ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (Aug. 25, 2023) -- Rocky River Football is hoping the combination of game results and the points scored make for a harbinger of a robust autumn harvest like the one two years ago. On Friday at Rocky River Stadium, the Pirates successfully made their case against the John Marshall Lawyers. The Buccaneers sunk their visitors 42-6 in what was a running-clock affair for two quarters-plus. River has now won its first two games, scoring 97 points along the way.
The 2023 opening fortnight is reminiscent of the first two weeks of the 2021 season, when the Double-R claimed a pair of home victories, scoring 101 points along the way. The harvest that year included a pillage of the Village in a 41-10 win over Bay, a monster win over Buckeye, a Great Lakes Conference championship, and two Buckeye State playoff wins.
Can these Pirates in 2023 keep growing? Keep producing big plays? Keep turning Fridays into wins?
"If we continue to improve week by week, this can be a special group," said coach Josh Wells, whose Pirates have already eclipsed their home win total from last fall. "They love playing together and for each other. This has the potential to be a fun, successful season."
On Friday, the Bucs bolted to a quick lead and never looked back. By the 8:03-mark of the first quarter, Rocky River had run five plays from scrimmage. Three of those plays resulted in Pirate paydirt.
With senior running back Nick DiSalvo scoring once on a 28-yard run and once on the receiving end of a Julian Patti screen pass, Rocky River opened up a 21-0 lead. A 52-yard Patti-to-Ryan Ricketti touchdown pass split those DiSalvo efforts, and River scored those 21 points in 35 seconds of possession time.
John Marshall (0-2) answered with a 6-pointer late in the first quarter when quarterback Cason Diiulio slipped a 14-yard pass to a waiting Randell Henry in the left corner of the end zone. The TD pass capped off an impressive 12-play Lawyer drive. John Marshall would struggle to even gain positive yardage on 12 plays the rest of the way.
With junior defenders Ben Bogre and Josh Mommers leading the effort, a swarming Pirate defense allowed just 46 total yards the rest of the way. With fleet feet, alert angles, and wrap-up finishes, Bogre stymied the Marshall ground game. The Lawyer pass game was batted away, swatted down, and/or jarred loose by Mommers. Overall, the River defense held the visitors to a 1-for-15 performance on third and fourth downs.
The Rocky River (2-0) offense did all its scoring in the first half. River got one more score in its big first quarter and two more in the second. DiSalvo (one rushing TD, one receiving TD) and Patti (two TD passes) were each in on two of those scores. Through two games, DiSalvo has now scored eight touchdowns (five rushing, three receiving); Patti has thrown nine TD passes. [Game stats unavailable at time of publication.]
The Sons of Blackbeard were efficient. They had just five third-down situations and converted on three of them. And the offense worked in concert with the River defense: on the night, the Pirates' average drive start was the Marshall 45-yard line. The Raiders started three drives inside the 35-yard line. On its worst start -- the Pirate 24 -- River still managed a touchdown.
On that march across 76 yard lines and throughout much of the evening, it was a line with five numbers coming up big for the Double-R. Starters (left-to-right along the offensive line) Will Sweeney, Max Fano, Conner Granzier, Connor Kane, and Zane Lindquist did well to pave running lanes and keep Julian Patti mostly upright and unbothered in the pocket.
And now that group and the rest of the River gridiron squad will be tested. Week 3 has the Pirates visiting Sandusky Perkins, a program that last year won 10 games including one in the playoffs. The 2023 Perkins Pirates -- yes, the game will be swashbuckling either way -- are 2-0 and have outscored foes 143-19. That includes a 62-19 triumph over GLC member Elyria Catholic on Friday.
What is in store for the 2023 tackle football Pirates? We don't know yet. But the August portion of the schedule has been a blast.
by Skip Snow
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