By Larry Moko
You could call them plays of the Centur-ami.
Andrew Centurami and his younger brother, Carmen, each made outstanding individual efforts to help the Bishop Ryan Celtics defeat the visiting St. Thomas More Knights, 19-3, in senior high school football action Friday.
Andrew, a Grade 12 wide receiver, caught a six-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jack Redmond in the fourth quarter. But that wasn't his only special grab. He piled up over 100 receiving yards, including two acrobatic catches in traffic while tip-toeing the sideline.
Oh, and he also intercepted a pass while filling in as a defensive back.
As for Carmen, BR's Grade 11 starting safety, he intercepted a pass and made tacklers miss while returning it 95 yards. It was a critical play because the Knights had the momentum, trailing by only four points at the time. A few plays after that, Andrew hauled in the TD toss with 3:24 remaining that made the score 13-3.
"Andrew made some circus catches and Carmen ( two interceptions against More) is really coming into his own as a safety," Celtics coach Jim Davies said.
"They are students of the game who know their positions and are always ready."
The outcome improved first-place BR's record to 5-0 in the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic standings and dropped More to 3-2. Elsewhere, the St. Mary Crusaders topped the St. Jean de Brebeuf Braves, 21-7, and the Bishop Tonnos Titans downed the St. John Henry Newman Cardinals, 24-10.
Including two interceptions by Luca Underhill, the Celtics defence picked off five passes in total.
Said Davies: "Our defence won the day," Davies said. "More is always tough, physical and well-coached."
Bishop Ryan opened the scoring in the first quarter on a three-yard touchdown run by Jesse Vaccarella. It resulted from a pitchout -- the same play BR called when Vaccarella gained 18 and 15 yards earlier in the drive.
A 20-yard pass reception by Ben Kingston then set the stage for Vaccarella's first of two visits to the end zone.
More got on the scoreboard thanks to a 32-yard field goal by Adrian Klindzic-Dovial in the second quarter.
Vaccarella capped the scoring with a five-yard touchdown run with 33 seconds remaining.
"It's a team win," Andrew said. "We all work hard -- offence, defence and special teams."
More's best chance to take the lead came on a rush up the middle by Andrew Melville-Cryer and Marc Lobo which blocked a Celtics punt. The Knights took over on the BR 35-yard line, trailing, 7-3, in the final quarter. But a turnover snuffed out that scoring opportunity.
"Too many mistakes throughout the game," Knights coach Claudio Silvestri said. "When you play a team of that calibre, you can't turn the ball over. The number (of TOs) had to be in double digits.
"We're disappointed. We let them off the hook with multiple mistakes and turnovers."
The More coach said BR "earned" many of those possession takeaways, however.
"We were up against a great opponent," he said. "They're undefeated and deserve to be. We congratulate them, but the real season starts in two weeks."
Semifinal playoffs for both Tier 1 and Tier 2 teams begin Oct. 31. The fifth, sixth and seventh-place finishers are considered Tier 2.
Photos by Richard Andoga
More photos on HWCDSB Athletics Facebook page
