Pomperaug football's triple-option attack rolls past Wethersfield with nearly 400 yards
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SOUTHBURY - The Pomperaug High football team played the second-toughest schedule in Class MM last season behind St. Joseph. The Panthers went 5-5 despite that brutal schedule, and then brought back nearly its entire roster.
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Pomperaug had a great offseason - including finishing second at the Southington Lineman Challenge - and has hit the ground running this fall. The Panthers rushed for nearly 400 yards and dispatched Wethersfield 50-21 in a Connecticut High School Football Alliance game at Edward Arum Athletic Field.
Pomperaug improved to 2-0 with a big South-West Conference home game looming next Friday against Newtown.
No Panther rushed for 100 yards, yet four different players accumulated at least 78 yards. Quarterback Josh Coughlin ran for a team-high 92 yards on just five attempts, but it was the one-two fullback punch of Gavin Lynch (15-90, 2 TD) and Dom Creaco (9-78, 1 TD) that did the most damage.
"As a defensive guy, if you don't stop the fullback, you're in for a long day," Pomperaug coach Tony Pereira said. "You have to stop that inside-out or else you can run whatever you want."
Jack Guinipero also did damage, carrying eight times for 87 yards and two touchdowns as the Panthers ran inside and outside from the triple option to the tune of 391 yards on 42 attempts.
Pomperaug is in its second season running an offense that was brought over from former Class SS state champion Joel Barlow by Panthers assistant coach Ryan Swift. Pereira and multiple assistants are former offensive/defensive line guys, so they love the triple-option.
"That's our type of offense, and our kids have done a tremendous job. It doesn't happen overnight," Pereira said. "It's slow and steady, but that offense, it's great, man. We're coming at you, as you can see. We wear people down. In the third, fourth quarter, they're (thinking), ‘what's coming at us next?'"
Pomperaug has 16 seniors on the roster, and many started as sophomores.
"They've been coming all the way through, and they've done a tremendous job and have done what we've asked them to do," Pereira said.
The Panthers took seven plays to traverse 67 yards for the game's opening score. Lynch ran it in from 2 yards out, and the first of six successful extra points by Jack Reeder put Pomperaug up 7-0 with 8:15 left in the first quarter.
Wethersfield appeared headed for a three-and-out on its opening drive, but a late substitution resulted in a Pomperaug penalty and a first down. The Eagles ran 13 more plays, and Isaiah Edwards scored from 3 yards out with 18 seconds left in the first quarter. Rian Stevens tied the game 7-7 with his first of three successful extra points.
Edwards, a shifty 5-foot-10, 215-pound senior running back, had game highs of 28 rushing attempts and 114 yards, plus two touchdowns.
"He's a good player, a very good player," Pereira said.
Pomperaug scored the game's next 29 points over the second and third quarters to take a commanding 36-7 lead. Lynch ran 6 yards for his second touchdown, then Guinipero went 41 yards for a score. Caleb McKee went 25 yards untouched around the left side for a touchdown, and Guinipero went 9 yards for his second score.
Wethersfield broke Pomperaug's scoring streak when Adriatik Kaleviqi intercepted a pass and weaved his way for an 80-yard touchdown return.
"Against very good teams like where we want to get to, we're going to have to throw the ball. We'll have to throw it," Pereira said. "I'm not happy with the pick-six there, but that's something we'll clean up, and our kids know that."
The teams traded touchdowns: Dom Creaco scored on a 13-yard run for Pomperaug, and Edwards scored on a 4-yard run for Wethersfield before Cole Tracy completed the scoring for the Panthers with a 1-yard sneak.
Wethersfield is home to Northwest Catholic next Friday at 6 p.m.
Player of the game
Gavin Lynch, Pomperaug:The senior fullback ran a team-high 15 times for 90 yards and two touchdowns in Thursday's victory.
Quotable
"You win and lose games on the line of scrimmage. Blocking and tackling. That's the one thing. (Former Pomperaug coach Chuck Drury is) not here anymore, but I always hear that in my mind. At the end of the day, it's about blocking and tackling. If you don't do that, you don't (have) a shot."
- Pomperaug coach Tony Pereira.
Pomperaug 50, Wethersfield 21
WETHERSFIELD 7 0 7 7-21
POMPERAUG 7 22 14 7-50
P-Gavin Lynch 2 run (Jack Reeder kick)
W-Isaiah Edwards 3 run (Rian Stevens kick)
P-Lynch 6 run (Reeder kick)
P-Jack Guinipero 41 run (Josh Coughlin run)
P-Caleb McKee 25 run (Reeder kick)
P-Guinipero 9 run (Reeder kick)
W-Adriatik Kaleviqi 80 interception return (Stevens kick)
P-Dominic Creaco 13 run (Reeder kick)
W-Edwards 4 run (Stevens kick)
P-Cole Tracy 1 run (Reeder kick)
Team records: Pomperaug 2-0; Wethersfield 0-2.
This article originally published at Pomperaug football's triple-option attack rolls past Wethersfield with nearly 400 yards.