Cupboard not looking so bare for Ridge

The Rams stunned league-hopeful Lowellville, 31-0.
By CHUCK HOUSTEAU
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MINERAL RIDGE -- First-year Mineral Ridge High coach Dom Leone was all smiles after watching his Rams dismantle Lowellville, 31-0, in the season opener Thursday night.
When asked if he was surprised at the outcome, Leone said, "I think everyone is to tell you the truth.
"I didn't expect a shutout and I didn't expect 31 points on the board with such a young team."
The Rams had lost a ton of talent from last year's Division VI playoff team but you couldn't tell that from the way they played from the opening kickoff.
Mineral Ridge is big and physical and they took advantage of Lowellville on almost every play.
"This was one of those nights everything went right," said Leone, who has been a varsity assistant coach at several area schools for the past 13 years. "I'm kind of shocked that we played well in all three phases of the game.
"I'm kind of speechless because I didn't know what we had but obviously we've got something here."
Nice discoveries
The Rams found out that junior tailback A.J. Zitello is a hard running back that can get the big yards. The transfer from Chaney rushed for 112 yards in 26 carries.
Junior quarterback Joey Miller, who had never played a varsity game, connected on 3-of-6 passes for 66 yards and threw two touchdown passes.
Senior Nick Dominic was outstanding running, catching and kicking the football.
Dominic caught a 35-yard touchdown from Miller, returned a punt for a 72-yard score and kicked four extra points and a 32-yard field goal. He also accumulated more than 150 return yards in the game.
His brother Matt was dominant on both sides of the ball as he caught a 10-yard touchdown pass and blocked a punt from his defensive end position. He also had two sacks and a pass break-up.
"We want to be physical and play tough," Leone said. "We want to be a smash-mouth team and use a little play-action pass because we are such a young football team."
The Rams have only eight seniors on the roster.
Rough night
Lowellville, on the other hand, came in with high expectations which never materialized against Mineral Ridge.
"Tonight was a tough night," said Lowellville coach John Turco. "They came with sometimes eight guys and we didn't get the job done.
"We didn't block and we didn't tackle and that's why we didn't win the game."
The Rockets had to start a sophomore at quarterback due to an injury to starting quarterback David Minnie in the preseason and didn't unleash their spread offense early in the game.
Lowellville couldn't run the ball and quarterback Joe DePasquale was then forced to throw and run often.
DePasquale completed 6-of-21 passes for 60 yards but he was sacked 10 times.
Mineral Ridge's defense held the Rockets to 70 total yards and only 10 rushing yards.
The Rams took the opening kickoff and marched 48 yards in nine plays to score on Zitello's 4-yard run.
Ridge held Lowellville to three-and-out on their first possession and Matt Dominic blocked the punt that gave the Rams the ball on the 14 yard-line.
Nick Dominic kicked the 32-yard field goal three plays later.
Mineral Ridge then scored late in the first half on the Miller to Nick Dominic pass with just 13.9 seconds left which gave Mineral Ridge a 17-0 break at the half.
"This was only one of nine games," Turco said. "I'm confident that this group of kids will bounce back and play good football the rest of the year."