Springfield Youth Club football teams continue play

The Springfield Cougars 80-Pound JV Blue team played their homecoming game on Oct. 6. Teammates are Bill Adolph, Conner Aughe, Rocco Bruno, Vincent Califano, William Day, JP Devinney, Sean Eberhardt, Tariq Edwards, Kieran Farren, Sammy Gibson, JZ Grafstrom, Michael Hoey, Brian Hudak, Corey Johnson, Patrick Keenan, Jimmy Kennedy, Robert McCarry, Anthony Micelli, Tyler Nemeth, Steven Price, Marcus Puppio, Mark Quatrani, Michael Raum, Aiden Sceno, Michael Vickerman, Xavier Wendel.  Coaches are Pat McCann, Kevin Farren, Ed Grafstrom, Kevin Keenan, James Kennedy, and Chris Shandley.
80-Pound Gold
Springfield 27
Drexel Hill 26
Things looked bleak the Cougars after the visiting Drexel Hill Raiders 26-13 lead before the halftime. But that set the stage for the best comeback of the Cougars this season.
The Cougars offense including QB Colin Atkins, running backs Aidan Kreydt, Matthew Klein, Gavin Von Berg, Nicholas Staud, and an offensive wall including Nathan Fox, Aidan Brill, Connor Higgins, and Sean Dougherty pulled out the rabbit from their magic hat and performed a miracle.
It took the final extra point for the team to savor the highest moment of its season. The Cougars went ahead on the last possession of the game with solid blocking from their offensive line with key blocks by Jack Laverty and Kyle Daniel Collins creating running lanes as Kreydt found daylight and scored the tying touchdown. Kreydt created the first lead of the game when he ran in the extra point on the right side over the blocking of Danny Chambers.
It was fitting that the Cougars defense should be the final group on the field to close out the contest. While the Cougars gave up 26 points in the first half, they held the potent Raiders offense scoreless for the entire second half, making the comeback possible. The second half shutout was a team effort featuring a touchdown saving tackle by Evan Farrington, a late game forced fumble and recovery by Ryan Convery and Nolan Huntley, and a game ending tackle for a seven-yard loss on the Raiders final third down running play by Tymeir Barnes.
Cougar’s defensive players Brian Flaherty, Benjamin Kutufaris, Brandon Peters, Zachary Santivasci, and Nathan Moran swarmed to the ball and spent most of the second half in the Drexel Hill backfield disrupting plays.
Danny Flaherty, Bobby Marker and Jacob Rama captained the team.
80-Pound Varsity
Kennett-Unionville 12
Springfield 7       
The Cougars Homecoming celebration was shortchanged by a tough loss to the Titans.  Aside from two big Titan plays, the Cougars defense pounced all day long and kept the game close.
The Titans opening play resulted in a long TD run, but the Cougar defense stopped the extra point and shut down the Titans for the remainder of the half, including a strip and fumble recovery by James Toal. 
Supporting Toal with punishing tackles were Joey Alfonsi, Ethan Johnson, Matt Dickinson, Luke McKee, Nick Impriano, Brett Gougler, Matt Gagliardi and Bryan Seavey. 
The first half Cougar offense was led by the pounding running of Gougler, Dickinson, Toal and Gagliardi. The halftime score was 6-0, Titans.
Early in the third quarter, a broken play resulted in a Titan TD, but the Cougars again foiled the extra point and the score was 12-0, Titans. 
The Cougar defense shut down the Titan for the remainder of the game.
In the fourth quarter, the Cougar defense continued to dominant with aggressive play from Colin Crawford, Luca DiMarcantonio, Gagliardi, Gougler and Toal. 
The Cougar offense caught fire as Michael O’Donnell, Dickinson and Gougler piled up the rushing yards and set up Toal for a 25-yard rushing TD off left tackle. O’Donnell added the extra point and the Cougars were in striking distance, trailing 12-7. 
DiMarcantonio recovered the ensuing kickoff fumble and the offense was back in business. The Cougar backfield went to work behind the blocking of Seavey, Alfonsi, Connor Roche, Johnson, McKee, Colton Moleski and Matthew Shandley, but fell just short as time expired.
Next week the Cougars travel to Marple to play the Tigers.
100-Pound JV Gold
Springfield 20
Kennett Union 7
Springfield hosted the Kennett Union Titans for its home coming game and continued to defend its undefeated record. 
QB Matthew Ellison pushed through the middle from the five-yard line and was assisted by the muscle of the Cougars’ OL of Chris Rich, DJ Curtis, Daniel Ramani, Jake Quatrani, and Alex Hudyma who pumped their legs fast and furiously driving Ellison into the end zone. Quatrani at left tackle stood out and stepped up big by holding back the Titans. 
Todd Garret swept to the right for a 15-yard TD with Alex Williams running in the extra point. 
The Titans answered back with their own TD. 
Marcus McDaniel broke off tackle and sprinted right for a 60-yard TD with Williams again scoring the extra point. 
Aiden Hoopes contributed to the Cougars drives with consistent strong blocks after his swift snaps.
The defensive crew of Nico Santini, Daniel Tommarelli, Garret Cooley, and Alex Klein plugged the gaps on the line. Kieran Morse, Colin Renning, and Tommy Gabel had strong tackles in the backfield.  Devin Destefano stripped the ball for a fumble recovery by Nicholas Finizio. Jerry Coia, Eddie Cullen, Nicholas Finizio, and Riley McCarry demonstrated their talents with hard hitting that halted the Titans in their tracks.  
The JV Gold team has racked up an undefeated record of 7-0 with only two games remaining in their impressive season.
100-Pound Varsity
Springfield 26       
Kennett-Unionville 6
The Cougars hosted the Titans in a Homecoming celebration and handily defeated them. 
QB Jack Psenicska marched the Cougar down field in their opening drive, behind a steady dose of runs by Malik Edwards, Pat Marley and Pat McCann. 
Psenicska opened the scoring with a two-yard keeper, and Tanner Robinson added the extra point.  The Cougar defense shut down the Titans in the first quarter.  Khalid Holman-Dark, Robinson, Aiden Shandley, Edwards, Jimmy O’Neill, McCann, Brendon Weaver and Psenicska all registered tackles in the quarter. In the second quarter, Edwards took a handoff and bolted 70 yards for a Cougar TD. Marley added the extra point and the Cougars led 14-0.
The defense held the Titan offense in check with key tackles from Jake Vaughan, Klause Gabel, Marley and Kevin Rechner, who added a fumble recovery. 
The Titans did manage to score on a last second TD run, but their extra point failed and the Cougars took a 14-6 lead into halftime.
In the third quarter, Psenicska added his second TD on a one-yard plunge (the extra point failed).  The ground game continued to chew up the clock as Robinson, Dominick Alfonsi, Edwards, McCann and Marley ran behind the phenomenal blocking of Gabel, Jake Bush, Michael Eberhardt, Holman-Dark, Shandley, O’Neill and Vaughan. 
The knockout blow came when Edwards stepped in front of a Titan pass and coasted 30 yards for an interception TD. The extra point was unsuccessful, but the Cougars led 26-6 and never looked back.  Next up for the Cougars are the Marple Tigers.
120-Pound Varsity
Springfield 21       
Kennett-Unionville 0
The Cougars shutout the Titans on Homecoming weekend to secure a playoff berth. 
The Cougar ground attack once again excelled as Luke Palumbo, Phil Shovlin and Jaden McKenzie took turns gaining yardage in the first quarter. QB Vincent Puppio’s long run set up Palumbo’s one-yard TD plunge, followed by a McKenzie extra point and the Cougars took a quick 7-0 lead. 
Key tackles by Chris DiRenzo, Jimmy Clark and a Jason Estep interception halted any chances of a Titan answer to the initial Cougar scoring drive.
In the second quarter, runs by McKenzie, Liam DiFonzo, Palumbo, and Shovlin, and a Puppio to Chris Finizio pass set up Shovlin for a right side 10-yard TD run (the extra point failed). 
With the Cougars leading 13-0, McKenzie recovered the ensuing kickoff fumble, and the Cougars went right back to work. Just before halftime, Puppio connected with Trevor Robinson on a 13-yard touchdown pass, and Estep kicked the extra point on a perfect snap by Jimmy Donegan and hold by Robinson.  The Cougars led 21-0 at halftime.
The Cougars defense owned the second half as DiRenzo, Clark, Estep (second interception of the game), Chris Brolley (fumble recovery), Frankie Lambert, Matt Santarelli, Vincent DiMichele, Shovlin, Scott Weaver and Mike Psenicksa all added big plays.  Running backs Jack Spence, Psenicksa, DiFonzo and Weaver chewed up the clock for the Cougars, as the relentless offensive line of DiRenzo, Jeff Biancaniello, Donegan, Max DiFonzo and Clark paved the way for the Cougar offense all day long. 
The Cougars travel to Marple this week to face the Tigers.
80-Pound JV Blue
Springfield 21
Kennett Unionville 0When a team gives up only one first down in a game all there is to say is “wow”!!!  Defense, Defense, Defense was the name of the game this past Saturday as the Cougars 80-Pound JV Blue team steam rolled the Kennett Unionville Titans.  “Remember the Titans”, but not on his day.
 The Cougars defense was almost perfect, stopping the Titan’s running and passing game.  Memorable tackles were as follows: Seven tackles by Mark Quatrani; six by Patrick Keenan; five by Marcus Puppio; four teach by Michael Raum and Vincent Califano; three each by J.P. Devinney and Aiden Sceno; two each by Sean Eberhardt, Rocco Bruno, Anthony Micelli, and William Adolph IV; and single tackles by Michael Vickerman, Steve Price and Brian Hudak.
On offense, Michael Hoey had 111 running yards, including all three of Springfield’s touchdowns with blocks provided by Robert McCarry, Tyler Nemeth and Xavier Wendel.
Tariq Edwards had 18 running yards with blocks provided by Kieran Farren and Sammy Gibson.
 JZ Grafstom had 37 running yards, including all three Springfield extra point runs with blocks provided by Robert McCarry and William Day.
 Jim Kennedy had 14 running yards, and Sean Eberhardt had 33 running yards with blocks provided by Corey Johnson and Connor Aughe.