Big Red rolls by Potters
By STEPHANIE ELVERD, Sports writerArticle Photos
STEUBENVILLE - You could call it a whitewash or you could call it a blackout, but the only color the East Liverpool Potters saw was red and a whole lot of it.
Steubenville's first team defense, in its best impersonation of a brick wall to date, gave up no first downs, holding the Potters to three and out on all of its first six possessions. Against Big Red's starting defensive players, East Liverpool was a negative 41 yards in total offense.
Eventually, when Big Red coach Reno Saccoccia called off the dogs, the Potters would score and gain some ground but it was far too little far too late, as Steubenville marched to a 45-13 victory, Friday, at Harding Stadium.
"The key to defense is the defensive line getting off the ball. When your defensive line can get off the ball then your safeties and your linebackers are going to have a great day," Saccoccia said. "And that's what happened tonight, our defensive line got off the ball."
While the Potters failed to move the football much less find the end zone in the first half, Steubenville was busy scoring in about every way possible. Demetrius Brandon punched it in from a yard out with 1:18 remaining in the first quarter. A high snap resulted in a safety for Big Red at 11:53 of the second stanza. Four minutes after the safety, Anthony Pierro pulled down a 25-yard scoring pass from Dwight Macon, and with just 56 ticks left in the half, Macon hit Sage Cutri on an 8-yard TD completion. Brennan Stover split the uprights after every score.
Though Big Red made it look easy, East Liverpool, the last OVAC team to beat Steubenville, did prevent Big Red from scoring on its initial drive - a first for the Red this season. Steubenville's first drive ended on the Potters' 5-yard line.
Four passes on the series, including the last two plays of the possession, were dropped.
"Timing is so important on offense," Saccoccia said. "Offense is all about focus and timing. You have to control the snap count and we didn't do that very well today."
What the Red did do well was throw the football. Macon finished 13-of-20 for 170 yards and four touchdowns. Cutri made five receptions for 51 yards and two scores, while Pierro had 5 catches for 61 yards and a TD. Tightend Dan Bayne pulled in the other scoring pass from 33 yards out.
In contrast to its 170 yards in the air, Steubenville carried the ball 34 times for 111 yards - an uncharacterically low number for the Red.
"We didn't plan to throw the ball as much as we did, but that's what was there," Saccoccia explained. "East Liverpool's philosophy is the same as ours. They want to stop the run so we threw the football."
East Liverpool received the football on the second-half kickoff and returned it to its own 31 - one of its better field positions of the night as prior starting points for the Potters included their own 5, 9, 6 and 20.
It didn't matter. Jordan Meyer stepped in front of intended receiver Tyler Austin, picking off East Liverpool sophomore QB Willie Leavell on the Potter 36.
Big Red converted the turnover with a 12-yard pass-play from Macon to Cutri at 10:21 of the third.
Steubenville's starting defense held the Potters to three plays and just 1 yard and turned the pigskin back over to Macon, who on the first play from scrimmage quickly connected with Bayne on a 33-yard screen pass at the third's 7:28 mark.
It was following that score that Saccoccia pulled his first team, and only then could the Potters make any forward progress. However, another interception - that time by Blake Carroll - put the leather back in Big Red's hands. Despite Carroll returning the pick all the way to the Potters' 5, Steubenville could not capitalize on it.
East Liverpool took over and took away the shutout by driving 95-yards on 11 running plays. John Watkins capped off the drive with a 20-yard run with 8:56 left in the game. The PAT failed.
Big Red took back the points and added two more with a 75-yard scoring march of its own. Joe Pierro, who would finish with 50 yards on 12 carries, did most of the work on that drive. He also finished it off with a 16-yard jaunt. Freshman QB Marcus Prathers ran in for the two-point conversion.
The Potters put a cork in the scoring with a 38-yard run by Carl Baker and a two-point run by John Baker.
East Liverpool remains winless on the season and will travel to Youngstown Chaney, Friday.
With the victory, Steubenville extended its regualr-season streak to 53 games and earned its 48th-conseuctive home win.
"I'm pleased. I'm pleased with the way everybody played tonight. We didn't have a very good practice Wednesday because we let the heat beat us. We were defeated by the sun and it made Thursday and today miserable," Saccoccia said. "Tonight, the heat was one of my main concerns. We had to face two opponents, the heat and East Liverpool, and we beat both."
Big Red standout linebacker and WVU recruit Branko Busick sat out the game with a bruised elbow but will return against Buffalo St. Joe's Friday at Harding.
