By TODD KRISE

New Castle News

Look into Darrian Rice’s eyes and you’ll find love.

Love for God, love for his family and love for football.

They are the three main ingredients in the life of New Castle High’s sophomore wide receiver.

So when Rice sustained a brain stem injury in the Red Hurricane’s final preseason scrimmage and had to sit out the 2009 opener, he was devastated.

“When they first told me that I would never be able to play, I cried,” Rice said. “I was just thinking about the seniors of this year leaving because I wanted to be here to help them reach our team goal of winning a WPIAL championship.

“For them to tell me I wouldn’t be able to be a part of it just broke my heart.”

A second opinion, however, gave Rice new hope. The doctor, who has a son playing football with the same injury, gave Rice permission to play.

The result?

A four-catch, 126-yard, three-touchdown performance against Indiana last Friday. In the same game, classmate Johnny Matarazzo passed for 368 yards and four touchdowns.

Their performances earned them the Lawrence County Co-Athlete of the Week award, as selected by the New Castle News sports staff. The award is sponsored by Washington Centre Physical Therapy.

Matarazzo and Rice connected for three touchdowns in the ’Canes’ 35-16 nonconference win.

“The line was giving Johnny time to throw and I was just getting off the ball and just finding open spots,” Rice said. “Johnny was getting the ball to me.”

Added Matarazzo: “We were just putting it to them.”

Rice returned to practice a week ago and had to earn his starting position back.

“As long as the parents and doctor felt good about it, it was a relief to me,” head coach Frank Bongivengo Jr. said. “I’m going to be a little protective. At this point in my life and career, that’s probably the last thing I could handle.

“Thank God everything worked out for him and we prayed that he never gets that injury.”

Matarazzo, a son of former New Castle tight end John Matarazzo, also has his share of obstacles to overcome. The sophomore quarterback is replacing All-State selection Michael Bongivengo and is in charge of a revamped offense.

“He’s absolutely done a tremendous job handling all the pressure,” Bongivengo said.

Matarazzo has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes and has thrown only two interceptions in his first two varsity starts. Matarazzo said Michael Bongivengo, who now plays at Seton Hill, calls him before every game to lend advice.

“He tells me about things to do around the team,” Matarazzo said. “He just told me you have to go out and work hard every day and you have to be a leader. As a quarterback, that’s your job.”

Matarazzo and Rice, who have been playing together since seventh grade, are only two cogs in a talented sophomore class at New Castle.

Wide receiver Marcus Carter, running back Justin Fleo and defensive end Latrell McKnight are other tenth-grade starters.

But with tough contests looming in the Parkway Conference starting with Friday’s game against Blackhawk, Bongivengo will find out quickly how fearless his young stars are.

“There is no easing them in,” Bongivengo said. “A lot of them played last year in crucial situations and crucial games. They understand the ramifications right now.”

“They know that we’ve got to win games in our section in order to go to the playoffs and achieve our ultimate goal,” he added. “We’re throwing them into the fire and telling them it’s time to go and perform.”