Football

Recaps - 2011 Season 

11/12 - Blair 27 - Peddie 21
The Blair football team knocked off arch rival Peddie on Saturday 27-21 in the 108th meeting of the two schools. It was another classic battle between the two programs that went down to the wire as usual.

The Bucs got off to a strong start shutting down the Peddie offense on their first two drives and scoring two touchdowns on their own possessions. Quarterback Ryan Gallagher hit Robert Manning on a 12-yard strike and Jihaad Pretlow busted through on a 31-yard jaunt to give Blair a 14-0 lead. Kicker Teddy Richardson followed both scores with an extra point.

Peddie then returned the ensuing kickoff for a 70-yard touchdown to make the score 14-7 at the half.

In the second half, Blair extended its lead to 27-7 on a 4-yard run by Nick Flora and then a spectacular 75-yard punt return by Robert Manning which had several blocks along the way by the likes of David Showunmi and Demetrius Daltirus. This didn't deter Peddie however, as they battled back scoring twice more while taking advantage of a couple of Blair turnovers.

Outside of a couple of big plays by Peddie, the Blair defense smothered the Falcon offense – holding it to just 107 total yards on just two firstdowns. It was one of the best defensive performances of the year for the Bucs defense (Willie Wilson, Brendan Six, Abo Mahmoud, David Emrick, Max Kaplan, James Atkins, Frank Mattiace, Mack MacLeod, Nick Flora, Jihaad Pretlow, Robert Manning, Andrew Iacocca, and David Showunmi).

The Bucs offense was led by an awesome performance by halfback Jihaad Pretlow who rushed for 214 yards on 28 carries along with 330 all purpose yards. Robert Manning also added 121 all purpose yards while receiving and returning kicks. Ryan Gallagher was 6 for 11 passing for the day for 42 yards.

The win capped a very fine season for the Bucs finishing with a 7-1 record. By defeating Peddie, Blair was able to reclaim the "Big Three Trophy" for the competition between Blair, Lawrenceville, and Peddie. This is the tenth time Blair has won the trophy in its 18 years of existence.

Blair finished with an identical record to Hun in the MAPL League, but because of the head to head loss the Bucs suffered to Hun (24-17), Blair will finish in second place this year. None the less, it was a terrific season for Blair football.

10/31 - Blair 35 - Hill 13
The Blair football team had a strong showing on Monday defeating Hill 35-13. The Bucs traveled to Pottstown on Monday instead of Saturday due to the weekend storm. The Blair offense got off the bus with a quick start scoring on their first play from scrimmage on Jihaad Pretlow's 62-yard run. Max Kaplan took a pass from quarterback Ryan Gallagher and scored on a 34-yard reception to make the score 14-0 at the half.

Blair opened up the second half with another touchdown by Pretlow on a 21-yard pass from Gallagher. The Hill team bounced back with two scores of their own to close the gap to 21-13 with 11:51 remaining in the game. After unsuccessful drives by both Blair and Hill, the Bucs offense finally punched through on a 53-yard run by Mack MacLeod. Jihaad Pretlow added one more score as the Hill defense brought everyone into the box to half the Blair drive.

The offensive line was the key again having a very strong performance leading to 392 total yards. Jihaad Pretlow had 158 yards on 12 carries and Mack MacLeod rushed for 71 yards on 9 carries. Quarterback Ryan Gallagher was 10 for 14 passing for 140 yards and two touchdowns. He connected with Robert Manning 4 for 50, Pretlow 3 for 39, Max Kaplan 2 for 43, and Nick Flora 1 for 8. Kicker Teddy Richardson was 5 for 5 on extra points.

The defense played very well holding the Hill offense to a total of 192 yards. They came up with many big plays to stall the Hill offense. Mack MacLeod led the way in tackles with 9 followed by Frank Mattiace with 7, Robert Manning and Max Kaplan with 5, and Brendan Six and Nick Flora with 4.

The win puts the Bucs record at 6-1 and 3-1 in the MAPL League going into its finale vs. arch rival Peddie on November 12th in Hightstown.

10/22 - Blair 28 - Lawrenceville 7
The Blair football team picked up its 5th win of the year defeating Lawrenceville on Parent's Day 28-7. Blair came out strong and performed well for most of the game bouncing back from a difficult loss to Hun a week ago.

The Bucs opened scoring on their first possession of the game going 80 yards on 8 plays that was finished by a Jihaad Pretlow 3-yard touchdown run. Lawrenceville answered with a score of their own on 40-yard pass play that came off a quarterback scramble. On the next series, Blair went 80 yards on 16 plays to take the lead 14-7 on a Ryan Gallagher to Jihaad Pretlow option for 9 yards. The Buc defense then had to come up big with a stop of the Lawrenceville offense at the Blair goal line as time expired in the first half.

The second half started with both defenses forcing each offense to punt on four straight series. Finally Blair broke through again with three minutes left in the 3rd quarter on another Pretlow rushing touchdown. After a couple of big interceptions by Jihaad Pretlow and Nick Flora, Blair added another touchdown on a Mack MacLeod run of 22 yards to complete the scoring for the day. Kicker Teddy Richardson performed well again as he was 4 for 4 on extra points.

Blair rushed for 348 yards on the afternoon. Pretlow had 159 on 21 carries, Nick Flora - 131 on 14 carries and Mack MacLeod - 46 on 10 carries. Andrew Iacocca caught two Ryan Gallagher passes for 32 yards, both coming on crucial 3rd down plays. Gallagher was 5-10 passing. "The offensive line was the key to the victory today. They came off the ball real well and allowed our backs to come up with some big plays," said Coach Stone.

The defense played very well holding Lawrenceville to only 39 yards rushing. The Bucs were led by Frank Mattice, David Emrick and Max Kaplan in tackles, but it was a complete team effort. The unit of: Wilson, Mahmoud, Atkins. Kaplan , Mattiace, Emrick, Flora, MacLeod, Iacocca, Pretlow, Manning, Daltirus and Showunmi did a great job holding Lawrenceville in check.

Next week the Bucs travel to Pottstown to play Hill at 2:30 pm.

10/15 - Blair falls to Hun 24-17
On a perfect fall afternoon Blair and Hun met in a clash of the undefeated teams both at 4-0. At the end of the day Hun came away with a hard fought 24-17 win. Hun scored early after a muffed Blair punt to make the score 7-0. Blair answered back with a safety that was a result of a bad punt snap making the score 7-2 Hun. Late in the 2nd quarter Blair took the lead on a 70-yard punt return by Jihaad Pretlow. Blair led at the half 9-7.

Hun took back the lead in the first drive of the second half with a 43-yard field goal and then added a touchdown with 10 minutes remaining in the game to put the Raiders up 17-9. Blair hung in there with some great effort on defense and then Andrew Iacocca forced a fumble deep in Hun territory. Jihaad Pretlow on the very next play scored on a 15-yard run and then added the two point conversion to tie the score at 17-17 with 5 minutes remaining in the game.

Hun then took the ball 71 yards on an 11 play drive for the winning score with 1:31 left on the clock. Blair made several big defensive plays on the drive, but were unable to stop Hun on two 4th down conversions. The Bucs tried to run the 2 minute drill to tie the score but were unsuccessful.

The Blair offense struggled all afternoon against a very talented Hun defense, never able to get any kind of rhythm going. Defense and special teams carried the day for Blair keeping them in the contest the whole way. Frank Mattiace (9), Abo Mahmoud (7), and Andrew Iacocca (5) led the way for the Buc defense.

Blair must bounce back quickly as they host a strong Lawrenceville team this Saturday on Parents' Weekend. Game time is 3:00 pm.

10/8 - Blair defeats Mercersburg
The Blair Football team knocked off Mercersburg this Saturday picking up their first MAPL league win. The Bucs scored the first 42 points of the game before giving up a long run to one of Mercersburg's backs. The defense led the way as they shut down the Blue Storm offensive attack surrendering only 4 1st downs the entire game. The Bucs also picked off 3 Mercersburg passes by Jihaad Pretlow, Mack MacLeod and Robert Manning. Middle linebacker Frank Mattiace had 6 tackles while Robert Manning had 4 and Nick Flora and David Emrick registered 3 each.

The offense had another good day putting up 398 total yards. Jihaad Pretlow scored twice on runs of 10 and 11 yards, Mack MacLeod and Nick Flora scored on short runs and Frank Mattiace on a 53 yard jaunt. Nick Flora led the team in rushing with 119 yards on 10 carries. Ryan Gallagher was 2 for 5 passing on the day with a 16 yard touchdown strike to Robert Manning.

Kicker Teddy Richardson again had a strong effort delivering 6 for 6 in extra points.

"The offensive and defensive line (Max Kaplan, Abo Mahmoud, David Emrick, James Atkins, Brendan Six, Willie Wilson, Mike Shiffert, and Paul Mascarenhas ) did a great job controlling the line of scrimmage today", Coach Stone said of the team. "We really got off the ball well. It was a good day, but we need to keep improving each week."

This coming Saturday Blair heads to Princeton for the big battle with Hun. Both teams are 4-0. Game time is 3:00 pm.

10/1 - Blair defeats St. Joes (Metuchen) 35-0
The Blair Football team picked up its third win of the season with a 35-0 victory over St. Joes – Metuchen. The Bucs started early after the defense shut down St. Joes - three plays and a punt, the offense took just 4 plays to go 35 yards and score on a Jihaad Pretlow 3 yard run. Pretlow scored again six minutes later on a 16 yard scamper to make it 14-0 Blair. Early in the 2nd quarter, linebacker Mack MacLeod picked off a St. Joes pass and returned it for 40 yard touchdown. Then quarterback Ryan Galllagher scored on a 7 yard run late in the first half to make it 28-0.

The Bucs opened the 2nd half with another offensive drive that covered 77 yards on 9 plays as Nick Flora scored on a 15 yard run for the final tally of the night. The offensive line of David Emrick, Abo Mahmoud, Mike Shiffert, Brendan Six, James Atkins, and Max Kaplan did a great job controlling the line of scrimmage all evening. Coach Stone remarked, "we've been working hard on getting off the ball and sustaining our blocks. The line did a good job tonight. We were much improved, but still have a lot of work to do."

Senior halfback Nick Flora led the team in rushing again with 76 yards on 9 carries while Mack MacLeod and Jihaad Pretlow had 58 and 50 yards respectively. Young backs Alex Rinaldi, David Showunmi, and Nick DiNapoli put forth some fine rushing efforts in the 2nd half. Quarterback Ryan Gallagher was 3-6 on the night for 36 yards, connecting with Andrew Iacocca and Robert Manning. Kicker Teddy Richardson was 5 for 5 in extra point attempts.

The defense was led by linebacker Frank Mattiace who recorded 7 tackles along with Max Kaplan who had 4 tackles – all of them QB sacks. James Atkins finished the night with 5 tackles and David Emrick also had a QB sack.

The Bucs are now 3-0 and open up MAPL League play this coming Saturday at home vs. Mercersburg at 2:00 pm.

9/24 - Blair 40 - The Kiski School 6
Blair beats Kiski
The Blair Football team traveled out to Saltsburg, PA this past Saturday and came home with a 40 - 6 victory. After a slow start the Buc's offense kicked it in gear and scored 34 points in the last 14 minutes of the half. The defense led the way with three interceptions putting Blair in great field position leading to scores. Jihaad Pretlow, Demetrius Daltirus and Frank Mattiace in had one pick and Mattiace returned his for a 50-yard touchdown.

Blair's other scores came from 4-yard run by Mack MacLeod, two 5-yard runs by Jihaad Pretlow, an 8-yard run by quarterback Ryan Gallagher and a 2-yard run by Frank Mattiace. Gallagher was 6 for 11 passing for 74 yards connecting with Andrew Iacocca 3 times. David Showunmi set up the last Blair touchdown as he blocked a punt early in the second half. Nick Flora led the Bucs in rushing with 68 yards on 8 carries. Although the offense sputtered at times in the poor field conditions, the offensive line opened up some big holes for the running game.

The Defense put a lot of pressure of the Kiski quarterback all afternoon and recorded 3 sacks by Mack MacLeod, David Showunmi and Abo Mahmoud. Paul Mascarenhas and Kyle Jacksic led the club in tackles with 5 each.

It was a good afternoon for Blair as all 28 players that traveled had significant playing time and all contributed to the win. The Bucs are now 2-0 and take on St. Joes Metuchen this Saturday night at home. Game time is 7:00 pm.

9/17 - Blair 28-Woodberry Forest 21
BLAIR WINS OPENER
The Blair Football team won its season opener Saturday over a strong Woodberry Forest team 28-21. It was a great game from start to finish with several big plays from both teams which made for an exciting afternoon in front of a big crowd at Hampshire Field.

Blair opened the scoring on the day after a Woodberry Forest turnover early in the 1st quarter when Jihaad Pretlow took a short pass from quarterback Ryan Gallagher and scampered 14 yards to the end zone. Senior kicker Teddy Richardson added the extra point. Blair punched in their second score on a 2-yard run by fullback Mack MacLeod which was set up by Ryan Gallagher connecting on a 30 yard pass to Robert Manning. After another successful extra point by Richardson, Woodberry Forest answered right back with a 65-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by (Notre Dame bound) C.J. Prosise to make the score Blair 14-7 with 22 seconds left in the half. On the ensuing kickoff, Blair's Jihaad Pretlow almost took one back for another score, but was knocked out of bounds at the Woodberry Forest 37. The very next play, Gallgher hit Robert Manning again for a 37 yard touchdown strike with 8 seconds left in the half. Blair led at the half 21-7.

After an exciting last 90 seconds of the 2nd quarter, the 3rd quarter played out like a tug of war with both teams struggling to put together any offensive threats. With 11:37 left in the 4th, a Woodberry Forest linebacker picked a Blair fumble and ran it for a score from 16 yards out to make the score 21-14. Blair quickly answered back with another big play from their special teams with Andrew Iacocca returning the kickoff back for an 85-yard touchdown giving Blair a little more breathing room. The Tigers from Woodberry Forest, Virginia didn't go quietly as they added another score with 8:20 left on the clock. Woodberry quarterback Heys McMath connected on a 38 yard pass to Doug Randolph to make the score Blair 28-21. After one short drive by each team that ended in punts, Blair got the ball back with 2:55 remaining. The Buc's offense then punched out two 1st downs to run out the clock.

Blair's defense was outstanding on the day only surrendering 30 yards rushing on 20 carries and 141 yards in the air. The Bucs caused 4 turnovers, 2 of those on interceptions late in the game by Robert Manning and Nick Flora. Middle linebacker Frank Mattiace led the Bucs on defense with 10 tackles while the defensive line of David Emrick, Max Kaplan, Abo Mahmoud, James Atkins, Willie Wilson and David Showunmi was solid all day.

On offense Blair's rushing attack was led by senior captain Mack MacLeod who rushed for 79 yards on 20 carries. Backs Nick Flora and Jihaad Pretlow added 57 and 56 yards. Ryan Gallagher was 8 for 13 for 151 yards passing connecting with four different receivers (Iacocca, Manning, Pretlow, and MacLeod).

It was a big win for Blair to open the 2011 campaign. The Bucs made plenty of mistakes that need to be improved on quickly, but also did a lot of things well which enabled them to defeat a very strong team from Virginia.

The 2011 Blair JV Football season was spectacular!
The team finished with five wins and one loss. The results of each game were representative of an incredibly consistent offensive attack, and a stingy and stifling defense. Undoubtedly, at the center of our success was the consistent effort of each player, without exception, to leave everything on the field. With five consecutive wins, the result of the final game was disappointing. However, in the moments after the game, it was clear what our boys had accomplished this season. For them, it was more than just a game. It was about the other guys around them, a brotherhood, and a season together they will all remember for years to come.

The offensive line was the difference maker this year. These guys were the cornerstone to our running game, and our ability to defend the run. The line included William Cooley, Edward Riker, Alex Romano, Benjamin Meisel and Zach Bellapigna. Unfortunately, we lost both Nick Schroth and Zachary Gershman early in the season. This left us with only five available bodies to fill the line before our first game. Both Tyler Saylor and Kyle Jacksic were substitutes at guard and tackle when needed. Needless to say, we were dominant because of the play of the guys up front. Everything starts and ends on the line, and this JV team was fueled by the unrelenting push from our lineman, and not to mention, a lone contribution to the scoring report with a legendary touchdown reception.

At quarterback were Griffin Beriont, Tyler Saylor, Cooper Clark and Jimmy Connor. With their combined play these guys brought speed, power, and the ability to throw the ball to the QB position. The constant threat of the option, or the deep ball, kept opposing defenses on their heels.

Also in the backfield were halfbacks Michael Deehan, Alex Rinaldi, Daniel Becker, Quinton Love, Max Coleman and Harrison Gardner. At the fullback position were Nick DiNapoli, Benjamin Sysler, Mike Park and Ethan Simon. The wishbone offense thrives on the ability to run the ball, and first and foremost, we have to run the veer. Our fullbacks were unyielding. They picked up all the tough yards, and occasionally the veer would break for a long one. DiNapoli was our workhorse, and Sysler gave us speed and a nose for the endzone. Mike Park, new to the game, and to the position, is a bright spot in the freshman class, and we look forward to his return next season. Our halfbacks were all pounders. Rinaldi gave us serious speed! It was often heard on the sideline "He's gone!" every time he found a seam. Mike Deehan was our Mr. Reliable! Third and thirteen, slash to Deehan, first down. Daniel Becker was a determined runner, and a guy we gave the ball in short yardage redzone situations because we knew he was going to find his way into the end zone! Max Coleman was also a tough runner, and was hard to bring down; he made it difficult for would-be tacklers whenever he had the ball in his hand. Quinton was another talented 9th grader, playing both halfback and split-end. Unfortunately, Ethan and Harrison were lost early in the season due to lower leg injuries.

With so many options in the backfield, this JV unit was very hard to defend. We weren't throwing the ball often, so having this much depth in the backfield gave us fresh legs throughout each game. It was important that everyone had an opportunity to contribute, and it was clear that when you were given that opportunity, you would play a million miles per hour. This group of ball carriers played even faster.

At the ends were Kyle Jacksic, Christian Suk, Matthew Guillete and Kyle Sabath. This offense requires that our ends block, and occasionally handle the ball. Our tight-ends, Kyle and Christian played like tackles. And when we sent them down the field, they handled the ball like seasoned pros. It was like having two Rob Gronkowski's lined up on the offensive line. These guys played tremendous football! With a few touchdowns between them, their tight-end play rounded off our offensive strategy. Our split-ends Matt and Kyle both did their part to make our offense go. They were often seen making that final block on the outside to cap off a scoring drive.

This JV unit outscored opponents 176 to 42. Our defense gave up only 6 touchdowns all season. In each game, guys were expected to fill in at all positions, and all the athletes had a stake in the defensive effort. The same went for special teams. The defense on the field returned punts, and the offense punted the ball. For kickoff return we formed an offensive unit, replaced the front line with five other guys, and handled the opposing team's kick. And when we kicked off the ball, the ten freshest legs, plus Mike Park's golden boot took the field.

It cannot be overstated how well these guys came together! It was a fun season, and we all certainly enjoyed the outcomes. The coaches are all very proud of the way this team played, and we thank them for giving everything they had, and never letting up. Thank you to the parents for their support at home, and for filling the visitor's stands when we were on the road. Cheers to a great record at 5-1, and we are all looking forward to the season next year!

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