Waco — With coach Nate Skelton calling the shots, the Italy JV Gladiators delivered one hard hit after another to out point the Waco Reicher JV Cougar squad 1-0 in the first matchup of Friday’s scrimmages.

With linebackers Kyle Fortenberry, Jake Escamilla, Billy Moore and Hunter Merimon zeroing in on Cougar running backs, Italy’s young guns out weaponed Waco on defense as well as offense.

After stalling on their opening four offensive plays, Italy regrouped to mount a decent drive past midfield. Three runs by the fullback Moore gets Italy a first down followed by a Jaray Anderson run for another first down. A pass completed from quarterback Ryan Connor to an open Ty Windham moved the ball into Cougar territory. Another run by Moore resulted in fourth and three-yards to go on the 10th and final play of Italy’s first possession.

The Cougars took over on offense and struck with a long run around the right side with Italy’s Levi McBride making the tackle. On Waco’s next run try, Fortenberry, along with noseguard Justin Robinson, filled the left A gap with a resounding pop to stop the Cougar runner in his tracks. On second and ten, the Cougars get a bad snap and Merimon jumped all over the foul up forcing the referees to blow the play dead.

Fortenberry again makes a tackle to leave the Cougars with third and eight. John Byers and Merimon track down a fleeing Cougar to stall Waco’s first attack and force them to start again from their own 30-yard line.

Cornerback Cody Back contained the Cougars for a short two-yard gain. After an incomplete pass, Waco tried the air again and connected with Windham making the tackle, but not before a Cougar first down. Fortenberry applies another hard hit on an unsuspecting Cougar for no gain. Waco tries the passing game again and connected but McBride stripped the ball during the tackle and Merimon scooped it and headed down the Cougar sideline for an obvious touchdown before the play was blown dead for safety reasons.

Waco began again from their own thirty-yard line. Merimon unloaded on the quarterback but the Cougars completed the pass with Windham making the tackle at Waco’s forty-yard line. Waco runs the ball for a nine-yard gain. On their final play, Byers leaps and batts down the Cougar pass to keep Waco from crossing midfield and Italy returns to offense.

From their own thirty, Italy’s Anderson gained one yard to start. Connor dropped back and heaved a long pass downfield where Jack Hernandez makes the grab for an Italy first down at their own forty-seven. Long runs by Moore and Connor are negated by holding penalties a busted play backed Italy to their forty-one. Moore ran thru an opening created by John Hughes and John Byers for a nice gain but not enough for the first down and Italy started again from their thirty-yard line.

After a holding penalty set up first and twenty from their twenty, Anderson dashes upfield for a fourteen-yard gain to the thirty-four. Connor rolled left, tucks and runs for the first down to the Italy forty-three. Connor dropped back again and finds McBride open downfield. McBride makes the catch and advances to the Cougar thirty-six. Italy then turns a busted play into big gain. Connor gets control of the ball in the backfield and is determined to make something positive happen.

The freshman quarterback received a jarring block from Merimon that sprung Connor to the Waco twenty-four. It was Italy’s fifteenth play of the drive and, therefore, they had to release the ball back over to the Cougars who began their next 15 offensive plays from their own thirty.

Italy was brimming with confidence when John Escamilla hits a Cougar back for no gain. Merimon follows Escamilla’s effort with a crunching hit in the Cougar backfield for a two-yard loss. Waco’s next play nearly went the distance but a long ball was dropped by the receiver who had a clear shot to the end zone. Italy brushes off the close call and Anderson latched on to a Cougar back and gets help from Fortenberry to drag him down and bring up a third-and-ten situation. Hughes applied pressure on Waco’s quarterback by leaping into the air to force an incomplete pass and returned the Cougars to the thirty-yard line start point.

Waco’s next play is a pass for a first down with Fortenberry making the stop. From their own forty-two yard line, a middle run by Waco was quickly halted by Hughes, Hernandez and Merimon for no gain. Waco completed a short pass and Cody Boyd knocked the fur of the Cougar receiver to hold Waco to a third-and-eight. Merimon foiled a quarterback keeper causing Waco to restart from their thirty-yard line.

Waco had two plays left with the first one a pass that fell incomplete with Escamilla covering. Escamilla pressured the quarterback on the scrimmage’s final play to force an incomplete pass.

Overall for Italy’s JV Gladiators, McBride’s tackle and strip with Merimon scooping up the ball and heading toward the end zone, before the whistles blew the play dead, would prove to be the closest either side came to scoring. Italy’s drive down to Waco’s twenty-four was the closest either offense game to the green zone. Factor in Italy’s numerous hard-hitting tackles and the nod would have to go the JV Gladiators in this one.

The Italy JV Gladiators will see their first regular season action against Maypearl on Thursday at home starting at JV Game 7:00 p.m. Ticket prices are Adults: $4.00 and Kids/Students: $2.00.

Go Italy!