"Our
lines got off the ball very well," LeRoy coach Brian Moran said.
"We preached all week about being prepared for the game."
The second
half picked up where the first left off. Shaughnessy hit Fulmer on a
quick slant for a 16-yard TD to put LeRoy up 28-7 through 3 quarters.
The next two Batavia drives resulted in interceptions, with Joe Cosimeno
and Fulmer each earning a pick. Joe Caccamise and Cosimeno ended each
respective drive with a TD run to put the locals up 42-7.
The Knights
capped the scoring when Jeremy Cosimeno burst through the middle of
the line in the final quarter and raced 53 yards to paydirt.
The final
outcome was a lopsided LeRoy victory, but the game was played with passion
and intensity through the final whistle.
"There is no quit in this team," Batavia coach Jon Sanfratello
said about his squad. "We are 4-3 because of a total team effort,
not because of a few kids."
Joe Cosimeno,
who ran for 158 yards and a TD on 17 carries, led LeRoy on the ground.
Joe Caccamise added 94 yards and a TD and Shaughnessy picked up 66 yards
and 3 rushing TDs. The Knights totaled 418 yards of offense on the night.
Jeremy and Joe Cosimeno, who accounted for 9 and 6 tackles respectively,
spearheaded the LeRoy defense. Don Miller had 6 tackles and Kenny Smith
added 5 tackles and 2 sacks.
Batavia
was led by Brennan Briggs, who completed 8-of-15 passes for 175 yards
and a TD. The Devils could only muster 19 yards on the ground against
the rugged LeRoy defense. Tim Haenggi had a huge game for the Devils'
defense, garnering 15 tackles and numerous hard hits. Batavia defensive
end Joe Buccifero added 11 tackles for the visitors.
The game
offered an exciting opportunity for these communities, separated by
a few miles, to watch a contest featuring two hard-nosed, aggressive
teams. "It was fun," Fulmer said. "We were looking forward
to this game all year and the crowd was unbelievable." "It
was great to see the support of the fans throughout the game,"
Shaughnessy said. "Playing against good teams like Batavia helps
to build momentum."
Both squads
are now looking forward to Sectionals. "This team has high goals
for themselves," Moran said about his troops. "We want to
play in the Carrier Dome at the end of the year and playing a team like
Batavia helps."
"We
are still learning as a team," Sanfratello said. "Each week
has been a test and we have a few mistakes that we need to fix, but
it will work to our advantage."
