SAN JOSE, CA--In round one of CCS Open 1 Division play, the top seed Bellarmine Bells rolled over the No. 8-seeded Piedmont Hills Pirates 39-0. The Bellarmine starters put up 23 points in the opening six minutes and 30 seconds, allowing for the second team players to take the field, such as quarterback ke Ogbogu, cornerback Tyler Gallis, linebacker Jordan Serrano, and running backs Domenick Sevor and Brendan Manigo
Manigo had a career night, scoring his first varsity touchdown, and following it with another not long after. Manigo also had the game’s longest run of the night, where he took a simple counter 80 yards, breaking two tackles on the way. Unfortunately, the run was called back due to a clipping penalty, but that doesn’t change the importance of the run to Manigo.
“I want to give it all to my blockers -- all I saw (on that play) was the biggest backside hole. My blockers did all the work, I’m just fast” said Manigo. He had 68 yards on four carries.
The Bell defense was also very good, shutting out the Pirates and only allowing them into scoring range once. It forced two safeties, and intercepted Marcus Romero twice. One interception came when Romero fired a shot down the middle to Jesse Flaris. The ball slipped out of Flaris’s hands and was snagged out of the air by linebacker Dom Goode, who ran it back 23 yards.
“I didn’t even think, I just saw the ball and reacted," Goode said. "It fell into my hands. I don’t even know how I caught it." .
That being said, CCS passing leader, Marcus Romero was very good. He was 13 for 24, his longest being a 50 yard bomb. On the other hand, the run game was not there for the Pirates. Besides his 9 yard run where he broke four tackles to start the game, starting running back Jason Oskoui was silent.
“We haven’t run the ball well all year. Marcus leads the CCS in passing because we throw the ball, that's what we do. When we go behind, we have to throw more," Pirates coach Matt Kiesle said.
The young stars shined bright Friday night, a good sign for Bell fans looking ahead.
“Those are our guys; they will be our seniors and juniors next year. They had an opportunity to get in, carry the ball, and play a lot. I’m really proud of them," Bell coach Mike Janda said.
