Apollo-Ridge stays unbeaten with rout of Burrell

By: George Guido
Friday, September 25, 2020 | 10:42 PM

Apollo-Ridge might be 3-0 and has outscored the opposition 148-22, but coach John Skiba is still looking to improve some things.

The Vikings on Friday night got 293 passing yards from Jake Fello and 10 receptions for 200 yards from Klay Fitzroy to rout Burrell, 56-8, in a nonconference encounter at Owens Field.

“The point is, we’re still messing things up,” Skiba said when asked about his team taking big early leads. “I lose my mind a lot of times because we mess up little things here, and if we played real clean, things would out of hand get early.”

An interception by senior Dom Reiter set up the first Vikings touchdown.

Apollo-Ridge went 54 yards in four plays, with Harmon finding a huge hole on the right side for a 19-yard run. A 27-yard reception by Nick Curci set up the score.

“That was a huge flip because they had a little bit of momentum and were marching down the field, chipping away at things and getting us to jump offsides and get yards that way,” Skiba said.

After stopping the Bucs on downs, the Vikings needed just two plays to score again. Fitzroy outwrestled Nijere Floyd for a pass near the 20 and broke loose for 57-yard touchdown.

“I thought we played pretty well early,” Burrell coach Shawn Liotta said. “Defensively, I thought we limited the running back (Logan Harmon), and that was the plan coming in. They’re a good football team, and we got hit with injuries to our playmakers.”

Bucs wide receiver Ian Durci suffered an ankle injury, and defensive back/kicker Drew Oriat and receiver Justin Ulizio also were hurt.

Said Liotta: “That’s not an excuse, but you have playmakers go out of the game early like that, you have to change your gameplan.”

Apollo-Ridge took a 21-0 lead with 5 minutes, 14 seconds left in the half when Fitzroy scored on a 9-yard catch.

To typify how the night was going for the Vikings, on a fourth-and-2 at the Burrell 10, Fello dropped the snap, but the ball bounced back into his hands, and he ran for the first down. Two plays later, Curci broke to his left for a touchdown and a 28-0 lead at halftime.

Burrell’s only score came when Caden DiCaprio swept left for a 4-yard run. With kicker Oriat hurt, Burrell converted a 2-point conversion when Alex Arledge passed to Justin Ulizio.

Arledge passed for 168 yards and has 2,919 career passing yards. DiCaprio finished with 87 rushing yards, and A.J. Corrado caught nine passes for 158 yards.

Burrell linebacker Josh Boak recorded a pair of sacks. The Bucs still lead Apollo-Ridge, 18-14, in the all-time series.

Vikings freshman quarterback Carter Schrock directed a five-play scoring drive late, and freshman Alex Wurmb sealed it with a 30-yard pass interception return.

Harmon picked up 54 rushing yards and played his usual stellar game on defense.

“We’ve had three good weeks of defense in a row,” Skiba said. “Our kids are so much more mature and nasty and tough.”

Apollo-Ridge will have next weekend off since Summit Academy opted out of the season. The Vikings will play Shady Side Academy on Oct. 9. A win would tie Skiba with the late Harry Rollinson, Apollo-Ridge’s leader in coaching victories with 56.

Burrell has a difficult assignment Friday against North Catholic at the Mars Athletic Complex.

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Burrell