Rude awakening

The Sacred Heart Gremlins football team got a rude welcome to the world of high school varsity football.

The Skyline Tigers controlled the action from the start, running away to a 63-7 win on Saturday night at Jennie Jaynes Stadium.

“First game varsity, just trying to get kinks worked out,” said Sacred Heart coach Martin Zerilli. “I mean, we didn’t expect to come out and win. I’m not saying we don’t play to win, but you get the kinks worked out the first time. You know, they’re a little bigger school, a little more physical. Like I told the kids, the season’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

Sacred Heart (0-1) struggled offensively from the beginning, punting on its initial possession after recovering an onside kick to start the game.

Skyline (1-0) wasted little time getting on the scoreboard.

Tigers quarterback Cody Dampier raced around the right side and into the end zone from 17 yards out to put Skyline in front 7-0.

After another Sacred Heart punt, the Tigers went to the air to find the end zone.

Dampier hit Trevor Lindsey with a 21-yard scoring strike and the lead grew to 14-0.

While Skyline was having little trouble moving the ball, the Gremlins mustered two plays for positive yardage in the opening quarter.

Skyline found the end zone one more time in the first quarter to make it 21-0 when Andre Hicks raced 11 yards up the middle for a score.

“They did a lot of good things,” said Zerilli of the Tigers. “That running back ran hard. Take nothing away from them. They were a good team.”

The Sacred Heart offense began to click in the second quarter as quarterback Nicolai Cox went to the air. He connected with Jacob Harlan for a 54-yard play that pushed the ball to the Skyline 25-yard line, but a fumble ended the drive.

Cox, who finished the game completing 15 of 26 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown, put the ball in the air 11 times in the second, trying to get the Gremlins in the end zone. He frequently threw quick outside passes to Harlan and Cody Wissman that put pressure on the Skyline defense.

Zerilli knew that the inside defensive push by the Tigers’ line was stuffing the running game, so he wanted to get the ball out to his receivers and let them create plays.

“Our playmakers are outside,” he said. “I’m not saying our backs can’t, but mostly we wanted to get them in space and get things out that way.”

The Tigers scored three quick touchdowns in the final four minutes of the first half to blow the game open.

Dampier got the first on a 60-yard run, the second on a 38-yard pass to Cameron Yates, and the third on a 77-yard run on which he broke a number of tackles.

Leading 42-0 entering the second half, the Tigers did not let up offensively.

Hicks got his second score of the game, a 30-yard run, and reserve running back Samuel Holland got into the act, racing 79 yards for a score that made it 56-0 after three quarters.

Cox, who faced increasing pressure in the pocket in the second half, was intercepted midway through the fourth quarter.

Jesse Cole took the interception 70 yards for a Skyline touchdown that made it 63-0.

The Gremlins kept battling, launching a 63-yard drive in the final minutes of the game, ending with Cox hitting Harlan in the back of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 19 seconds remaining.

Wes Register kicked the extra point to set the final margin.

Zerilli was pleased with his team’s effort, playing hard until the end of the game.

“That’s the one thing we preach at them. It might be 63-0, but we’ve got to keep playing. Can’t get blanked at home. That’s the important thing. Put something up in your first game,” he said.