WEEK #4 - September 20, 2008         @ Arnold - New Kensington

	8-UNDER

	Arnold-New Kensington 6 - BROOKLINE 0

	Fumble Recovery: Lamar Lewis

	NOTES: As gridlock games go, this one was a gem. Both the
	Knights defense and the ArKen defense battled it out, holding
	the offenses in check the entire game. Neither offense was
	able to move the ball, and the game remained scoreless until
	the final minutes.

	With 1:50 to go in the fourth quarter, a timely interception
	gave ArKen the ball at the Brookline 30 yard line. On the next
	play, ArKen ran a reverse. Their runner turned the corner and
	raced to the endzone. On the conversion attempt, Brent Ivory
	made a fine tackle to keep the score 6-0. With 1:30 left to
	play, Brookline's offense got off three runs before the clock
	expired.

	Defensively, the Knights had a great game. Solid play by DE
	Marshal White, and strong efforts by Ivory, Jeremy Jenkins,
	Joel Wert, Trevor Hazen and Darryl Daniels kept Brookline in
	the game. When the offense discovers how to move the ball
	with some consistency this team could be pretty good.

	Thanks to Lisa Richardson for providing game information.

 

	WEEK #4 - September 20, 2008         @ Arnold - New Kensington

	9-UNDER

	Arnold-New Kensington 14 - BROOKLINE 0

	Fumble Recovery: Tim Persons, Chadric Anderson, Tyler LaRocca,
			 Jim Wheeler (2)

	NOTES: This was another good game for the Knight's defense.
	If only the offense could figure out a way to move the ball
	towards the endzone, this team would do much better. However,
	if the defense keeps spending so much time on the field, as
	they have the first four games, expect more of the same.

	ArKen got on the board first with a 20 yard TD run to begin
	the second quarter. A good stop by Christian Frazier foiled
	the conversion attempt. The game remained 6-0 until midway
	through the fourth quarter.

	ArKen mounted a long drive to begin the period. The Hawks
	made it to the Brookline five yard line. On first and goal,
	Jim Wheeler answered with a fumble recovery to stymie the
	attack. Unfortunately, the offense turned the ball back over
	on the next play. Soon afterwards, with 4:20 left in the game,
	ArKen scored on a ten yard run. A successful conversion gave
	the Hawks a 14-0 lead.

	Brookline's offense got a final opportunity to score when Jim
	Wheeler recovered a fumbled punt in good field position with a
	minute to go, but the clock expired after three failed plays.

 

	WEEK #4 - September 20, 2008         @ Arnold - New Kensington

	10-UNDER

	Arnold-New Kensington 30 - BROOKLINE 8

	Scoring Summary:

	Loren Wicks 9 run (Mentchaas Anderson run)

	Fumble Recovery: Austin Liebro, Matt Tonkovich

	NOTES: The game started on an ominous note when the Knights
	fumbled the opening kickoff and ArKen took over deep in
	Brookline territory. The Knights defense shook that one off
	with a good fourth down stop at their ten yard line. Then the
	bottom fell out.

	On Brookline's third offensive play, Knight's running back
	Taylor Thornton went down with an injury. Preliminary reports
	were that he had broken his arm. As Taylor received EMS
	attention, the Knights attempted to pick up the pieces and
	get on with the game. But, the loss of their top offensive
	threat was too much to handle on this day.

	ArKen took the ensuing punt and returned it 34 yards for	
	their first score of the day. A good conversion run made it
	8-0. An interception on Brookline's second series led to a
	long drive by the Falcons. This time the defense stepped up
	and stopped the ArKen threat at the four yard line.

	The offense, however, could not produce. ArKen followed
	Brookline's third failed series with a sixteen yard TD run.
	A good conversion upped the Falcon lead to 16-0. Another
	turnover on Brookline's fourth series was further proof that
	the Knight offense was struggling without their big gun.

	With the score 16-0, the second half began much where the
	first left off. The ArKen offense went on a long march that
	ended when Matt Tonkovich pounced on a loose ball. Brookline
	went nowhere and punted. The Falcons then struck again, with
	a 28 yard TD pass and another good conversion run.

	With time running out in the third quarter, the Knights were
	able to muster a scoring drive of their own. It started with
	Mentchaas Anderson taking an ArKen kickoff and returning it
	25 yards to the Falcon 35. Loren Wicks followed with a 26
	yard run to the nine yard line. Wicks then turned the corner
	and found the endzone with a nine yard run. Anderson scored
	on the conversion to bring the score to 24-8.

	The fourth quarter saw ArKen score again to expand their
	lead to 30-8. Brookline threatened once more before game's
	end when Wicks took off on a 57 yard dash to and Falcon 14.
	From there the offense went back into hibernation and the
	Knight's final drive stalled.

	Truth is ... Win? Lose? Today that is not important. Our
	thoughts are with the Thornton family and we send our best
	wishes to Taylor for a speedy and healthy recovery.

 

	WEEK #4 - September 20, 2008         @ Arnold - New Kensington

	11-UNDER

	BROOKLINE 38 - Arnold-New Kensington 0

	Scoring Summary:

	Connor McGinnis 3 run
		(David Suwalski pass from Connor McGinnis)
	Connor McGinnis 70 run (Michael Roper run)
	Malik Petite 53 pass from Connor McGinnis (conversion failed)
	Connor McGinnis 7 run (Khalil Sanders run)
	Chad Gregorius 22 run (conversion failed)
	Joe Bonnar tackled runner in endzone - SAFETY

	Fumble Recovery: Jeff Arnold, Gino Foster
	Interception: Connor McGinnis

	NOTES: What a game! The mighty Knights are back from their
	one week slump, and the Brookline fans showed off their team
	spirit by keeping things under control in the bleacher section.
	The first three games might have been ArKen's 15 minutes of
	fame, but this hour and a half belonged solely to Brookline!

	After Zacharia Sesay's opening kickoff return, and a 15 yard
	unsportsmanklike conduct penalty, placed the ball on the ArKen
	42, Connor and Company went to work with surgical precision.
	The running game powered the Knights to the game's first score,
	a three yard burst by Connor McGinnis. A conversion toss to
	David Suwalski produced an 8-0 lead. The fun had just begun.

	After stopping the Raven's opening drive, McGinnis wasted no
	time enlarging the Brookline lead with a 70 yard run down the
	left sideline. Michael Roper added two points up the middle
	for a 16-0 lead. The Knights followed with a successful onside
	kick. Connor then hooked up with Suwalski again for a 49 yard
	scoring toss. Unfortunately, an offsides penalty negated
	David's fine reception and run.

	Faced with a third and 27, a 14 yard pass to Suwalski set up
	a 4th and 13 at the Brookline 47 yard line. Full of surprises,
	Brookline faked a punt that resulted in a 53 yard scoring pass
	from McGinnis to Malik Petite. Eighteen seconds into the
	second quarter, the Knights held a 22-0 lead.

	A McGinnis interception set up Brookline's fourth score, and
	Connor's third TD run of the game. Khalil Sander's conversion
	run added two more points to inflate the first half score to
	30-0. A fifth potential	scoring drive ended after Petite's
	23 yard catch and run was negated by a penalty. A sixth first
	half opportunity was snuffed out when the clock expired.

	The second half was no different. Brookline just crushed the
	Ravens. Chad Gregorius added to the scoring parade with a 22
	yard TD run of his own, making the score 36-0. Joe Bonnar
	applied basting to the bird with a safety. It was still	only
	the third quarter! By the time this one was over, the ArKen
	Ravens were ready to fly south for the winter.

	Offensively, Connor McGinnis ran for over 120 yards and threw
	for over 100 more. Chad Gregorius ran for over 70 yards, had
	one long punt return, a sack and several good defensive stops.
	Julius Noel added a sack, and the remaining Knight defenders
	inflicted liberal punishment in their own personalized way.
	The mighty Knights looked positively beastly.

	Speaking of beastly. Sometimes beastly behavior by fans can
	make one wonder why they come to these games. Is it to watch
	the kids playing on the field or the parents fighting in the
	stands? Dirty play by ArKen players on the field eventually
	translated into dirty actions by ArKen parents in the seats.

	Brookline's fans didn't travel an hour to be berated by
	suburban bullies. Nor were they impressed by the seven NKPD
	squad cars sent to quell a disturbance started by a few
	hometown loudmouths. Boo-Hoo Baby!!! The final score read:
	BROOKLINE 38 -  ARKEN 0. Enough said. GO KNIGHTS!

	Let's finish with an intuitive quote by a good friend:

	"It just seems like youth sports has become way too important
	to way too many people and for the wrong reasons. For those
	who understand that, no explanation is necessary. For those
	who don't, no explanation is possible."

 

	WEEK #4 - September 20, 2008         @ Arnold - New Kensington

	13-UNDER

	Arnold-New Kensington 30 - BROOKLINE 8

	Scoring Summary:

	Zach Spath 1 run (Mark Manko pass from Zach Spath)

	Fumble Recovery: Tonyea Curry
	Interception: Ryan Mandarino

	NOTES: This game started off looking like another one of those
	forgettable contests. Brookline got the ball first and soon
	found themselves backed into a 4th and 30 from their ten yard
	line. Brookline's punt was blocked and an ArKen defender
	pounced on the ball in the endzone for the game's first score.
	Brookline fumbled the ensuing kickoff. When the Knights
	finally got the ball back, a bad snap resulted in a safety.
	Five minutes into the game, the score was 8-0 and ArKen looked
	firmly in control. Then something happened. Our Knights
	started playing football.

	The defense stepped up and stopped the Eagles at midfield.
	A Nick Sywyj sack forced ArKen to turn the ball over. Tonyea
	Curry pounded out eleven yards on the ground, then connected
	with quarterback Zach Spath for a 35 yard reception. Although
	Tonyea fumbled at the five, he managed to recover the ball at
	the two yard line. From there Spath punched it up the middle
	three times until he finally crossed the plane. A nice	
	conversion toss to Mark Manko tied the score at 8-8.

	Near the end of the first half, the Knights threatened to put
	the ball into the endzone again. A fake punt was foiled by
	Jacob Lowden, giving the Knights possession at midfield. After
	good gains by Curry and Michael Ignasky, an eleven yard toss
	to Sywyj put the ball on the ArKen eight yard line. Brookline
	got to the five before an Eagle sack on fourth and goal ended
	the charge. The score remained tied at halftime.

	The Knights kept charging at the start of the second half.
	The defense stopped ArKen cold on their first possession and
	Sywyj foiled a second fake punt attempt. Armed with good
	field possession, the Brookline offense stalled. ArKen forced
	a punt and scored on their next play. A 55 yard TD run made
	the score 14-8 with fifteen minutes to go.

	For the next twelve minutes, the defense kept the pressure on
	the Eagles. The offense, however, lost it's momentum. Unable
	to capitalize on good field possession twice, it was only a
	matter of time before ArKen found a weakness in the Knight's
	armor. A Brookline fumble gave ArKen the ball at the Knight
	eight yard line. Two plays later the score was 22-8. A twenty
	yard scoring run on their next possession sealed the victory.

	Although the final score was 30-8, the Knights showed that
	they can play. They just need to get over the fumbles and
	unforced errors. There's hope for the future.

2008 Knights News - Previous Week's Game Summaries

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