JFK rolls past South Range

By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- When a football team has a lot of offensive weapons and an offensive line opening big holes, it will be tough to beat.
The Warren Kennedy High team fit that description Friday night in a Division V, Region 17 semifinal playoff game against South Range at Bo Rein Stadium.
Powered by big plays from senior quarterback John DiFiore, and a consistent ground attack from senior running back Anthony Ambeliotis and sophomore running back Anthony Elzy, Warren JFK led 21-0 at the half and 34-0 into the fourth quarter before handing the Raiders their first loss of the season, 34-14.
DiFiore rambled for a pair of touchdowns on runs of 46 and 54 yards, and fired a 6-yard scoring strike to senior wide receiver Shane Golden to lead the Eagles (10-3). Ambeliotis tallied on dashes of 6 and 2 yards and Russell Accordino kicked four extra points to round out JFK's scoring.
South Range (11-1) averted a shutout in the last quarter on junior running back Ben Johnston's 1-yard TD plunge and senior quarterback Ryan Maxwell's 73-yard TD bomb to senior tight end Joshua Dunn, both scores capped by sophomore Pat Majernik's extra-point kicks.
JFK will play Lisbon next week in a regional final at a site to be determined. Lisbon beat Dalton 14-6 in the other Region 17 semifinal.
Balanced offense
DiFiore rushed for 106 yards on 10 carries and added 82 yards in the air on 8-for-13 with no interceptions. Elzy rushed for 78 yards on 17 attempts, while Ambeliotis had 72 yards on 12 tries. Golden caught four passes for 31 yards, while senior wide receiver Adam Rossi had three receptions for 23 yards to bolster the Eagles.
Despite all of JFK's offense in the game, the pivotal play was turned in by the Eagles' senior linebacker, Jimmy Kokrak, in the second quarter. JFK had a 14-0 lead, but South Range was threatening at the Eagles 16 when Kokrak stormed in on fourth down and stopped Johnston at the 20 to foil the bid.
Then JFK took the ball and drove 75 yards on 11 plays to the DiFiore-to-Golden TD pass for a three-touchdown lead.
"We stopped them on fourth-and-2 at the 16 on a blitz by Jimmy Kokrak. That was the big play. I thought that was the turning point," said JFK coach Tony Napolet, who also lauded his offensive line and array of offensive weapons.
"Our offensive line was opening holes," said Napolet. "We ran the ball in the first half, although [South Range] made some [defensive] changes in the second half."
He lauded the play of DiFiore, Ambeliotis, Elzy and Golden. "John DiFiore had some big plays," Napolet said. "We have some skills on the [offensive] perimeter and we can spread the ball around."
Defense falters
Coach Dan Yeagley of South Range said his defense faltered.
"The defense didn't step up when they needed to. We just made mistakes, dropped some passes," he said.
"They are a good team. We didn't play the best that we could tonight."
South Range also blew another early scoring chance that could have kept the game close, after JFK scored on its second play of the game, when DiFiore took a rollout around right end 46 yards for a TD.
The next time the Eagles got the ball they fumbled at their 31, but South Range could get no closer to the 30 and blew the chance to even matters.
Then JFK retaliated off a 62-yard, eight-play drive to pad its lead on Ambeliotis' 6-yard dash early in the second quarter.
DiFiore got his 54-yard TD at 6:30 of the third quarter on the first play following a punt, while Ambeliotis scored his second TD from the 2-yard line in the fourth quarter to cap a 66-yard, 10-play drive, before South Range managed to get its 14 points.
Maxwell led South Range with 165 yards passing on 9-for-17 and 33 yards rushing on 13 carries. Johnston led the rushing attack with 47 yards on 16 carries, and also had three catches for 35 yards. Matt McGarvey also had three receptions for 46 yards.
kovach@vindy.com