AMHERST, OHIO– When head coach Mike Passerrello took over the Amherst Comets football program prior to the 2017 season, he said he wanted to change the culture and get back to winning.
There is no doubt that over the last 10 weeks, Passerrello and the Comets took a huge step in the right direction. With a 41-0 win on senior night over the Westlake Demons, Amherst ends the year with a 6-4 record.
It is the first winning season the Comets have had since 2010 when they went 8-2, and just barely missed a trip to playoffs. To put that into perspective, the last time the Comets won more than three games, the 2017 seniors were just beginning their fifth grade year.
“I think it means a lot for the program, hopefully it is the jump-start it needed and that we continue moving forward from here and build off of it,” Passerrello said. “I think we’ve taken the right steps, we’re headed in the right direction and the big thing is that these seniors set it that way and now it’s up to the underclassmen to keep it moving forward the right way.”
The Comets did plenty of moving on Friday night, as Evan Shawver started off the game with a 53-yard kickoff return. Amherst scored their first touchdown on that same drive when running back Khennedy Scagliozzo completed a 20-yard run to put the Comets up 7-0 in the first three minutes.
After a three-and-out from the Demons, Amherst scored on the first play of their second drive of the game when Scagliozzo broke at least three tackles (and even more ankles) on his way to a 46-yard touchdown run.
In the second quarter, the Comets scored in the opening seconds to expand their lead to 21-0 on a touchdown pass from Scagliozzo to Devin Holmes from 20 yards out. As Westlake appeared to get a little more momentum on their next drive, the Amherst defense came up with a huge interception from Nathan Soto at the Amherst 25-yard line to get the ball back.
20 yd TD pass from Scagliozzo to Devin Holmes here at the beginning of the 2Q. @SteeleComets lead @DemonAthletics 21-0 with 11:02 remaining in the half @NEOSportsInside pic.twitter.com/AL29RGSNh3
— Ashley Bastock (@AshleyBastock42) October 27, 2017
“When they started moving the ball a little bit, our defense kind of strapped up and we forced them to make mistakes and we just got them off the field,” Scagliozzo said.
“Defensively they battled, they were bend but don’t break at times.” Passerrello said of the Comets’ overrall defensive effort. “Whether it was Evan Shawver making plays, to Nathan Soto on the edge, they played as a unit, and they’ve come a long way.”
The interception paid off as junior quarterback Matt Fairchild connected with Soto for a 59-yard touchdown pass with three minutes to go in the half, giving the Comets a 28-0 lead at the break. Fairchild went 2-for-3 passing for the Comets with 57 total yards.
Amherst continued to roll in the third quarter, causing the Demons to turn the ball over on downs in the first drive of the half. On the first play of Amherst’s drive, Scagliozzo once again rolled over the Demon defense with a 55-yard touchdown run. After a botched snap that forced the Comets to take a rushed two-point conversion attempt that was no good, Amherst had a safe 34-0 lead with 8:32 remaining in the quarter that would keep the clock running for the remainder of the contest.
The final score of the game came with just over eight minutes to play in the fourth quarter when Aaron Gonzalez ran the ball in from nine yards out, ballooning the score to 41-0.
.@SteeleComets Aaron Gonzalez completes 9 yd TD run. Comets up over Westlake 41-0 with 8:13 remaining in the game @NEOSportsInside pic.twitter.com/9rtOlTzXSw
— Ashley Bastock (@AshleyBastock42) October 28, 2017
While there were few highlights for the Demons, they were lead by quarterback Jacob May who went 8-of-25 passing for 106 yards, and James Coleman who ended the game with 107 yards on 18 carries.
As he has done all year, however, Scagliozzo carried the Amherst offense. He finished the night with three touchdowns on the ground and 213 yards on 15 carries. He also went 2-for-2 passing with 32 yards and had one more touchdown through the air.
“Khennedy is, as I said before, a special football player, and we’re very happy to have him as a part of our program,” Passerrello said. “He’s not just a great athlete, but he’s a great kid and a great leader.”
That leadership is evident in talking with Scagliozzo after the game, who credited the Comets’ offensive line, saying that they are the reason the Comets are able to “set our big runs.” It was also clearly a big deal for the junior to help send out the Comet seniors with a win.
“They come out everyday at practice, some of them it’s the last game they’re ever going to play and it’s good we sent them out on a good note,” Scagliozzo said.
The win tonight will likely not be enough for the Comets to make the playoffs, as they currently sit on the cusp of Division II, Region 6. Regardless of their final standing however, it’s clear that the Comets have made strides in the right direction during the 2017 season.
“Six wins is great,” Scagliozzo said. “I think closer games next year we’ll actually know how to win games and it will help us out.”
“I’m happy for the seniors, I’m happy for the team, they worked their butts off this offseason and it was a great ending to a nice season,” Passserrello said. “These juniors have to keep it going the right way. There’s some juniors coming back that I hope their leadership this offseason will move it forward.”
PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Junior running back Khennedy Scagliozzo continued to impress as he has done all year. His four total touchdowns accounted for a majority of the Comet scores, as he ended the game with three touchdowns on the ground and 213 yards on 15 carries. He also went 2-for-2 passing with one touchdown and 32 yards.
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