Defense paves way for Benet
Benet defensive end Jeff Schmittgens knew he had to have been in the end zone as bodies piled on top of him.
Turns out, the junior had close friend and fellow junior Jack Manion to thank for it. Manion sped through the line and blocked a punt that Schmittgens promptly smothered for the second Redwings score of the evening.
"He's just flying through there," Schmittgens said of Manion. "He's the fastest defensive lineman we have out there. He just got in there, blocked the ball, and I fell on the ball, just like coach tells us."
The Benet defense dominated Oswego East en route to a 21-6 victory Friday night in Oswego. The earliest first down for the Wolves was recorded in the third quarter, and the offense was held to 78 total yards. Benet coach Gary Goforth credited the defense for a job well done.
"We have some players on defense," Goforth said. "Schmittgens is making all the plays in front of him. I like the kids we have on the team and we hit harder today, than I think we did, all of last season."
The Benet offense wore down the Wolves defense that was on the field often. The Redwings (1-0) scored first at the beginning of the second quarter on a 33-yard strike from senior Luke Terna to junior Connor Nelligan. Terna finished the game with 118 yards through the air and 38 more on the ground. The senior quarterback credited a multifaceted rushing attack for keeping the defense on edge.
"All the weapons we have are because we're bringing in fresh legs all the time," Terna said. "Defenses get worn down, and with the O-line pushing, it's an all around good effort."
The Wolves' lone score came on sophomore Dakoda Skenandore's screen pass to senior Antoine Allen-Jackson. Allen-Jackson dashed through a few tackles, before sprinting 50 yards for the touchdown. The Wolves (0-1) could not convert on the extra point, however, and trailed 7-6 early in the fourth quarter. Benet would score twice more to end any hopes of a comeback. Oswego East coach Mark Green with the resolve his young team displayed.
"We're young on offense, and we knew it wouldn't be easy," Green said. "Eight young men made their varsity debut on offense. That's an area we'll improve on and we'll be better next week."