ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (Oct. 5, 2022) -- News and notes following Rocky River's 35-7 victory over Fairview on Sept. 30 and heading into the Pirates' Friday game at Westlake ...
GAME 7: Rocky River (3-4, 2-1 Great Lakes Conference West) rode 35 unanswered first-half points to a running-clock conquest in the 86th all-time meeting between the Pirates and Fairview Warriors. Junior quarterback Julian Patti went 9-for-11 for 112 passing yards, and a strong River running game was propelled by running backs Zach Wilson and Nick DiSalvo. The River defense also chipped in for a score on a night it held an opponent to single digits on the scoreboard for a second time this season. Fairview (1-6, 0-3) was held scoreless until the fourth quarter.
NOTING THE OFFENSE: The Pirates cranked out a season-high 357 yards of total offense. River passed for 112 yards and ran for 245. Patti logged his seventh touchdown pass of the season and his third running score. ... Other offensive standouts included senior RB Zach Wilson (103 rushing yards on 15 carries), junior RB Nick DiSalvo (100 yards on five carries), and sr. tight end Stan Heuler (four receptions, 63 yards). ... Overall, seven players logged carries for the Maroon & White. ... Sophomore Cam Bulkowski registered his first career rushing TD.
NOTING THE DEFENSE: Rocky River's top defensive performers included sr. linemen Charlie Fadel (five tackles, fumble recovery for a touchdown) and Stan Heuler (4T, 2-1/2 tackles for losses, forced fumble, fumble recovery, pass break-up). Juniors Trent Delventhal and Andrew Lang added five tackles each. Soph. Ben Bogre logged his first career interception. As a team, River has recorded one-or-more picks in four of its last five games.
NOTING THE SPECIAL TEAMS: Senior Mack Massad split the uprights on 5-of-5 point-after tries. Massad has now scored 162 points in his career (ninth RR history). ... Massad also registered a 56-yard punt which pinned the Warriors back inside their own 20-yard line. The senior has eight such kicks this season, and River has 20 over the last two years (2021-22). ... For good measure, Massad also logged a 37-yard kickoff return, one rushing attempt, and one 15-yard reception.
ONE-WAY ROAD: With Friday's win at Fairview, Rocky River is now 55-29-2 in its all-time Battle of Wagar/210 series against the Warriors. The Pirates have won nine in a row in the series. In the last three years of that streak, RRHS has outscored FHS by a combined score of 126-28. Over the nine-year streak, Rocky River has averaged 41.3 points per game to Fairview's 11.4.
SWASHBUCKLING STATS: For the season, Rocky River has scored 21 points per game while yielding 19.4 PPG. ... On offense, River has averaged 156.6 rushing yards and 132 passing yards per game (288.6 total yards per game). Julian Patti has gone 67-of-121 (55.4%) while passing for 132 yards per game. He's tossed seven TD passes while throwing four interceptions. The junior signal caller has also run in three more scores. Johnny Bebie has logged 425 rushing yards on 66 totes (7.3 yards per attempt); he has five TDs. Stan Heuler (19 receptions, 292 yards, three TDs) and Mack Massad (16-299, 3) have been the Pirates' top receivers. ... On defense, the Pirates have gotten 67 tackles and two interceptions from soph. defensive back Josh Mommers. Trent Delventhal has logged 42 stops. Sr. defensive lineman Aiden Andrako has registered 38T, 9 TFL, and two sacks. ... Kicker Mack Massad is 2-of-5 on field goals and 17-of-17 on extra points. He has averaged 40.2 yards per punt and has put eight punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. ... In the turnover department, the Pirates have logged nine takeaways against six giveaways (plus-3).
ON DECK: Game 8 of the 2022 season finds the Sons of Blackbeard making the short bus trip to exchange cannon fire and clank swords with the Westlake Demons in a GLC West road game. The Friday kickoff at St. John Medical Center Stadium is slated for 7 p.m.
SCOUTING THE DEMONS: The 2022 Demons are 3-4 overall and 0-3 in GLC West play. On the season, Westlake has scored 21.7 PPG while yielding 24.9 PPG. ... On offense, soph. QB Sam Brucchieri has completed 56.5% of his passes and has thrown for eight scores. Jr. RB Matthew Porcelli has rushed for 471 yards on 105 carries (5 TD). Sr. Will Ostrowski has hauled in 33 catches for 346 yards (2 TD). ... On defense, sr. Arrington Taylor has recorded 63T, 6 TFL, and 2 FF. Jr. Mohammed Assad has 23T and four sacks. Jr. Cooper Rummel has ledgered 4 INT. As team, Westlake has 21 sacks (3 per game). ... Brucchieri and fellow soph. Sean Evilsizer have combined in punting duties that have averaged a robust 42 yards per attempt. Evilsizer is also 1-for-1 in the field-goal department. His 3-pointer (Sept. 2 vs. Warrensville Heights) was a 43-yarder. ... In the turnover department, the Demons have logged 18 takeaways against 10 giveaways (plus-8). ... Last week, Westlake fell to Elyria Catholic 42-13 in a game pocked by six turnovers (three a side). The Demons ran for 85 yards and passed for 187 (272 total).
COMMON FOES: Bay -- defeated Westlake 28-21; lost to River 22-21. Elyria Catholic -- defeated Westlake 42-13; defeated River 23-21.
SERIES: Rocky River and Westlake first met on the gridiron in 1917. Westlake leads the all-time series, 34-32-2. The Pirates have won the last two meetings (2014, 2019).
by Skip Snow
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