Suffice to say, Friday night’s game with North Shore Tech under the lights at Chelsea Stadium will not make the highlight reel of the Chelsea High football team’s 20100 campaign.
“I was very disappointed with the way we played,” is how CHS head coach Mike Stellato summed up his team’s 35-0 loss. “We just didn’t come ready to play. That is not to take anything away from No. Shore, which executed well and beat us in every phase of the game.”
The CHS gridsters had a hint that this might be a long night when a Red Devil ballcarrier fumbled on the first play from scrimmage to set up No. Shore at the CHS 25, from where they eventually scored on a third and goal from five yards out.
A three-and-out for Chelsea after the ensuing kickoff gave Tech the ball at the CHS 40 after the punt. Six plays later, another third and goal play led to a TD and a score of 13-0.
Chelsea regrouped on its next possession and moved the ball from its own 30 into Tech territory, but a nice play by a Tech defensive end, who snared a Red Devil pass, resulted in a 60 yard jaunt into the endzone and a 21-0 Tech lead.
Tech added a fourth TD before the half ended on an 85 yard drive after a Juan Martinez booming punt appeared to have pinned Tech deep in its own end.
No. Shore tacked on a TD in the fourth quarter for the 35-0 finale.
“The early turnovers really killed us, as has been the case many times this season,” said Stellato, whose squad now stands at 3-6. Despite the defeat, Stellato lauded the individual efforts of linebackers Brayan Blanco and Walter Cortez, defensive tackle Andy Rath, and defensive end Rony Gomez.
Stellato and his crew will seek to end the season on an upbeat note when they travel to Northeast Regional Vocational School Saturday morning to take on their archrival from the Commonwealth Athletic Conference. Kickoff time is 10:30.