‘Canes look forward to home-field advantage
Written: Oct 30, 2008
  By RON PONIEWASZ JR.
New Castle News
The drought is over for the New Castle High football team.
The Red Hurricane last hosted a WPIAL playoff game in 2002. That streak will end at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Franklin Regional will invade Taggart Stadium for a battle with New Castle in the first round of the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs.
“Franklin Regional is a pretty good football team,” ’Canes coach Frank Bongivengo Jr. said. “Their 5-4 record is not indicative of how good they are.”
The winner will take on the survivor of the Trinity-Indiana game at a time, date and site to be determined by the WPIAL.
New Castle and Franklin Regional were both beaten by Indiana this season.
Fourth-seeded New Castle (6-3), winners of six straight games, posted a 4-1 mark this year at Taggart Stadium. The ’Canes are ranked No. 4 in the WPIAL Class AAA by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“When you play in your own element it’s a lot easier,” Bongivengo said. “The kids are used to it and they’ve won at home.
“Playing at home is a normal thing for the kids. I see that as a big plus going in to the first round of the playoffs.”
Franklin Regional, seeded No. 13, qualified for the postseason with a fourth-place finish in the Greater Allegheny Conference.
Anthony Vendemia paces the Panthers’ attack. Vendemia, a 6-foot-2, 212-pound senior quarterback, is 72 of 117 through the air for 1,285 yards and 10 touchdowns.
“I think he’s more of a pocket passer,” Bongivengo said. “They don’t really get him out on the edge too much; he’s a big, strong-armed kid.
“I think we have to get pressure on him. Pressure is a good thing for pass defense. The more pressure you put on a quarterback, the quicker the decisions have to be.”
According to Franklin Regional coach Greg Botta, Vendemia is looking to continue his football career at Patriot League and Ivy League schools. He has yet to decide on which school.
“Anthony is a great leader; he’s done everything we’ve ask him to do,” Botta said.
The Panthers are averaging 339.4 yards a contest. Despite the numbers that Vendemia has put up, Bongivengo feels passing isn’t the way the Panthers prefer to move the ball.
“I think they really want to run the ball more than anything else,” Bongivengo said. “They have showed a pretty good mix.”
The Panthers’ defense is surrendering 18 points a contest.
“They’re mostly a 4 team; 4-4 and 4-3,” Bongivengo said. “They will show you a 5 front, but their primary front is a 4.”
Michael Bongivengo, the coach’s son, engineers the ’Canes’ offense. Michael Bongivengo, a 6-0, 185-pound senior quarterback, is 106 of 171 for a county-best 1,631 yards with 17 touchdowns and five interceptions.
“He’s strong, intelligent and elusive,” Botta said of Michael Bongivengo. “He runs and throws well and he gives you everything you need in the spread offense.
“That’s the right offense for a kid like that.”
Keith Keene, a 5-9 175-pound junior running back/defensive back, bolsters New Castle’s ground game. Keene rushed for a county-high 1,068 yards on 118 attempts and 15 touchdowns.
“Keene has great speed and vision,” said Botta, who is in his 15th season at the helm. “He has a second gear that a lot of backs don’t have.
“There’s not a weakness on that team as far as I can see.”
New Castle’s defense, much like the offense, is on a roll of late. The ’Canes have allowed almost 19 points a contest, but just 12.6 during their winning streak.
Frank Bongivengo Jr. feels his team’s defensive unit is the key to moving on.
“The defense has to get us the ball and they have to get off the field,” he said. “Offensively, we have to continue to do what we’ve been doing. When there’s an opportunity to make the big play we have to make it.”
Ball control will be important in Botta’s estimation.
“We need to try to keep it out of their hands,” Botta said. “They make the big play quite well.
“We have to keep them in front of us and let them do sustained drives, plus we have to finish our drives.”
The first-round playoff contest is the initial meeting between the schools.
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