Collier, Saints improve to 3-0

Collier, Saints improve to 3-0

Averin Collier ran for 207 yards and three touchdowns as Churchville-Chili held off a stubborn Hilton team 40-29 in high school football.

"Our motto this year is team punishment," said Collier following the game. "We want to run the ball and we have a strong line up front doing the job."

Hilton began the game with an 82-yard drive, most of which came on four consecutive plays netting 68 yards - three of them running plays by Jeff DeLong. He capped the drive with a 14-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead.

After Collier scored from seven yards out to tie the game, the Cadets got a break when a roughing the passer penalty nullified an interception. Hilton capitalized when quarterback Alex Coffey ran 17 yards on the option to again put Hilton up by seven points at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter on third and seven, Saints senior Justin Hasselkus ran a reverse in for a touchdown from 28 yards out to again tie the score. On their next possession Collier gave C-C the lead with a 46-yard touchdown run on fourth and two.

On the ensuing kickoff, a Hilton fumble was recovered by Brian Briggs and, five Collier runs later, the Saints had a 28-14 lead at half-time.

Junior kicker Matt Szczupakowski then built the lead to 34-21 with 46-yard and 37-yard field goals. Hilton returned fire with a Coffey to Andy Eichas touchdown pass to cut the lead to 34-21, but the Saints Nathan Boland scored from 14 yards out. The Cadets finished the scoring as the clock wound down on a touchdown run and two-point conversion by DeLong for the final points of the game.

"This is by far the strongest team that I have ever had," said 15-year head coach Paul Dick. "We had seven juniors power clean 200 pounds for 30 reps in our preseason weight work. It has taken time to build tradition, but I think we've now established here what I hope will be a perennial winner."

DeLong ran for 179 yards on 24 carries for the Cadets, Coffey was 8-21 and 120 yards passing. For Churchville-Chili, Collier ran for 207 yards on 22 carries while Joey Yanitis led the defense with eight tackles.