Itasca — Three physical games were played in Itasca on Thursday between Italy’s Junior High and JV Gladiators and the Wampus Cats. Helmets were popping off throughout as these long-time rivals left it all on the field. Setting the tone for Italy was their 7th grade squadron that hammered the Wampus Cats into submission, 36-0. Itasca’s undefeated 8th grade team remains undefeated but not without receiving an early October scare from the lads in gold who kept it close, 22-14. Italy’s JV continues to impress despite having their roster dwindled down to just 13 players. Itasca’s JV finally scored late in the fourth-quarter but the JV Gladiators held on for a 20-6 victory.

7th Grade Game:
From the opening kickoff to the final victory formation play, the day belonged to Italy’s 7th grade squad who were relentless on defense and effective on offense. After Itasca’s kickoff, Kendrick Norwood took the handoff from Tylan Wallace and the galloped 45-yards to give Italy a 6-0 advantage. Wallace kept the ball and ran right behind Norwood and Gary Escamilla for the two-point conversion to increase Italy’s early lead 8-0.

After the Wallace kickoff and a special team’s tackle by Norwood at Itasca’s 26-yard line, an offensive holding penalty and tackles by Escamilla, Chris Davila and Dylan McCasland forced Itasca to punt from their own 13-yard line. Wallace returned the punt to Itasca’s 10-yard line and then took advantage of another Itasca penalty to reach the five. Norwood carried to the inch line before crossing the goal line on the next play to put Italy up 14-0. Itasca intercepts the conversion pass from Wallace intended for Garrett Janek who quickly makes the tackle from behind before the Cats can counter on the scoreboard, bringing the scoring to a close for the first-quarter.

After being penned deep by a Wallace kick off, Itasca remains stuck near its own end zone and is forced to punt. Italy takes over at the Cat’s 25-yard line. Wallace hands off to Norwood who starts right and then cuts toward the middle for a 25-yard touchdown run. Italy leads 22-0 after Norwood plunges across for conversion with 4:33 to play in the first half.

Itasca recovers a short kickoff from Wallace at midfield. Norwood makes the tackle to bring up 2nd and 5. The Cats lose the handle on the ball and Clay Riddle pounces on it to regain possession for Italy. Norwood runs to the 34-yard line. Wallace passes incomplete in the direction of Janek. Wallace steps back again, and this time, connects with Anthony Lusk who turns a short catch into a big play after breaking a tackle and then sprinting the 34-yards for another Italy touchdown. Norwood runs in the conversion and Italy leads 30-0 at halftime after Itasca burns the remaining 3:07 trying to reach midfield.

After tackles by Ty Hamilton and Hunter Morgan force an Itasca punt with 2:50 to play in the third-quarter, Escamilla takes over in the backfield and Italy’s offense doesn’t miss a beat. Several runs, with Escamilla as the featured back, result in a 1st down at Itasca’s 8-yard line to conclude the third.

To start the fourth-quarter, Wallace hands off to Escamilla and the elusive 7th grader slips past Itasca defenders to score from 8-yards out. Italy goes up 36-0. The conversion run by McCasland is stopped short of the stripe but Italy leads 36-0 with 4:33 remaining.

After the Wallace kickoff, Isidro Perez and Cade Roberts combine for a stop and a near pick by Janek forces Itasca to punt again. With the game already out of reach and nothing else to lose, the Cats try a fake punt but Davila is all over it and tackles the up back to give Italy the ball at Itasca’s 32-yard line. Wallace takes a victory snap to run out the final :36 seconds as Italy’s 7th grade Gladiators open district play with a 36-0 win over Itasca.

When asked how he felt after his 7th grade Gladiators put together a shutout win to start district, Coach Brandon Duncan exclaimed, with a big ol’ Texas grin, “Great!”

8th Grade Game:
In what prooved to be a physical battle between Italy and Itasca’s undefeated 8th grade squad, a booming kickoff by Itasca forced the Gladiators to start from deep in their own territory. A 14 yard run by Joe Celis and a face mask penalty against Itasca advance the ball to the Italy 45-yard line. Celis was stopped for no gain on the next play and then a pass attempt from Devonteh Williams, intended for Blake Brewer, fell incomplete. Celis, again gets the handoff and dislodges an Itasca defender’s helmet during a 4 yard gain. On 4th and 6 at the forty-nine, however, Celis is cut down for a loss and Itasca takes over on downs on Italy’s side of the field with 6:00 left in the opening quarter.

In two plays, Itasca reaches Italy’s 20-yard line. Two plays later, a tackle by Jarvis Harris brings up 3rd and goal for the Cats. A quarterback keeper gets Itasca into the end zone on the next play to put the Gladiators behind 6-0. The conversion is good and the Cats lead 8-0 with 2:28 to play in the quarter.

Harris covers the kickoff at Italy’s 38-yard line. Italy moves backwards and the drive stalls at their own 30-yard line after Williams is sacked to end the first-quarter.

Itasca comes out of the break throwing and completes a pass in the end zone. Holding against the Cats erases the effort but Itasca still has 1st down and 20 from Italy’s 40-yard line to work with. Two plays later, Blake Brewer makes a tackle to give Itasca 3rd and 18. The Cats complete a pass with Celis making the tackle at the thirty to bring up 4th and 10. Itasca executes a keeper for 1st down yardage to Italy’s twenty. Another run gives Itasca 1st and goal at Italy’s nine. Tristann Cotten, Elliott Worsham and Brewer make the stop on a run up the middle to bring up 2nd and 5. Itasca runs right and scores again, increasing their lead 14-0. Austin Pittman helps to foil Itasca’s conversion try with 3:22 left in the second-quarter.

Celis returns Itasca’s kickoff to Italy’s 44-yard line. Williams keeps for a 12 yard gain, plus a late hit out-of-bounds spots the ball at Itasca’s 33-yard line with 3:07 on the clock. Italy’s next two runs only net 1 yard and then a 3rd down pitch is fumbled and Itasca recovers at their own 40-yard line, 1:32 on the clock.

A hard tackle by Fabian Cortez and penetration into the backfield by Worsham put Itasca at Italy’s 48-yard line with :33 second left until halftime. Itasca recovers their own fumble in the backfield on the next play and then the Cats get greedy with :22 seconds showing. Itasca drops back on 3rd and long and tries a pass across midfield. Brewer intercepts and takes off in a full sprint down Italy’s sideline with Coach Wayne Rowe keeping pace and pointing the way. Brewer scores the touchdown and Celis adds the conversion to give Italy some momentum at halftime, trailing just 14-8.

David De La Hoya kicks off for Italy to start the second half. Itasca takes over at their own 33-yard line but a penalty backs the Cats to their twenty-three. Itasca eventually reaches the 43-yard line to get a 1st down at he 5:39 mark of the third. Celis makes a jarring tackle and Italy recovers the fumble to take over at Itasca’s 43-yard line.

After an incomplete pass, Celis runs to the 30-yard line for an Italy 1st down. Celis carries twice more to bring up 3rd and 5 at Itasca’s 25-yard line. Williams is sacked for a loss at the thirty-one, 4th and 11. Williams tries to connect with Harris who was open down the middle but the pass falls incomplete and Itasca takes over on downs.

Celis and Williams tackle a Cat runner for a loss. On the next play, however, the Cats get it back and then some after racing 70 yards for another touchdown. The conversion is good and the Cats lead 22-8 with 2:06 left in the third.

At the 5:57 mark of the fourth-quarter, Williams passes to Cortez who spins out of a tackle and then outlasts Cat defenders on the way to the end zone for a 50-yard touchdown pass. Williams is stopped on the conversion try but the deficit has thinned a bit for Italy, who still trail 22-14.

After the De la Hoya Kickoff, Itasca soon fumbled the ball back to Italy near midfield. The Wampus Cats defense held tough and, eventually, Itasca held on for the win, 22-14 over the 8th grade Gladiators who gave a valiant effort in Itasca.

JV Game
Italy’s JV Gladiators kicked off to Itasca with Levi McBride making dislodging the ball on the tackle. Billy Moore recovered for Italy at Itasca’s 15-yard line. Quarterback Ryan Connor takes the snap from his cousin Brandon Connor and escapes trouble in the backfield to reach the 5-yard line. Moore runs in from there and Italy has the early edge, 6-0. Connor connects with Ty Windham in the back of the end zone for the two-point conversion to push Italy further ahead, 8-0 with 6:11 to go in the opening quarter.

Tyvion Copeland makes the tackle on the kickoff for Italy. Moore and Copeland combine to hold Itasca to a 3 yard gain. Collin Newman is quickly into Itasca’s backfield for the stop and no gain. John Escamilla and Hunter Merimon contain to force a 4th and 13 punt by Itasca that is downed at Italy’s 34-yard line with 2:56 on the clock.

Connor hands off to Merimon who makes a strong run for a 1st down to the Itasca 22-yard line. Moore slips through a tackle in the backfield and picks up positive yards to the twelve for a another 1st down. Connor throws a perfectly timed pass to Copeland who makes the catch for a touchdown. Italy is unable to convert the two-point conversion but takes a 14-0 lead with 1:27 left in the first-quarter.

Copeland’s kickoff travels into the end zone and Itasca starts from their own twenty. The Cats drive across midfield into Gladiator territory. At the 4:48 mark of the second-quarter. A staggering hit by Moore forces a fumble that Italy recovers at their own 34-yard line. Connor hands to Moore who plots his way to the forty-five of Itasca. Merimon takes a handoff from Connor and starts right but then reverses his field. Threatening to suffer a huge loss, Merimon suddenly finds a wall of blockers and continues to turn the corner down Italy’s sideline. Escamilla and Copeland pick Cat defenders off as Merimon wiggles back to the middle of the field and then runs into the end zone to complete the 45-yard touchdown effort. Connor finds Merimon’s brother Clayton Miller who makes a great grab in the end zone for the conversion but a penalty denies the catch. However, Itasca cannot deny the score as Italy takes a 20-0 lead with 2:43 left in the first half.

Miller makes a solo tackle on the kickoff at Itasca’s 29-yard line. Newman makes another quick tackle with help from Moore. John Hughes and Hunter Merrimon combine for a hard hit that causes the Wampus Cat runner to lose his bonnet bringing up 3rd and 9. Miller contains the edge to force a 4th and nine. Italy makes the stop on 5th down and preserves their 20-0 lead at halftime.

The third is a scoreless-quarter with both sides trading blows. It’s not until the 5:37 mark of the fourth-quarter that somebody in the booth has to nudge the scorekeeper after Itasca breaks free for a 66-yard touchdown. The conversion try fails but the Cats seem hopeful despite trailing 20-6.

Italy immediately mounts a drive to finish off the Wampus Cats. Miller returns the kickoff to Italy’s 6-yard line. Merimon reaches the Itasca 44-yard line on the next play for a 1st down. Moore hits the left edge and speeds to the twenty-four of the Cats. Connor fakes to Moore and gains 3 but a loss on the next play brings up 3rd and 11 for Italy with 2:51 remaining. Moore fights his way to the 6-yard line and then runs in for a 6-yard touchdown on the following play to put Italy up 26-6 to conclude the scoring.

The JV Gladiators begin district play 1-0 with their win over Itasca but will not return to action until Thursday, October 25, at home against Cayuga starting at 7:00 p.m. There is no JV game this week since Cross Roads does not have enough players.

Italy’s Junior High team will play Cross Roads tonight starting at 6:00 pm at Cross Roads.

Go Italy!

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