Week 6 Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Each week, I will attend a few games over the weekend, from both varsity and JV. Here I will give a game summary and player breakdowns from the Week 6 matchups I saw.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Pioneer @ Iroquois</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This was a huge Class B2 matchup as #2 Pioneer (4-0 in league play) traveled to #3 Iroquois (3-1 in league play) to battle for playoff positioning. The entire story of the first half for Pioneer was Special Teams. The Panthers took 2 botched Iroquois punts and a huge 40-yard kick return and turned it into 20 points in the first two quarters, starting with a 1-yard QB plunge by Drew George on the opening drive. Two possessions later, George threw a 28 yard-TD to WR Trent Calbo, who had an incredible one handed INT earlier in the period. Iroquois would respond with a 22-yard TD reception on 4th and goal by TE Carson Fragale. But the jubilation would be short lived as Calbo would score his second TD of the game sending Pioneer into the locker room with a 20-7 halftime lead. Pioneer came out in the second half and completely dominated the play clock. The Panthers did it purely on the ground running for 178 team yards. Leading the way was Pioneer superstar [player_tooltip player_id='1371662' first='Isaac' last='Platt'] with 113 yards on 19 carries as he scored the game sealing TD with 2 minutes left. Iroquois would fight back as TE [player_tooltip player_id='1707374' first='Jackson' last='Kwaizer'] would catch a 1-yard TD as time expired. It was Red Hawks QB George Issa's 2nd TD throw of the game. Pioneer took this one 28-13.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player of the Game</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Trent Calbo","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'11u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"160","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2411","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Pioneer","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ac8d43c8555b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">On Iroquois' 2nd drive of the game, the Red Hawks were threatening to get on the board when Calbo came down with a one handed INT in the endzone. That would set the tone for the first half as Trent would go on to convert both of his catches for 52 yards and a pair of scores. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Amherst @ Lew-Port</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both teams entered this game 0-5 and after a sloppy first quarter, the Amherst Tigers looked to be the better team. WR/DB [player_tooltip player_id='2444430' first='Maddox' last='Nedescu'] got the excitement off with an early game INT and followed it up with a 60+ yard catch and run from QB Michael Hamister. Just before the half expired, Nedescu would intercept another pass and take it 40 yards for a pick-6. RB Jayson Leeper's 3rd 2-point conversion of the season would make the score 14-0 at the half. The second half was not as exciting but Maddox would get a third TD; this time a laser down the seem for 27 yards from QB Noah Groff. Early in the 4th quarter, Amherst would extend their lead with a 38-yard TD run by senior, Tyrese Allen. Jayson Leeper's second 2-point conversion of the game would make it 28-0 Tigers and that is how it would end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player of the Game</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2444430"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ac9b045738fc"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Nedescu has been Amherst's MVP all season and he showed it in this game recording two receiving TDs from two different QBs and registering 2 INTs - returning one of them for a third score. Maddox is an amazing athlete that does not get the recognition he deserves but someone college recruiters should look at.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Burgard @ Amherst (JV)</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Amherst football program continued to win this weekend with a dominant performance over the JV Burgard Bulldogs. Defensively, the Tigers were ferocious with sacks by Finnegan Murphy and [player_tooltip player_id='2397420' first='Adam' last='Mohamed']. Murphy also recovered a fumble in the second quarter. Amherst DBs also performed with interceptions by [player_tooltip player_id='2444795' first='Henry' last='Galas'], Excell Holmes and [player_tooltip player_id='2397402' first='Carlos' last='Bryant'] with the latter recording a pick-6 on Burgard's opening drive (Galas also caught the two point conversion that followed). From an offensive standpoint, Amherst RB [player_tooltip player_id='2397378' first='Sadeq' last='Ahmed'] scored two rushing TDs while QB Nathaniel Mackey threw a TD to WR [player_tooltip player_id='2444795' first='Henry' last='Galas']. Mackey ended up throwing two more TDs to Tyler Hepp and [player_tooltip player_id='2397378' first='Sadeq' last='Ahmed']. Burgard did fight back with a short TD run by Mekhi Beasley. Amherst JV goes 5-1 with their 42-6 win over Burgard.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player of the Game</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2444795"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aca69606c9a4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Galas showed a lot of athleticism and versatility on both sides of the ball in this game. Before the game was well in hand, Galas came up big scoring a reciving TD, a two point conversion and an INT in just the 1st half alone.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->