PYO Football: Cardinals swoop by Browns

December 21, 2011 Robert Cavaliere
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The Cardinals got a lucky bounce late in the fourth quarter ontheir own kick off as they got by a stubborn Browns eleven, 19 to6.

The Cardinals nursed a 6 to 0 lead courtesy of a 16-yardtouchdown by John Antony Criscione late in the first half. TheBrowns’ Gianfranco Pappalardi gave the his team a one-point leadlate in the fourth quarter as he barged into pay dirt from theone-yard line and then duplicated the score with the extrapoint.

The 7-6 Brown lead lasted until there were three minutes left inthe game when Jason Perlstein fired a bullet to Joseph Pallone fora 10-yard TD; when Perlstein added the extra point, the Cards had anarrow 13 to 7 lead.

But disaster struck on the ensuing kick-off as there wasconfusion between the Browns’ deep receivers, and when neither manwent for the ball, Criscione raced in between the receivers andfell on the live ball for a back-breaking touchdown.

The low-scoring game showed off some great defensive talents asGiancarlo DiGregorio, Michael Correa, Justin Cohen and Jake Cisekanchored the Browns’ defense while Angelo Fiumefreddo, ThomasPretorius and Dylan Salas came up with key stops for theCardinals.

In the Peewee division, the Vikings broke a tie a tie ball gamewith a late score and than went on to defeat the Steelers, 33 to20.

The game was tied 14 to 14 at halftime as both teams swappedtouchdowns. The Vikings scored first as Robert McCool’srazzle-dazzle run was successful for a 25-yard TD. Antonio Perfettoadded the extra point.

But the Steelers came back to score as they put together a drivewith Matthew Rossetti scoring from the one-yard line behind theblocks of Thomas Wright and Colin Trainor. Michael Compo added thepoint after.

Late in the half, the Vikings went four and out giving theSteelers an opportunity from their 25. The ball advanced to the 12where on a broken

play, Christopher Zullo avoided two tackles and raced into theend zone for the score. Rossetti added the PAT for a 4 to 7lead.

But just 30 seconds later, the Vikes came right back as JackRyan rang up a 19-yard TD. Christopher Natelli added the pointafter to tie the game at 14.

The half might have been a higher-scoring affair had it not beenfor the defensive work of the Steelers’ Ryan Jimenez and DallasRivera and their opposition defenders, Sean Fernandez and JonnySantiaga.

On the first offensive play of the second half, the Vikingsregained the lead as McCool tallied his second score of the game.Natelli added the extra point for a 21 to 14 lead. With 10:30 leftin the game, the Steelers’ Rossetti recorded his second touchdown.After a great tackle by the Steelers’ Natelli, the Vikings had anarrow 21 to 20 lead.

Late in the half, the Steelers punted the ball and it rolleddead at the Viking three. On a third down play, McCool raced thelength of the field for a back-breaking touchdown that put theVikings up for good at 27 to 20.

The Steelers went four and out and had to give the ball back tothe Vikings. The Vikes looked like they would be able to run outthe clock when Perfetto took a late handoff on a reverse and foundan open field in front of him as he rambled 22 yards for the TD,making the final score 33 to 20 in favor of the Vikings.





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