PENDLETON — Thursday marked the beginning of a new era for Starpoint football, but it wasn’t the start the team was looking for.
The Spartans struggled to contain a multi-faceted West Seneca East rushing attack, as they dropped their season and home opener 42-14 on Thursday night in a Class B1 divisional matchup.
“It was a humbling experience,” said first-year head coach Jay Baumann. “They attacked the ball, we didn’t. We let them set the pace and we struggled to corral.”
The Spartans were very much in the game with just under three minutes to play in the second quarter. West Seneca East’s Kyler Monterro and Starpoint’s Keanu Laughton had exchanged 1-yard touchdown rushes to make the score 7-7 as halftime neared.
Then, within minutes, the Trojans took control.
Two touchdowns in just over two minutes, the first a 25-yard sprint from Eric Johnson on a jet sweep and the second a 24-yard connection from quarterback DJ Benker to receiver Joey Molnar, suddenly gave the Trojans a 21-7 lead they would take into halftime.
“Things went down, other guys trying to do other people’s jobs,” Baumann said on the Trojans’ two quick scores before halftime. “That’s not what we coach here, so we’ve got to correct it and we will.”
The Trojans continued to use their dynamic running attack to build their lead in the second half, as Johnson and Monterro both tallied their second rushing scores of the game. A late touchdown pass from Benker to Frank Pacitti rounded out the Trojans’ scoring and gave them their largest lead at 42-7.
Whether it was direct snaps, jet sweeps or misdirection, West Seneca East found success, totaling over 250 yards on the ground by the game’s end.
“West Seneca East is known for the run game, they’re kind of funky,” Baumann said. “Getting them Week 1 is typically when you want to see them, just because you have extra time to prep for it. But hats off to them, they came out and they played hard.”
The Spartans underwent significant roster turnover from last season, requiring many young players to step up into key roles – including starting quarterback David Chase, who saw limited action last year at the helm of the Starpoint offense.
Chase had an up-and-down night, but a late touchdown drive gave the Spartans a consolation and something to build on. The junior quarterback connected with receiver Kyle Kuhns for a 34-yard touchdown with just over a minute left to cap off the scoring.
Chase finished 6 of 16, eclipsing 100 yards to go with his lone touchdown and an interception. His top target was receiver Brady Crissman, who tallied four receptions for 71 yards.
“He’s young, he’s learning,” Baumann said of his starting quarterback. “He’s got to hit his back foot and rip it. He was trying to see stuff open rather than anticipate and throw, and that’ll get corrected.”
Fortunately for Baumann and his team, there’s still a long season ahead, and he’s hopeful his team will use this opening loss as fuel going forward.
“West Seneca East is celebrating on our field and that’s sacred, you can’t allow that to happen,” Baumann said. “So, use that feeling, and understand that work needs to be done. I hope our kids don’t become comfortable.”
The Spartans will look to rebound next week when they head on the road to face Lew-Port, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. on Sept. 12.