SPORTS

Colonia rolls over Perth Amboy 35-14

Ken Weingartner
Correspondent

PERTH AMBOY – When the guys in the trenches are doing their jobs, life is especially good for Colonia.

Behind the blocking of offensive linemen Anthony Nystrom, Jimmy Becker, Billy Fitzsimmons, Brian McGovern and Michael Quinn, the Patriots rolled up 302 yards in the first half Friday night on their way to a 35-14 win at Perth Amboy in the Greater Middlesex Conference White Division.

Sam Pero ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns while quarterback Tenny Adewusi ran for a TD and threw for a score as Colonia, the No. 5-ranked team in The Home News Tribune Top 10, improved to 3-0.

"I was really pleased with our execution," Patriots coach Tom Roarty said. "We came out and played a real clean game. Offensively, the line is blocking real well. When the line is blocking real well, when they're moving people, then play-calling gets easier. The line has really come together. They do a nice job.

"Defensively, we're playing well. We have a new defensive scheme and the kids are starting to get that."

Colonia's fast-paced offense was forced to punt on the game's opening possession, but Perth Amboy muffed the punt and Tyler Santos recovered the ball for the Patriots at the 3. On the next snap, Pero ran it in from there.

The Patriots scored on their next four positions, on drives of 49, 83, 63 and 73 yards.

Adewusi completed 7 of 8 passes for 107 yards. He connected with Bryce Barneys on a 53-yard touchdown pass on Colonia's final scoring drive, hitting a wide open Barneys on stride at the Perth Amboy 20. The toss followed three short completions to Pharoah Napoleon, who in the first quarter caught a 9-yard TD pass.

"We just try to get the ball in our playmakers' hands and let them make plays," Adewusi said. "Bryce Barneys ran a great route and got open; I saw him put his hand up. The line blocked great, I had about seven seconds to throw the ball. I just launched it up to him and he made a great play."

Colonia's offensive starters didn't play in the second half.

"I was happy about the fact that everyone got to play," Adewusi said. "Those guys that stand on the sidelines and cheer on the starters the whole game, they got to play and the starters got to cheer them on. That's great. That's when you become a family as a team."

Perth Amboy (0-2) put together two scoring drives in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Manny Saucedo threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Shaquan Fullwood and ran for a 1-yard TD.

"It's something to build on," Panthers coach Brad Bishop said. "It's huge, especially for the younger guys to get out there and compete in front of their families and friends. It's just momentum going into next week. It's a positive, and I always try to look for positives with them. They're a great bunch of kids. They gave me 110 percent all night.

"They didn't get down on each other, kids didn't quit," Panthers coach Brad Bishop said. "Where we're at right now, we've got to play mistake-free football. We made a bunch of mistakes tonight, which are correctable. It's a work in progress and we're making strides every day."

COLONIA (3-0) 14-21-0-0-35

PERTH AMBOY (0-2) 0-0-0-14-14

SCORING SUMMARY

C – Pero 3 run (Ribeiro kick)

C – Napoleon 9 pass from Adewusi (Ribeiro kick)

C – Adewusi 11 run (Ribeiro kick)

C – Pero 11 run (Ribeiro kick)

C – B. Barneys 53 pass from Adewusi (Ribeiro kick)

PA – Fullwood 31 pass from Saucedo (run failed)

PA – Saucedo 1 run (Fullwood pass from Saucedo)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing - C: Pero 14-104, Adewusi 7-67, Benedicks 5-26, B. Barneys 2-24, C. Barneys 1-7, Corbett 1-minus 2, Martinez 1-minus 6; PA: Hannah 5-50, McMillian 11-31, Nazario 2-16, Saucedo 5-5, Law 2-0.

Passing - C: Adewusi 7-8-0-107; PA: Saucedo 10-21-0-122, Law 1-1-0-37.

Receiving - C: Napoleon 5-21, B. Barneys 1-53, Cardona 1-33; PA: Fullwood 4-79, McMillian 2-6, Nazario 1-37, White 1-18, Hannah 1-9, Marquez 1-6, Medina 1-4.