Lights, cameras and action:
’Canes to battle Central Valley
Written: Sep 15, 2011
  It’s prime time football Friday night at Taggart Stadium.
New Castle hopes it shines under the lights and in front of the television cameras when it welcomes Central Valley at 6:30 p.m. in a Parkway Conference clash. ROOT Sports will broadcast the contest.
The game has an earlier start time because ROOT Sports also televises the Pirates, who are in Los Angeles for a 10:10 p.m. start against the Dodgers.
The matchup should be an enticing one for spectators and viewers, alike. The Warriors (1-0 conference, 2-0 overall) are the defending WPIAL Class AAA champs and are ranked No. 1 again by several publications. Meanwhile, the Red Hurricane (1-0, 1-1) is coming off a 35-7 win at Ambridge and hopes to challenge for a Parkway Conference title.
“We’re going up against the No. 1 team and defending WPIAL champ. It’s going to be a good opportunity for us to hopefully get a big win,” New Castle coach Frank Bongivengo Jr. said. “With it being on TV, it’s great exposure for kids on both teams. I am sure both teams will be flying high and there will be a nice crowd. It should be a lot of fun and an exciting atmosphere.”
Central Valley coach Mark Lyons is happy his team will get more television exposure, but would rather it come on its home turf.
“To be quite honest with you, I don’t think New Castle needs anything extra to get ready for this game. It’ll be a monumental task for us to go up there for their home opener,” he said. “You add the TV element and I am sure the players will be more jacked.”
Despite the added hype, Bongivengo wants his team to focus on its goal — defeating a quality conference opponent.
“It doesn’t matter if the TV cameras are there or not. We are there to get a job done and that job is to win a football game,” he said. “If we’re lucky enough to get a win, the kids will get a lot of exposure.”
New Castle opened its year with a disappointing 24-14 loss at Butler. The ’Canes saw their 14-0 lead evaporate in that battle. However, they responded with a strong victory last week against the Bridgers (0-1, 1-1)
“After what happened the first week, we needed to come in and play a solid game and we did,” Bongivengo said. “Central Valley is an aggressive football team. They get after you up front. They attack you. They have great skill people and guys who can make big plays. That’s a pretty good recipe to have in your oven. They are just a good team and we’ll have to play an exceptional game.”
Central Valley opened the year with a 36-13 win over Allderdice and followed with last week’s 13-9 triumph over West Allegheny.
“We’re going to find a way to take any win we can get in the Parkway. We don’t want to look too far ahead. That’s how we’ll attempt to attack this week,” Lyons said. “Our guys are always up for the challenge. They understand the process of going through the Parkway and they’re looking at it as another vital game. It’s not do or die, but it’s a very important game for us.”
The Warriors return many players from last year’s title team. They have deep offensive and defensive lines and boast big-play skill players like dual-threat quarterback Curtis Lewis, running back Aaron Law and receiver Robert Foster.
“They like to establish the run and throw when you don’t expect it. They have a lot of faith in their offensive line. They like to run and do a very good job of running it,” Bongivengo said. “(Lewis) is an athlete. He’ll tuck it and run, too. You have to be conscious of him. He hurt us last year.”
The ’Canes boast a balanced attack, led by quarterback Johnny Matarazzo. The senior connected with Marcus Carter for three TD passes last week. Running back Jalen Holmes, coming off a foot injury, rushed for 140 yards and a pair of TDs.
“Coach Bongivengo does a good job keeping that offense balanced. Everything still does run through Matarazzo. Not only can he hurt you throwing, but I’ve noticed he finds a way to make a big play with his legs, too,” Lyons said. “We’ve been turning the ball over too much. You can’t do that against a team like this. We have to make the most of our opportunities each possession.
“We’re going to have to weather their early storm, too,” he added. “We can’t give them any early momentum. We have to stay grounded and get into our game plan as soon as possible.”
(E-mail sports editor Kayleen Cubbal at ncsports@ncnewsonline.com)
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