Diesel Change QBs, Get Back In Win Column Posted: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 10:38 am By Sam Wilson The Southern Tier Diesel made a change at quarterback, but its defense led the way Saturday night to a 20-2 win over the Chautauqua County Stampede. Coach J.R. Bennion went with Zach Smith under center after the team went 1-1 in two games with John Evener. “We made a change and we’ll evaluate it as we go along,” Bennion said. “We wanted to give Zach a chance and see if that was the click we needed on offense.” Smith, of Bradford, Pa., threw a touchdown to Pat Folland in the fourth quarter to pad the Diesel’s lead, but also threw a pair of interceptions. “He’s a green quarterback,” Bennion said. “He played well for his first game. “He made some mental mistakes, but we’re looking to improve on that and get the offense going. We had a lot of good drives that we just didn’t finish. It’s there, but we’re just not finishing.” The Stampede’s only points on the night came at the end of the fourth quarter on a safety. “The defense had a shutout,” Bennion said. “The only two points came from the offense. “They played (with) a good bend-but-don’t-break philosophy.” Bennion commended his defensive unit for making three fourth-down stands, two of which were near the goal line, but said his team still has some kinks to work out. “(There were) a couple of times where the special teams had some breakdowns,” he said. “But the defense stood the test.” Bennion said his running defense has improved over the season’s first three games, while the passing defense has maintained a high level of play. “We did give up a couple more middle runs again that we need to stop,” he admitted. “Defensively, we can always improve to take us to the next level.” The Diesel defense produced eight points Saturday, with Dave Filighera sacking Chautauqua County’s quarterback for a third-quarter safety and Roger Wangelin recovering a fumble and returning it for a 40-yard touchdown in the fourth. Running back Anthony Poole gave the Diesel a 6-0 lead in the second quarter with a 20-yard touchdown run. Starting cornerback Cliff Stewart went down with an injury and could miss another week or more, according to Bennion. The Diesel now moves into what Bennion calls the “meat of the schedule,” with four consecutive games against NFA Western Conference Division A teams. Saturday, they travel to face the Buffalo Gladiators at Orchard Park High School. Each of the teams (Buffalo, the Nickel City Kings, WNY Dragons and Lyndonville Tigers) draw talent from more densely populated areas that those in the Diesel’s division. “Laws of statistics tell us larger areas (have) more players, more depth, high level teams,” Bennion said. “It’s the same reason they divide high school.” But Bennion has a deep Diesel roster compared to previous years. “I believe fully that we’ll compete with these teams,” he said. “Our numbers have sustained: you’ve got guys that don’t get a lot of playing time, guys that play particularly on special teams, and they’re sticking with it, which makes everybody better.”
Posted on: Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:49:29 +0000
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