By Jim Flick

The Irish had eight players score points in the 48-6 season opening win.

YOUNGSTOWN — Eight players scored points for Ursuline Friday night as the Irish defeated Cleveland East Tech, 48-6.

The game seemed to be tune-up for the school’s pursuit of a state championship. Ursuline (1-0) was the runner-up in Division V last season, and preseason polls rank the Irish as a top contender for this year’s state title.

Ten players carried the ball as running backs for the Irish during the game, while four players took their turns as quarterback last night. The mix of players was successful, as Ursuline gained 255 yard rushing, compared to only 47 for East Tech (0-1).

The Scarabs’ first offensive play of the game resulted in a touchdown — for the Irish. East Tech quarterback Orlando Rivera apparently attempted a pass, but threw the ball backward, not forward. When he failed to contact with a receiver, the ball became a fumble instead of an incomplete pass. Ursuline’s Jamel Turner pounced on the ball in the end zone for Ursuline’s first touchdown.

Allen Jones ran 28 yards for a second Irish touchdown, and Darrell Mason added a third first-quarter touchdown when he dashed 19 yards into the end zone.

The Irish added three more touchdowns in the second quarter, the first when Dwight Wright scampered two yards into the end zone. Nico Irizarry scored Ursuline’s next touchdown as the result of another Scarab mistake when he scooped up a fumble and dashed 15 yards to score.

Jeff Podolsky finished the first-half scoring on a 57-yard run to the goal line, his only rushing attempt of the night.

With a 41-0 halftime lead, Ursuline substituted freely in the second half. In fact, neither team scored in the third quarter.

East Tech avoided a shutout in the fourth quarter, when Raymale Carlisle caught a short pass from Rivera and ran 62 yards for a touchdown.

The night’s scoring ended when Ursuline’s Dimitri Smith scored on a one-yard smash into the end zone. Smith had set up the touchdown with a 20-yard run.

The eighth player to score points for Ursuline was the team’s placekicker, Kevin Patrick. He missed his first extra point attempt, but smacked the following six attempts through the uprights.

Ursuline’s defense thoroughly frustrated the Scarabs’ offense. Rivera’s passing attempts were often thwarted by the Irish coverage and he was sacked three times -- the same number of times he was able to throw a pass. On seven other occasions, Scarab running backs were thrown for losses or held to zero yards.

The game was played in Youngstown State University’s Stambaugh Stadium, but no fans occupied the stands on East Tech’s side of the field.