GATES MILLS JFK falls, 45-30, in Div. V opener

Eagles running back Anthony Elzy was hampered by injury.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
GATES MILLS -- The last thing Warren Kennedy High coach Tony Napolet expected in Saturday's Division V playoff game was a shootout.
"Surprised? Definitely," Napolet said after the eighth-seeded Eagles (8-3) were knocked out by unbeaten Gilmour Academy, 45-30. "They played well defensively [late] and that surprised me.
"They played better, they deserved to win and go to the second round," said Napolet, who coached the Eagles to the state semifinals in 2003.
"That little quarterback, sophomore or not, he absolutely killed us," said Napolet, referring to Ryan Catanese, who completed 14-of-20 for 240 yards and five touchdowns.
"From throwing the ball to finding the open man, he was something," Napolet said. "And his receivers after the catch, they weren't [exactly] falling down."
Point production
After a seesaw third quarter that included three touchdowns scored in 87 seconds, the Eagles clung to a 30-28 lead.
A 23-yard field goal by Gilmour kicker Dan Wellman put the Lancers ahead early in the fourth quarter.
With tailback Tony Elzy suffering with a lower leg injury, the Eagles went to the air with little success.
After a three-and-out series, a personal foul penalty set up Catanese's fifth touchdown, a screen toss to Adam Lesko, who ran 39 yards for a 38-30 lead.
"They stuffed us," Napolet said. "We punted because we wanted to get another series, and it blew up in our faces."
Eagles quarterback Eddie Campana was intercepted on a tipped pass to set up the final Lancers' score.
Slowed
In the final quarter, Campana completed 4-of-15 passes for 47 yards, and the Eagles were limited to 3 yards rushing.
Taking charge in the JFK backfield was senior running back/defensive back Jack Henderson, who ran nine times for 80 yards, returned a kickoff 93 yards for a second-quarter touchdown and caught five passes for 57 yards.
"I seriously thought we were going to win the state championship," said Henderson, who hopes to play in college next fall. "We had the teamwork, the potential to do it.
"It was just bad plays, missed assignments on defense that cost us a whole championship," Henderson said. "That interception killed us because they went right down and scored. And the penalty killed us even worse."
Spirited play
Henderson's first touchdown, a 45-yard run on the game's fifth offensive play, had the Eagles pumped.
But Catanese engineered two long drive (80, 51 yards) to put the Lancers ahead, 14-7.
With Elzy handling most of the carries, the Eagles dominated the second quarter, posting scoring drives of 80 and 69 yards.
Elzy had 95 yards on 17 carries as JFK rushed for 211 yards for a 21-14 halftime lead.
"He's a special back [when he's] healthy," Napolet said. "He just couldn't run. We tried to decoy him when we fell behind, but they just outplayed us."
Momentum shifted quickly in the third quarter when Catanese connected with Matt Weisman for a 51-yard score.
Following a Henderson fumble, the Lancers pounced when Catanese hit Lesko with a 17-yard scoring strike for a 28-21 lead.
Henderson's 93-yard kickoff return tied the score at 28. When defensive lineman Mike Fye caught Catanese in the end zone, JFK had its last lead, 30-28.
williams@vindy.com