Stingy Palatine stifles New Trier for 34-14 win
y Dick Quagliano
With a harvest moon hanging over Chic Anderson Field, Palatine was able to reap another win.
The Pirates dominated play on both sides of the ball Friday and plowed under New Trier 34-14.
"We have a nice group of seniors with a nice supporting cast," Palatine coach Corey Olson said. "I thought we executed well on both sides of the ball. We ran and threw the ball well. We were pretty stout against their run."
Palatine piled up 415 yards of offense. The Pirates had 241 of those on the ground thanks to the blocking upfront by Parker Brault, Nick Gawaluch, Dylan Sarg, Adam Heikkinen and Ryan Kick.
Palatine (3-0) was stingy with the football, especially in the first half. The Pirates ran 38 plays to the Trevians 13 as Palatine built a 20-0 lead at the half.
Nate Branch scored on a pair of 1-yard runs. The first capped a 15-play, 80-yard drive and the second was a 13-play, 89-yard drive.
The Pirates finished the half with Grant Dersnah throwing a 10-yard screen pass for a touchdown to TJ Luckett.
"It really feels good out there, especially with a win," said Dersnah, who was 13-of-18 for 174 yards while rushing for another 76 yards.
"We had a really nice start. Especially when we can put the ball in on every drive. We have a lot of experience, especially on the perimeter."
Palatine added another long drive early in the third quarter to make it 27-0. Dominick Ball busted off a 5-yard run.
New Trier (0-3) added a pair of second-half scores as Palatine began to substitute later in the game. Patrick Heneghen has a 5-yard run. He also threw a 79-yard touchdown pass to Miles Cremascoli.
Sandwiched between those was a pick-6 for Palatine. Thomas Coroneos had a 32-yard interception return.
"We had a good week of preparation this week," said Coroneos, who also had 5 receptions for 74 yards.
"Even though we had a big win last week, we weren't happy about it. Humble and hungry is what our coach keeps saying to us. And we are just looking for next weekend."