Keene has biggest game of season in ’Canes’ rout
New Castle (41) vs. Moon (7)
Written: Oct 17, 2009
 By TODD KRISE
t_krise@ncnewsonline.com
Keith Keene, come on down.
You’re the first contestant on, “Can the New Castle High football team score more points than fans in the stands?”
On a cold and rainy night, Keene gave the scarce Taggart Stadium crowd a Hollywood performance with 188 total yards and four touchdowns, leading the Red Hurricane to a 41-7 win over Moon.
Keene’s performance came with a heavy heart. It was the senior’s last game at home and he admitted to shedding a few tears prior to kickoff.
“It was a real special night for us,” said Keene, who was escorted by his parents, Otis and Jacqueline. “It was the last time we’ll be playing on this field. We’ve been playing here since the third grade.”
Keene kicked off the senior-night festivities with a 64-yard score one minute into the game.
He made it a two-score differential two possessions later on a 7-yard run, and gave the ’Canes a 28-7 lead when he took quarterback Johnny Matarazzo’s pass 30 yards to paydirt.
For good measure, Keene dashed 71 more yards for his fourth and final score.
“He came up big tonight,” New Castle coach Frank Bongivengo Jr. said. “He came up with some really big runs. He looked like he was running better than he has all year.”
Keene, last year’s Lawrence County rushing leader with 1,502 yards, missed time this season because of a staph infection in his left leg and was held to only 365 yards coming into last night.
The running back showed no signs of the ailment against Moon, which was encouraging to Bongivengo.
“He made a couple runs where he ran by some people and made some people miss,” Bongivengo said. “That was a great thing to see. We’re going to need him down the road to spring some big plays.”
Receiver Marcus Carter provided additional highlights for the ’Canes in the second quarter. The sophomore came back on an under-thrown Matarazzo pass and outjumped a Moon defender to score from 44 yards out.
“I guess it was a blown play because I’m Johnny’s last read,” said Carter, who managed to tip the ball to himself in mid-air. “In the post route, I guess I had my man beat and Johnny just knows I can go up and get it.”
Justin Fleo caught another Matarazzo wounded duck in the third quarter for a 48-yard gain. The play set up Fleo’s 5-yard rushing score at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
“The one luxury Johnny has is he knows he has some athletes out there at receiver that if he throws the ball up for grabs our guys have a good chance of going up and getting it,” Bongivengo said of Matarazzo. “It’s not what we always want to do, but fortunately it worked out tonight.”
New Castle’s defense and special teams did not play as well as its offense.
A botched punt return set Moon up on the ’Canes’ 20-yard line in the second quarter. The Tigers scored their lone touchdown three plays later on Vincent Colaianni’s 13-yard pass to Chad Bertrand.
Moon also was able to gain 156 yards on the ground, using the same inside running plays West Allegheny utilized in its 28-21 win over New Castle on Oct. 2.
“They went into the same look that West Allegheny gave us,” Bongivengo said. “They had a little bit of success. People are going to know what West A did and we’re definitely going to shore it up.”
MOON NEW CASTLE
12 First downs 11
183 Yards Rushing 258
27 Yards Lost 7
156 Net Rushing 251
13 Passes Attempted 11
5 Passes Completed 8
2 Passes Intercepted 0
54 Yards Passing 180
210 Total Yards 433
4-1 Fumbles-Lost 1-1
4-25 Punts-Average 3-31
6-40 Penalties-Yards 5-50
MOON 0 7 0 0 — 7
NEW CASTLE 14 14 0 13 — 41
Scoring plays
NEW CASTLE — Keith Keene, 64-yard run (Spenser Rapone kick).
NEW CASTLE — Keene, 7-yard run (Rapone kick).
MOON — Chad Bertrand, 13-yard pass from Vincent Colaianni (Richard Smallis kick).
NEW CASTLE — Marcus Carter, 44-yard pass from Johnny Matarazzo (Rapone kick).
NEW CASTLE — Keene, 30-yard pass from Matarazzo (Rapone kick).
NEW CASTLE — Justin Fleo, 5-yard run (kick failed).
NEW CASTLE — Keene, 71-yard run (Rapone kick).
|