Sunday, September 20, 1998

Senecas bash St.Mary's

By Dave Feltner
Sports Editor

SANDUSKY - Diversity is what Calvert coach Toby Hammond wants and diversity is what he is getting.

Through two games quarterback junior Nate Keller has turned some heads, and rightfully so after thrown for nearly 500 yards and eight touchdowns.

And Keller shined again Saturday night, tossing for 178 more yards and three touchdowns in leading the Senecas to a 33-8 pounding of Sandusky St. Mary's.

But against the Panthers it was the running of Eric Puffenberger which opened eyes - and flattened defenders - at Strobel Field.

Puffenberger blasted his way for 152 yards on 28 carries, including all 65 of Calvert's yards on the opening possession of the second half. His 5-yard scoring sprint to the right corner gave the Senecas (3-0) a 20-8 lead at the time and took the bite right out of the Panthers.

''I don't think it was a concerted effort to run the ball; we just were having great success doing it so we kept with it,'' Hammond said. ''And we keep telling our offensive line that we win or lose with them, and tonight I thought they did a great job.

''Through three games now I don't remember Nate getting sacked once,'' he said. ''They might have got to him once tonight, but look at Nate. He might have the cleanest jersey out there.''

Keller did find plenty of time to get the ball to Bart Fisher (six cathces, 55 yards), Todd Iannantuono (4-56) and Justin Keefe (3-44).

On the Senecas' second drive of the game, Keller hit Fisher for 10 yards twice and on the 14th play of the drive, he hit Keefe in the flats for a 5-yard scoring strike. Fisher's extra point put Calvert up, 7-0.

The Panthers (1-2) struck back quickly when quarterback Ryan Wikel sprinted 46 yards off an option keeper to set up Giovanni Spadaro's 11-yard TD run. Wikel ran in for the extras and an 8-7 Panther lead with 1:33 left in the first.

St. Mary's was on the move again the in the second quarter when Spadaro broke free for a 34-yarder. But before the end of the play, the popped loose and Iannantuono fell on it to halt the drive at the Calvert 27.

Keller, who hit on 14-of-29 passes, then took to the air, hitting Keefe for 30 yards, Fisher for 9 and Iannantuono for 4 before finding Iannantuono wide open up the left hash for a 29-yard score on fourth-and-6.

''It was 8-7 and they hit a couple big plays,'' Hammond said. ''We blitzed and we didn't have anybody covering the back side so he broke off that big run. But we came up with the big play. I didn't see who knocked it out, but I know Todd picked it up. Then we come down and score on the next possesion, so that was a big turning point in the game.''

After Puffenberger's score in the third, St. Mary's managed just three first downs the rest of the game.

The Senecas made it 26-8 before the end of the third when Keller threw a pass between two Panthers and into the arms of Iannantuono for a 19-yard score, Keller's 11th TD pass of the season.

Jon Raitz tacked on Calvert's final score, a 4-yard plunge with 5:28 left in the game.

Defensively, the Senecas permitted just 113 yards on the ground on 31 St. Mary's rushes. Panther quarterbacks Ryan Wikel, who left the game late in the first half with an injury, Drew Opfer and Jeff Evans, combined to hit just 9-of-27.

Keefe led the defensive charge with a pair of interceptions, while Chad Elchert, Ian Cook, Eric Baugher and Scott Frank all recorded sacks.

''I didn't tell the kids this, but I thought it was going to be tough for us to come out with the same intensity as we did against St. Paul (last week),'' Hammond said. ''And I think it took us a quarter-and-a-half to get into our game, but when we did we showed nice balance.

''We've been preaching to the kids that we can't be a one-dimensional team. We have to be patient, run good routes and not be overanxious, and things will open up for us.''

And shut down for opponents.