Hawks go to 2-0 for 1st time ever
For the first time in the 11-year history of Bartlett football, the Hawks are 2-0.
The Bartlett defense held Oswego to 129 yards of total offense, and senior tailback Fabian Libreri led a consistent ground attack that racked up 267 yards by personally accounting for 163 yards and a touchdown in the Hawks' 17-0 nonconference victory at Ken Pickerill Stadium in Oswego Friday night.
The Bartlett defense suffocated Oswego (1-1), limiting the Panthers to 5 first downs and 61 yards rushing. The Hawks completely bottled up Oswego senior tailback Tim Riley, who ran for 14 yards on 7 carries in the first half before he aggravated a strained hamstring on a punt return in the third quarter. Riley's playing time was limited from that point on and he finished with 22 yards in 9 attempts.
But no matter who the Panthers turned to, the Bartlett defense had an answer. The Hawks forced 6 Oswego punts and came up with 3 turnovers.
"We want to come out strong, linemen getting off their blocks and rushing the quarterback for us, then the linebackers do their work and make their tackles," said defensive back David Palma, whose third-quarter interception halted an Oswego drive at the Bartlett 11-yard line. "We played disciplined football for the most part. It's a huge win, and it's not going to stop here."
Both offenses punted twice to start the game before Bartlett took over at its own 28-yard line with 2:35 left in the first quarter. The Hawks then drove 72 yards in 12 plays and took a 7-0 lead when senior quarterback Josh Hasenberg scored from 2 yards out on a sneak with 8:11 left in the second period.
Hasenberg's touchdown was set up 2 plays earlier when wide receiver Cory Brown outleaped his defender to snare a 26-yard pass that gave the Hawks first-and-goal.
The Bartlett defense subsequently forced another three-and-out, and the offense began another long march. Led by a determined offensive line that got a good push all night against a big Oswego defensive line and the hard running of Libreri and Corleon Richardson, Bartlett drove 57 yards in 12 plays to threaten again.
However, on third-and-8 from the 9-yard line, Hasenberg rolled right and fired to the corner of the end zone for his tight end. But Oswego safety Jon Dibuono stepped in front of the intended receiver to make the interception for a touchback with 34 second left in the half, leaving Bartlett with a tenuous 7-0 lead at the break.
Oswego threatened right away in the third quarter, thanks largely to a to a Bartlett personal foul that gave the Panthers the ball at the Bartlett 39-yard line. In all, Bartlett incurred 14 penalties for 95 yards. But Palma intercepted Oswego's Nick Welch on a deep pass down the seam to end that drive.
"We were lucky we didn't give the game away by having so many penalties," Bartlett coach Tom Meaney said. "But we held together and the defense did a good job and played solid. And the offense got the yards when we needed it."
Bartlett kicker Dan Karys made it a 10-0 lead with a 25-yard field goal with 2:48 left in the third quarter. That capped an 11-play, 81-yard drive,
that began after Bartlett linebacker Kyle Zelinsky forced a fumble after an Oswego reception at the Bartlett 19-yard line.
The Hawks put the game away in the fourth quarter with a 13-play drive that took 7 minutes off the clock. Libreri made it 16-0 when he ran to the left, pancaked a would-be Oswego tackler at the 20 and scampered down the sideline for a touchdown. Karys' extra point provided the final margin.
"I just wanted it more," Libreri said of his steamroller impression. "The offensive line pushed, great blocks, and we came out and scored a touchdown.
"(Being 2-0) feels great. We came out and executed. Every week were getting better and better."