By TIM IRVING
“I played here when it was one school, so I hate the fact that we play each other, I liked it a lot better when this town was one.”
Webster Schroeder head football coach Mike Stumpf also didn’t like putting his team into a physical match-up against in-town rival Webster Thomas, although he will take the 7-6 victory his Warriors held on for.
Alex DeRosa’s three-yard touchdown pass to Nathan DeMay with under a minute left in the second quarter and Cameron Thompson’s extra point were the game-winning combination.
In the third quarter, the Titans got their running game in order and Marley English scored from three yards out midway through the quarter. On the extra point attempt, the snap got away from the holder and left the 7-6 score.
Both defenses came up with big interceptions at key points in the second half and big stops late in the game, the last coming on the final play of the game when Thomas tried multiple laterals before Zain Khan picked one off.
DeRosa completed 12 of 29 passes for 137 yards, 63 of those going to DeMay but it was his 65 yards on the ground that moved the chains and made the biggest impact.
“I hope people look at him the same way I view Eli (Adams) for Thomas, when then routes weren’t there, the defenses played well, he just ran, scrambled, got some yards, some big conversions, “ Stumpf said.
With the players growing up in the same district, the coaches also know the players well and Stumpf likes what he saw from the Titans.
“I think the fact we held them to one touchdown is shocking to me. I think the world of that quarterback (Adams)…he’s really, really good and I think (David) Petz for them is a really dynamic player. I have friends who coach (at Thomas) and talk about what tremendous kids they are and as an opposing coach, the fact that they’re the best players and they’re really, really good kids and all the adults like them, I can be proud of playing an opponent like that.”
The Warriors (4-1) host a tough UPrep team next Friday while Thomas (2-3) hosts Penfield.
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