St. Joseph football makes it look easy against Detroit's Cass Tech
YOUNGSTOWN (Ohio) – Will Barbieri wasn’t sure which season-opening road trip he enjoyed more, but they both ended just the way he wanted: with convincing wins for St. Joseph Regional.
“I can’t really choose,” said the Green Knights junior safety. “I loved both.”
A week after going down to North Carolina and posting an impressive win over Christ School, the Green Knights went west to Ohio Saturday and pounded Michigan power Cass Tech, 49-14, at Stambaugh Stadium on the campus of Youngstown State.
The Green Knights scored touchdowns on five straight possessions in the first half, with quarterback Patrick Grusser throwing for three and running for one. St. Joe’s also forced two turnovers and blocked a punt in the second half with Jovon Williams scooping it up and running it back 11 yards.
“I like the way we’re playing, we’re playing fast,” said Green Knights coach Dan Marangi. “I like the way we are getting after it. I told them to be relentless in everything we do.”
Cass Tech features standout quarterback/receiver Corey Sadler Jr. but the Green Knights defense held him in check except for one burst in the first half, when he caught three passes on a single drive to set up a score.
What it means
The Green Knights, No. 2 in the USA Today Network New Jersey Non-Public Top 10, are 2-0 and may have fixed a porous defense that was their undoing last year. Last year, the Green Knights allowed 14 or less points only twice all season. This year it’s already happened twice.
All throughout the off-season, Marangi said improving the defense was the goal. Saturday, they only allowed 164 yards and one score – Cass Tech’s other TD came on a kickoff return.
“Everyone wants to run to the ball,” said Barbieri. “Last year, I don’t really think we had that. Our defense is really flying around making plays.”
Marangi is pleased, but said there’s still work to do.
“I think just the attitude they are playing with, play fast, play physical, that’s what we want our M.O. to be,” Marangi said. “We have a long way to go. I like what I have seen so far, but we have to clean up some of the fundamentals, and if we don’t clean it up it will come back to bite us.”
Turning point
There was an interesting sequence early in the second quarter with St. Joe’s up 21-0 and Cass Tech going for it on fourth-and-one at their own 29. First the Technicians (yes, that’s their nickname) tried to get the Green Knights to jump offsides. Then they called timeout.
Cass Tech got back out on the field and then the Green Knights called timeout. During the break, Marangi told the defense to watch for Sadler Jr. on a quarterback iso. Sure enough, Sadler Jr. tried to run but Green Knights star defensive back Jahmir Joseph cut him down for a loss. A few plays later Yasin Willis scored to make it 28-0 for St. Joe’s.
The scene
Marangi said after the game that Green Knights talented wide receiver John Forster was held out with an injury, but would be back next week.
Back-up quarterback Monte Krkuti threw a touchdown pass to Mekhi Rossignol in the third quarter.
The Green Knights are 2-0 for the first time since 2019.
This was St. Joe’s first trip for a game to Ohio since 2014 when they lost to St. Edward 42-0.
Up next
The Green Knights finally return home to face rival Don Bosco Saturday at Karcich Field. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.
“It’s always a fight,” Marangi said about facing a school where he was a defensive coordinator for almost two decades. “It will go down to the wire and be a physical, smashmouth game.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: St. Joe's Montvale NJ football takes care of Detroit's Cass Tech
