BY PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Dan Fichter delivered a simple post-game message to the Irondequoit High School football team, Tuesday night.
“Five-and-O is what matters,” the Eagles head coach said holding out an open hand with four fingers and a thumb representing each win before using a clenched grip to indicate the number of losses.
Fichter wasn’t looking for style points after Tuesday’s road victory and none were needed in a win that saw Irondequoit start fast and stay strong when needed.
The Eagles took over after a fumble on Brockport’s first possession and marched 49 yards on seven plays to grab a lead they did not surrender.
Irondequoit’s defense stopped Brockport on three downs before moving the ball 64 yards to the Blue Devils’ seven. An interception in the end zone prevented a score, but less than four minutes later the Eagles doubled their advantage.
By the end of the night, Irondequoit had scored on four of eight drives and moved the ball into the red zone on two other occasions. Subtract the possession in the final two minutes when they were running out the clock, and the Eagles moved the ball to the opposing 20-yard line on all but one drive.
“The diversity of our offense helps us,” Fichter said. “When we can go to a smash-mouth type of game and then we can spread it out to no backs it is challenging for other teams to defend.”
Having Jaleel Davis doesn’t hurt either.
Davis scored two touchdowns on 188 yards of total offense and intercepted a pair of passes as Irondequoit jumped to a 21-0 lead and defeated Brockport 28-14 to remain atop the Section V Class A standings.
The senior rushed the ball three times on Irondequoit’s opening drive before combining with quarterback Nick Calarco on a fourth-and-seven play for 26 yards and the Eagles first touchdown.
On 4th and 7 from the 26, Nick Calarco hits Jaleel Davis for 6. PAT is good. 7 play drive goes 51 yards. @WIEagles 7 @BCSDBlueDevils 0 pic.twitter.com/Hui4ybnGYz
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) April 13, 2021
“He’s a guy who wants the ball in crunch time,” Fichter said of Davis. “Sometimes we kick ourselves when we don’t give it to him. That’s on us as a coaching staff.”
Davis collected his first pick on Brockport’s second play of the next drive to set up the Eagles on the Blue Devils’ 38.
Irondequoit rushed the ball six times before Calarco hit Darius Turner on a 14-yard strike.
Nick Calarco hits Darius Turner on a 14-yard strike. PAT is good. 10:12 remaining in the half. Irondequoit 14 Brockport 0 pic.twitter.com/EKDqJT1w3O
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) April 13, 2021
Another Davis pick gave IHS the ball at its own 28.
“Offensively or defensively, he’s the best football player on the field every time he goes out there. It’s absolutely unbelievable to watch.”
Four plays and 72 yards later, the Eagles were in the end zone. This time Calarco hit Mekhi Christensen from 38 yards out.
Charlie Chodak and Davis Johantgen made six tackles apiece and combined for three sacks to lead an Irondequoit defense that made big plays when needed.
“When it’s time to lean on the down four, we’re pretty comfortable with those guys,” Fichter noted. “They get after the passer. They stop the run when they need to.”
The Eagles’ defense came through late in the first half after a fumble on a kickoff gave Brockport the ball at the Irondequoit 20-yard line. A Dominic Ferra stop on a fourth down from the two-yard line ended the half.
After a fumble on a kickoff, Brockport goes 18 yards to the 2. Irondequoit’s defense gets a stop on fourth to close half. Eagles 21-7. pic.twitter.com/6f8Sr5POzd
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) April 13, 2021
“I thought we played extremely well,” Fichter said of his defense which was without senior lineman Ronnie Garrow for the game.
Irondequoit took the second-half kickoff and went 59 yards . Davis scored from one yard out for a 28-7 lead.
Shamone Johnson scored from seven yards out on a pitch from Ryan Judd to get Brockport on the scoreboard with 1:12 remaining in the second quarter.
Shamone Johnson takes the pitch from Ryan Judd to get Brockport on the scoreboard. PAT is good. Irondequoit 21-7. pic.twitter.com/9UyQYj6gur
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) April 13, 2021
Judd hit Jacob Smith on a fourth-and-three play inside the Irondequoit to cut the deficit to 14 with 2:27 remaining in the third quarter.
Ryan Judd rolls out on fourth down and finds Jacob Miller. PAT is good. Brockport trails Irondequoit 28-14 with 2:27 remaining in the third. pic.twitter.com/D6HkJYFGm6
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) April 13, 2021
Brockport’s next possession started on its own four-yard line.
Five plays later, Johantgen stopped Judd in the backfield, and Irondequoit took over on downs at the Brockport 48 with 7:45 to go in the game.
Johantgen had his two sacks on Brockport’s final drive of the game.
“He’s a defensive end that was part of the winning 4×200 meter champion,” Fichter said of the senior who is also part of the school’s indoor track team. “He can run. Very rarely do you got a down lineman that can run like that.”
Calarco completed five of 13 passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns while rushing the ball three times for 28 yards.
Davis made three catches for 104 yards while rushing the ball 15 times for 84 yards.
Darius Turner collected two catches for 60 yards and had one interception.
Irondequoit plays Greece Olympia/Odyssey next Monday. Brockport (2-3) plays UPrep on Sunday.
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