Announcement
Dominic Monaco Sets The Tone For Buckeye (9/17/2016)
FAIRVIEW PARK — Coming into Friday night’s game, Buckeye’s Dominic Monaco had 8 yards rushing on a handful of carries at the varsity level. Making his first start against Fairview, the sophomore running back proved he can do much, much more. Monaco set the tone early and, with the help of his teammates, made quick work of the Warriors en route to a 43-7 victory in a Patriot Athletic Conference cross-division game. “It felt really good,” the lanky 10th-grader said after rushing for 153 yards on just eight carries. “We have a lot of guys down and the coaches keep saying at practice that we need more people stepping up. Without three starters — quarterback Adam Fauver and wideouts Jonathon Neel and Justin Canedy are sidelined with various injuries — Monaco was one of several underclassman that filled in.
As senior Michael Doerge (12 carries, 95 yards, 3 TDs) continued to fill in at quarterback and continued to have success breaking tackles, it was the crafty 6-foot-1, 185-pound Monaco that was sprinting on sweeps to the outside like a savvy veteran as he recorded two touchdowns. Not too shabby for his first start. “I can’t even put it into words,” Monaco said. “It’s really what I have dreamed up my whole football career and it’s finally here. It’s nice to play with my family and brothers. “You can’t see it from the standpoint that I did, but every time I got the ball, there were wide-open holes and so much room to run. That’s a credit to our line.” It took less than 4 minutes for Monaco to pick up his first touchdown, a 9-yard run that gave the Bucks a 7-0 lead. He scored again midway through the second on a short 2-yard dive but, like any player, he was disappointed in the one that got away.
Following a fumble return for a touchdown by Fairview’s Josh Filkill from 36 yards away, which cut the Buckeye lead to 14-7, Monaco raced 80 yards on the Bucks’ first play from scrimmage, but got chased down at the 2-yard line. That left it to Doerge to pick up the second of his three scores on the night on the next snap. “I wish I could’ve got that play back,” Monaco said with a laugh. “I was just trucking once I got to the 5 and just got caught. There’s nothing I can do about it. I’m just glad Doerge punched it in.” Monaco had only two more carries, the final touch leading to a 2-yard score late in the second, before the game was taken over by Buckeye backups.
Monaco wasn’t the only fresh-faced sophomore to make an impact, as Anthony Watkins had 54 yards on nine carries as the Bucks outrushed Fairview 368-27. Credit that lack of offense by the Warriors to a defense that was all over the place, including senior Cody Jackson picking up a pair of sacks and a host of others picking up tackles for negative yardage or hurrying Filkill in the pocket. Filkill finished with 35 yards on 4-for-11 passing. The Bucks had dual quarterbacks for most of the night as Doerge and teammate Eric Keller combined to go 3-for-4 passing and keep the offense moving. But it was those youngsters making key plays on both sides of the ball that helped Buckeye to its third straight win.
We’re asking sophomores to do stuff that they normally don’t do and those young men are doing a great job,” said Buckeye coach Mark Pinzone, who also credited the play of junior Turner Mitchell on the line. “It says a lot about our kids. They’re willing to step up, wanting to step up and waiting to step up ready to go.”
Contact Dan Brown at sports@medina-gazette.com.
