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Dunkirk rebounds from loss, handles Lake Shore, 32-22

Marauders win

Dunkirk quarterback Phil Messina scrambles away from pressure during Friday’s game. OBSERVER Photo by Justin Goetz.

Coming into the game losing two of their most important players and leaders, the pressure for the Dunkirk Marauders to succeed on Friday fell on quarterback Phil Messina, Chris Ortiz, and the plethora of sophomores the Marauders field. Coach Mike Sarratori knew that his team needed to play above their age to come away victorious in this one.

For a majority of the game, his team played strong — and despite letting up at the end, Dunkirk still held on for the win.

The Marauders came out on top of their third game of the season, with a 32-22 win over the Lake Shore Eagles at Karl Hoeppner Field on Friday night.

“Our young kids played like they had experience. We slipped on our intensity late in the game, we slipped on assignments, and we played like a young team,” Sarratori said.

The first half was very much in favor of the Marauders. Facing an early 4th-and-2 at their own 36, the Marauders showed they aren’t afraid to take risks, and they were rewarded extending their opening drive. Although, the drive stalled shortly after.

Dunkirk’s Chris Ortiz carries during Friday’s game. OBSERVER Photo by Justin Goetz.

Their next drive was more successful.

After the Marauders forced back-to-back sacks on Lake Shore’s first drive, one of which by Mark Milliman, the Eagles were forced to punt. Dunkirk’s Angel Rios decided he wanted to start closer.

“We wanted to get Angel more involved in the offense this week, and he did a nice job with that. He’s a junior that shows a lot of leadership. We’re going to keep giving him more opportunities to help us,” Sarratori said.

Rios ran the punt 36 yards, down to the Lake Shore 12-yard line. Christian Ortiz would finish the job, punching it in from the 8-yard line, with Rios punching in the two point conversion.

When Lake Shore took back over, Milliman made sure the Marauders defense stood tall again, forcing another sack an incomplete pass to stall out another Lake Shore drive.

Dunkirk’s Angel Rios carries during Friday’s game against Lake Shore in Dunkirk. OBSERVER Photo by Justin Goetz.

Despite a big completion from Messina to Rios, the Marauder drive stalled again, as the teams went back and forth for another few minutes.

This time, it was Jamari Terry, a Marauder sophomore, who broke through.

“Terry was always one of the three guys in the mix. He had more opportunities tonight, and he’s a really athletic kid,” Sarratori said.

After the Marauders forced another punt, the Marauders took over at the Lake Shore 33, when Terry had a nice carry for five yards.

But he wanted more.

OBSERVER Photo by Justin Goetz Dunkirk’s Mark Milliman returns the opening kickoff of Friday’s game between the Dunkirk Marauders and the Lake Shore Eagles at Dunkirk High School. The Marauders defeated the Eagles by a score of 32-22.

On the ensuing second and five, Terry found a hole and made a man miss, scampering in from 28 yards, and converting the 2-point conversion as well, giving the Marauders a 16-0 lead. Missing having Earl Stewart in the backfield, the sophomore Terry made the void a little smaller.

Lake Shore would get on the board late in the first half, as they blocked a Marauder punt and started a possession at the Dunkirk 4-yard line. It took them all four downs, but quarterback Mike Neary started to take the ball up the middle, when he decided the outside was more open and found enough room to reach the endzone, putting Lake Shore on the board, 16-6.

Dunkirk would run out the remainder of the first half and walked into halftime with that 16-6 lead.

With a good first half in the rear view, the Marauders cruised in the second half, including scoring 16 points in the third quarter.

Lake Shore was looking efficient on their opening drive, but quarterback Mike Neary went down injured, forcing tight end Thomas Michael under center. Facing a 4th-and-28, the Eagles attempted a fake punt and were stopped just short as Thomas made a 26 yard reception.

The Marauders made quick work from there. After Messina hit Ahlstrom for 25 yards on the run, Ortiz ran it in from 19 yards for his second score of the game, with Messina running in the 2-point conversion, giving the Marauders a 24-6.

Lake Shore ran the kick off all the way to the Marauder 48, and after a solid gain on first down, Neary, back in the game, tried a swing past to his left that was behind his target, and on the ground.

It was Milliman who would capitalize.

“The defense played a solid game overall. We slipped a little in the second half, which hurt us. Mark played a great game,” Sarratori said.

Called a fumble on the backward pass, Milliman went 50 yards for the scoop and score. Messina found Rios for the extra two, extending the lead to 32-6.

The Eagles gave it their best effort in the fourth quarter, as they were able to pick up their second score of the game.

Chris Ortiz picked off Michael early in the fourth, but the Marauders gave the ball right back as Rios is the one who coughed it up.

It was Jordan Kosnik who found the end zone after a seven yard score, with Michael punching in the extra two, making the score 32-14.

The Eagles kept the pressure on, as they recovered an onside kick following their touchdown, and after a 21 yard evasive run by Kosnik, the Eagles were threatening again.

The Marauders defense held strong again, with some assistance by a guy starting in a new position.

“We had a sophomore playing defensive end for the first time in his life, Champ Texidor, and he did a heck of a job. It’s impressive,” Sarratori said.

The Marauders, thanks in part to more disruption from Texidor and Milliman, forced another fourth and out, but on the ensuing drive, the Marauders gave the ball back to the Eagles again.

Faced with another short field, the Marauder defense bent one final time, as Thomas found receiver Nate Styles through the hands of both a Marauder and an Eagle to make the score 32-22, but with only a minute remaining on the clock, Dunkirk was able to recover the onside kick to close out the game.

Though they played strong for a majority of the game, Sarratori knows his team needs to be a little less sloppy at the end.

“We have to stopped making inexperienced mistakes and stop killing ourselves with stupid penalties and putting the ball on the ground. This one was a little harder than it had to be,” Sarratori said.

With another week to fix those mistakes in practice, the Marauders will take their 2-1 record with them on the long trip up to Medina for a 7 p.m. kick-off against the Mustangs. It will be Medina’s homecoming game.

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