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Linsly Closes Out Home Slate With Loss To Kiski

By KIM NORTH 4 min read
Photo by Kim North Linsly’s George Mamakos (5) runs with the ball behind the blocking of Evan Cottrill (21) and Darryn McCormick (54) Saturday afternoon against Kiski. The cadets dropped a 45-8 decision.

WHEELING - Linsly’s Alumni Weekend/Senior Day festivities were dampened somewhat Saturday afternoon as undefeated Kiski Prep rolled into Fawcett Field at Lockhart Alumni Stadium and the Cougars kept that perfect mark intact.

Kiksi (9-0) completed its regular season with a convincing, 45-7, decision over the Cadets (3-6). The Keystone State squad racked up 343 yards in total offense while limiting Linsly to 106.

"Give our kids a ton of credit for playing as hard as they did for four quarters," Linsly head coach B.J. Depew said. "It definitely felt like we were outmanned. That's a very good football team we just played with a lot of good players."

Senior quarterback Joey Felistsky passed for 208 yards and four touchdowns on 15-of-21. He got the scoring started with a pair of six-point strikes to Omari Shirriel that covered six and 13 yards. William Lecomte was perfect on the first two of his six PATs. He also booted a 33-yard field goal.

Leading 14-0 after one quarter, the visitors tacked on 17 points in the second quarter to take a commanding 31-0 lead into the half. They scored on their first five drives of the game and converted six of their first seven third-down situations.

Felitsky connected with Noa Seyi Onobiono from 27 yards and Mason Jones ran in from 7.

Linsly started the second half with a bang as Tairee Smith recovered Chris Upton's onside kick at the Kiski 38. Half-a-dozen plays later, freshman quarterback R.J. Zitselsberger tossed a 5-yard scoring pass to George Mamakos in the right corner of the end zone. Zitzelsberger then found Upton for the two-point conversion.

Zitzelsberger, playing for starter Landon Cottrill who was injured in the first half and didn't return, had 17-yard completions to fellow frosh Evan Cottrill and Upton that keyed the drive.

"We got beat up a little bit today," Depew admitted. "A lot of kids did step up and come into the action of a very physical game. In the end, we lost too many man-to-man battles in key spots. We couldn't get any offense going, but I appreciate how we attacked the run. We had a hard time against the pass."

However, that would be the extent of the Cadets scoring.

"There is never any give-up in us," Depew stressed. "We battled and battled."

Jones added a 3-yard TD run and Felitsky found 6-7 wide receiver Greyson Daughey from 22.

Zitzelsberger finished 4-of-13 for 62 yards and the aforementioned TD. He also threw one of the three interceptions Kiski recorded. Linsly could only manage a mere 38 yards on 20 rushes.

Linsly completes its season Friday when it makes the more than 5-hour drive to Kingston, Pa., to face Wyoming Seminary.

GAME NOTE

- Former Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro linebacker James Harrison was in attendance. His two sons, James Harrison III and Henry Harrison played for Kiski.

Kiski 45, Linsly 8

Kiksi 14 17 7 7 - 45

Linsly 0 0 8 0 - 8

K-Shirriel 6 pass from Felitsky (Lecomte kick)

K-Shirriel 13 pass from Felitsky (Lecomte kick)

K-Onobino 27 pass from Felitsky (Lecomte kick)

K-Lecomte 33 field goal

K-Jones 7 run (Lecomte kick)

L-Mamakos 5 pass from Zitzelsberger (Upton pass from Zitzelsberger)

K-Jones 3 run (Lecomte kick)

K-Daughey 22 pass from Felitsky (Lecomte kick)

RUSHING: Kiski 35-126-2tds (Jones 25-90-2 tds, Crete 4-327, Felitsky 3-11, Eckenrode 2-1, Helmen 1-(-3). Linsly 20-38 (L. Cottrill 6-21, Mamakos 4-10, Troullos 5-6, Zitzelsberger 3-3, E. Cottrill 1-0, Kendjorsky 1-(02)

PASSING: Kiski 15-21-217-4tds (all by Felitsky). Linsly 6-21-68-td-3ints (Zitzelsberger 4-13-62-td-int, L. Cottrill 2-8-6-2ints)

RECEIVING: Kiski 15-217-4tds (Onobiono 4-71-td, Daughey 4-38-td, Shirriel 4-30-2tds, Wade 2-66; Johnson 1-9). Linsly 6-68-td (Upton 2-40; E. Cottrill 1-17, Mamakos 1-5-td, Smith 1-4, Troullos 1-2)

FIRST DOWNS: Kiski 17. Linsly 6

FUMBLES: Kiski 2-0. Linsly 0-0

PENALTIES: Kiski 2-15. Linsly 4-40

Starting at /week.