By CHUCKIE MAGGIO
The Canandaigua Braves left several touchdowns on the table on Friday evening, but still scored six of them. Penalties impacted the Week 1 margin of victory, but not the won-lost record.
The Braves burst ahead with a 47-yard touchdown pass on their first play from scrimmage, scored 21 points in the first 7:55 and ran away with a 41-14 win at Eastridge High School. The defending sectional champions boasted their balance and experience, as seniors like Bryan Boldrin, Eliot Morgan and Brady Comella outdueled Lancers freshman quarterback Elijah Harris.
Boldrin threw three first-half touchdown passes, taking advantage of poor coverage for the first-down bullet to Ryan Gavette and connecting twice with an open Morgan. In between the air raid, Brady Comella accepted the ball on an option play and ran in a touchdown the play after his 14-yard rush brought the Braves to the red zone.
“It takes a lot of pressure off me, and a lot of the receivers too, to have a safety net in our run game,” Boldrin explained. “We know that we can count on that, too.”
The only thing preventing the Canandaigua offense was its own penchant for penalties. Boldrin’s would-be fourth score before halftime was called back because he scrambled past the line of scrimmage. Jaxon Grant returned a punt to the house but was denied by a block in the back. Keegan Jackson’s 65-yard interception return was erased from the scoreboard due to a personal foul.
After the postgame huddle, however, Canandaigua coach Jeff Welch didn’t lament the points that didn’t stand. Boldrin completed eight of his 10 passes and gained 158 yards through the air in the first half, with a full first-string offense around him. Comella compiled 78 yards on nine carries in that span. Morgan padded his stats with a direct-snap rushing touchdown to complete the TD “hat trick.” The Braves unquestionably executed their offense.
“For Week 1, I think we executed pretty well offensively,” Welch assessed. “Obviously we did have the penalties that stalled some drives, but in terms of execution when the play happened, I was pretty pleased. We passed, and we caught, and we blocked relatively well. Happy for that for Week 1.”
Shut out in the first half, the Lancers managed to score twice in the second half as Harris and Jayden Gamble rushed for touchdowns.
Eastridge has faith it can improve over the course of next week and the weeks ahead; it is, after all, Week 1 for everyone. Canandaigua, however, has continuity and seniors. Those qualities steered them through the opener.
“Balance is everything,” Welch commented. “When you have a balanced offense you’re gonna be successful, and we’ve been lucky to have that the last few years. Right now, at least in Week 1, we were balanced. We were able to run the ball and we were able to throw the ball. That makes for a successful offense.”
“It feels great not only to just win Week 1, but to finally have a normal season again,” Boldrin said, noting the differences between the spring season and a traditional fall start, which featured a significant turnout from the traveling Braves contingent. “It’s a great way to start off the season.”
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