11 different players among his front 7 as the Blue Devils had guys flying around the field from all angles.