PREP FOOTBALL Warren JFK cruises past Rhodes, 50-12

The Eagles dominated as they rolled to their sixth straight win.
By DAVE DEVEREUX
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
WARREN -- Senior leadership has not been a problem for the Warren John F. Kennedy football team.
Winning has not been a problem either.
Behind a powerful rushing attack, led by senior tailback Anthony Ambeliotis, along with efficient passing from senior quarterback John DiFiore, the Eagles notched their sixth win in a row -- toppling Division I Cleveland Rhodes, 50-12 Friday at Mollenkopf Stadium.
"There are 16 seniors and they are all excellent," JFK coach Tony Napolet said. "They're fun to be with. They enjoy practicing and they just enjoy playing the game."
JFK (7-1), which came in ranked second in the Division V Region 17 playoff rankings, dominated every facet of the game.
Eagles rushing leader
Ambeliotis rushed 15 times for 137 yards, with 107 coming in the first half. While DiFiore, the Eagles 6-foot-5 signal caller, completed 10 of 13 passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns.
JFK outgained Rhodes, 242 to 21 yards in the first half, en route to a 463-yard effort offensively.
"I think we were able to mix it up, run and pass," Napolet said. "John [DiFiore] threw the ball extremely well and we ran the ball so that means the offensive line blocked well."
The JFK defense was impenetrable in the first half, denying Rhodes a first down until the 8-minute mark of the second quarter. The Eagles' defense tallied six sacks for the game.
"Last week, the Sharpsville game, we came out real slow," said senior lineback Jimmy Kokrak, who registered three sacks. "We had one hard week of practice and we turned it up and had a different attitude."
The Eagles scored on their opening possession when Ambeliotis ran for a 17-yard touchdown. Russell Accordino added the extra point to give JFK a 7-0 lead.
JFK would stretch the lead to 14-0 on the first play of the second quarter. DiFiore connected with senior Adam Rossi for a 9-yard touchdown pass, capping a seven-play, 35-yard drive.
After a botched snap on a punt attempt by Rhodes, the Eagles took over at their own 43 and march 57 yards on 5 plays. Ambeliotis finished the drive with a 14-yard run, his second touchdown of the game.
Sophomore tailback Anthony Elzy caught a screen pass from DiFiore and ran untouched for a 22-yard score to give JFK a 29-0 lead at halftime.
Second half leaders
In the second half, JFK used a combination of Elzy and junior Jack Henderson, to work the clock and wear down a battered Rhodes defense.
Elzy rushed 11 times for 77 yards, scoring on runs of 1 and 35 yards.
Henderson carried 4 carries for 110 yards, highlighted by a 60-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
The Rams found the endzone twice in the second half, both times courtesy of quarterback Marques Goodwin. He scored on runs of 21 and 7 yards, and completed 8 of 13 passing for 110 yards.
Receiver A.C. Carter caught five passes for 83 yards for Rhodes (3-5).
"We're happy with the ending," Napolet added. "We don't look at scores we look at wins and losses."
JFK has two tough tests coming up. The Eagles will host Campbell in Week 9 before closing on the road at Howland in Week 10.
"This is the best time of year," Napolet said. "But next week, I told them, it's not going to be like this. We're gonna have to tighten things up."