LeRoy - A first rate performance by the second string offense jump started the Knights to a 49-0 drubbing of the Warsaw Tigers on Homecoming Night 2002. The game was played under very windy but fairly warm conditions before a very appreciative hometown crowd. Cheered on by the sitting first-teamers, junior QB Brandon Klinkbeil keenly guided the Knights to a game opening score and the Black & White rolled to the lopsided win.

The game opening drive by the reserves consumed 6:41 of the clock as 70 yards were negotiated in 14 plays. The second team line did an outstanding job against the Warsaw first-stringers, opening holes for feature backs Jeremy Cosimeno and Kenny Smith. Smith got the Knights on the board at the 5:41 mark
with a 5 yd blast. When he was not running the pigskin, Smith was laying devastating blocks on the Tiger defensemen. 7-0 LeRoy after the Brendan Fulmer PAT kick.

Fulmer introduced the appearance of the first team with a boot to the end zone on the ensuing kickoff and the visiting Tigers took over at the 20, a part of the field they would become all too familiar with during the evening due to the leg of Fulmer. After a quick Warsaw 3-and-out, the Knights took over on their own 44 yard line. Joe Cosimeno moved the ball to the 50 with a 6 yd burst up the middle. QB Joe Shaughnessy dropped back on the first strings' second play from scrimmage and floated a beautiful spiral to WR Fulmer. The Warsaw defender seemed to think that Brendan had dropped the ball and released his grip on the 6'7 Fulmer. Seconds later Fulmer trotted into the end zone and added the kick afterwards to put the Knights up 14-0 with 2:39 left in the first stanza.

Warsaw lost 3 yards on their next series and punted again to the Knights. The Knights' defense was smothering as usual with linemen pounding the middle and backers swarming around the end. Leading tacklers for the contest would be Jason Hodge (7/5 solo), all-stater Donny Miller (7), and never-out-of
position Ryan Duthe (7). Underclassmen Jake Whiting and Jason Spencer were also exceptional in completely shutting down the Warsaw offense. The poor 9 yard punt gave the Knights a drive start at the Warsaw 26. Joe Cosimeno swept 20 yards to the 6 and Andrew Fox moved it to the one before Joe took it over from the remaining yard on the first play of the 2nd quarter. 21-0 after the Fulmer PAT.

After Warsaw gained just 3 yards on their next series, the Tigers again went back to punt. The ball flew high and true in the breezy conditions, 44 yards in the air to the LeRoy 40 where Joe Cosimeno gathered it in. Cosimeno swept around the right side and received huge blocks from Kenny Smith and Jake Syracuse to find the end zone after a nice cutback. At the 9:59 mark it was 28-0. Cosimeno now has 3 TDs this season off of punt returns. Not bad for a school known for their "get away" policy of punt returning.

After yet another Warsaw 3-and-out (the Tigers would not earn a first down in the contest until the 4th quarter), the Knights took over on their own 41 yard line. A 7-play drive was capped off with a 1 yd TD burst by rugged Jimmy Macaluso. The drive featured some excellent blocking and runs by Joe Caccamise (24 yd gainer) and Andrew Fox (16 yd burst). The kick was missed and the score read 34-0 Knights.

The Knights held on defense and received the ball at precisely midfield after the Warsaw punt. With 1:56 remaining til Homecoming halftime festivities, the squad looked to work a 2-minute drill with Shaughnessy dropping back into "shotgun" position. The drill lasted all of 8 seconds as Shaughnessy threw a perfect scoring strike into the wind to a streaking Sam DeFazio who snagged the reception at the Warsaw 30 and ran untouched for the score. Shaughnessy's second 50 yd scoring toss of the evening would end the night for the starters. The Fulmer PAT was true and the score was 41-0 at the half, a half in which the Warsaw Tigers would net just 5 yards of total offense.

The impressive LeRoy High Marching Band put on a fantastic halftime show for the Homecoming crowd after Kristi Condidorio and Christina Mancuso were named Homecoming Princess and Queen respectively. The weather held off nicely as the showcase of beauty and musical gallantry went off without a hitch. The Knights ended the evening with 24 minutes of brawn to post the shutout win 49-0. The final score of the contest was realized when hard-running Kenny Smith blasted through the Tigers for a 10 yd TD rush in the 3rd quarter. QB Brandon Klinkbeil hooked up nicely for the 2 pt conversion with Slade Fitch to end a contest he had nicely initiated.

Next up is an away contest next Friday evening against the Letchworth Indians who narrowly lost to unbeaten York 7-6. The always-tough Indians are coached by LeRoy alum Tim McMullen.