PENNSYLVANIA Gargano spearheads Kennedy's 35-21 win

The Golden Eagles have defeated three straight Class A opponents.
By JOHN BASSETTI
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- Ross Gargano's 63-yard run on the second scrimmage play of the game set the stage for Kennedy Catholic High's 35-21 victory over West Middlesex Saturday afternoon.
Gargano, a tailback, scored three times and finished with 187 yards.
Since Kennedy's season-opening loss to Reynolds, the Golden Eagles (3-1) have beaten three straight Region 1, District 10 Class A opponents.
West Middlesex (3-1) tied the score at 7 on Todd Miller's 2-yard run and Josh Brown's point-after kick at 4:14.
Although Kennedy proceeded to rack up the points while its defense repeatedly stuffed the Big Reds' offensive endeavors, Golden Eagle mistakes kept West Middlesex within striking distance.
After Kolten Hoffman's 8-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Barris pulled the Big Reds to 21-14 with 1:13 remaining in the third quarter, Kennedy had reason to be concerned.
Plotts breaks away
But, one play after the ensuing kickoff, Lee Plotts' breakaway 64-yard run broke it open.
Kennedy coach Mike Donato made it sound like the visitors overstayed their welcome.
"We kept them in the game a little big longer than we thought we would. After last week's victory [over Sharpsville] the letdown was natural. When our first touchdown came so easy, the kids felt it was going to be easy. But, obviously, it wasn't easy. It wasn't salted away until the fourth quarter."
Gargano's third touchdown put the game out of reach, 35-14. On the 10-yard TD run, Gargano extended the ball over the goal line as he got shoved out of bounds.
It was his only carry after wrapping his right hand in bandages five minutes earlier.
Big play
Wade Savage's catch of Lee Sham's pass on a slant pattern that the receiver took 80 yards into the end zone in the first half was one of the plays offsetting several Kennedy setbacks. The Golden Eagles' defense carried more than its share of the load, especially after the Big Reds took the second-half kickoff and had possession for almost six minutes.
"That was big," Donato said. "We made a couple blunders down there and got backed up and were able to keep them out. That gave the kids a bit of confidence. Then we got the ball and turned it over again and we had to turn them back again."
West Middlesex's Barris, Brown and Steve Andrusky recovered Kennedy fumbles and Kennedy's Nick Heckathorn recovered a fumble and muffed punt and also had an interception.
Big Red's defensive mission was to stop Kennedy's running game, coach Brian Hoffman said.
"Unfortunately, part of that is when you put enough people to stop the running game, there's an opportunity to hit on the big play and that happened today. Big plays by Kennedy were killers. They hit us on three big plays and those are the kind of momentum-changers that you have to recover from. There was one too many for us."