Wilmington routs Titusville
Wilmington (54) vs. Titusville (7)
Written: Oct 18, 2008
 SPECIAL TO THE NEWS
It was not a good combination for Titusville.
Not only did the struggling Rockets have to make a 90-minute bus ride to take on undefeated Wilmington, they didn’t have their top running back available for the District 10, Region 3-AA contest.
Not that it would have mattered.
Wilmington scored early and often last night, racking up 27 points in the first quarter and 48 before intermission as it drilled Titusville, 54-7. The second half was played under the PIAA’s mercy rule with a running scoreboard clock.
The victory upped Wilmington’s overall record to 8-0 and its mark in Region 3 to 6-0 with two games remaining in the regular season. Titusville (2-6, 2-5) has lost four in a row.
Wilmington coach Terry Verrelli was apprehensive about the game, especially with the way the Rockets stayed with Sharon last weekend before losing, 41-28.
“I didn’t expect this, let’s put it that way,” he said. “I didn’t expect that to happen the first half … to go through them like that.”
Verrelli did expect running back John Proano, who has rushed for 869 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, to play for Titusville. But Proano was sick and so senior Sean Clark started at running back and gained 72 yards on 15 carries and scored the Rockets lone touchdown. However, all but 3 of those yards came in the second half against the Wilmington reserves.
Meanwhile, Wilmington junior Jake DeMedal had an evening he won’t soon forget. He scored three touchdowns — two rushing, one receiving — and almost had a fourth on one of his two interceptions.
DeMedal finished with 24 yards rushing on three carries, scoring on runs of 10 and 13 yards, and hauled in a 53-yard touchdown pass from Shane Wagner.
And there were the two interceptions, one of which he returned 38 yards to the Titusville 2 on the next to last play of the first half. Leading 48-0, Wilmington took a knee on the next play.
“I’ve never had a game like that, not on the varsity,” DeMedal said. “Maybe in JV or junior high, but this was exciting. It was the first time I ever got a chance to do something like this … it was fun.”
“Jake’s our backup quarterback but he’s too good of an athlete to stand there and be the backup quarterback,” Verrelli said. “So, we decided to make him a running back. He’s our all-purpose, utility man and plays everywhere.”
DeMedal scored Wilmington’s first touchdown. His 10-yard burst into the end zone on a quick hitter around the left end at 8:55 of the first quarter capped a five-play, 47-yard drive. He then gave the Greyhounds a 14-0 lead by scoring on the 53-yard pass from Wagner, who completed 4 of 6 passes for 121 yards.
Sutton Whiting also got into the offensive act, rushing three times for 75 yards and scoring on a 54-yard run. And Carson Sharbaugh pulled in a 49-yard pass from Wagner for a touchdown as Wilmington rolled up 454 yards total offense.
Derrick Burns had the big game running ball for the Greyhounds. He rushed six times for 151 yards and scored on runs of 57 and 56 yards.
Titusville didn’t get its initial first down of the game until there was 4:18 left in the first half. By then, Wilmington had a 41-0 lead. The Rockets had minus-5 yards rushing and just 12 yards total offense at the half.
“If we play the way we are capable of playing, I don’t think too many teams in the league can hang with us,” DeMedal said. “We knew they had a receiver and a running back who were good and if we shut them down we’d have a good chance.”
Things won’t be as easy Friday for Wilmington. which travels to Slippery Rock (4-1 in the region). The following week the Greyhounds entertain undefeated Karns City.
TITUSVILLE WILMINGTON
7 First downs 11
92 Yards Rushing 333
17 Yards Lost 0
75 Net Rushing 333
11 Passes Attempted 6
3 Passes Completed 4
2 Passes Intercepted 0
17 Yards Passing 121
92 Total Yards 454
2-2 Fumbles-Lost 2-0
6-30.3 Punts-Average 2-31
0-0 Penalties-Yards 0-0
TITUSVILLE 0 0 0 7 — 7
WILMINGTON 27 21 0 6 — 54
Scoring plays
WILMINGTON — Jake DeMedal, 10-yard run (Bryce Wilson kick).
WILMINGTON — DeMedal, 53 pass from Shane Wagner (Wilson kick).
WILMINGTON — Carson Sharbaugh, 49 pass from S. Wagner (kick failed).
WILMINGTON — Derrick Burns , 57-yard run (Wilson kick).
WILMINGTON — Sutton Whiting, 54-yard run (Wilson kick).
WILMINGTON — DeMedal, 13-yard run (Wilson kick).
WILMINGTON — Burns, 56-yard run (Wilson kick).
WILMINGTON — Curtis Bretz, 8-yard run (kick failed).
TITUSVILLE — Sean Clark, 8-yard run (Clark kick).
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