Pinzka’s five TDs lead LC over Indians

by Dennis Weller, Special to the Pottstown Mercury

Posted on September 30, 2007

AMBLER — It took the fired-up Upper Perkiomen offense just four plays to score at the beginning of Saturday night's battle between the last two undefeated football teams in the Pioneer Athletic Conference.

But Lansdale Catholic countered with a touchdown of its own on only one play, and that set the tone for the night.

The high-powered Crusader offense piled up 44 points in the first half behind the passing of Shane Pinzka, the receiving of Mickey Kahrs and Jim Kelly, and the running of John Howell.

That was enough to put the running clock into effect for the entire second half and LC rolled to a 58-14 win at Wissahickon High School.

"We came out like gangbusters. We looked great in the beginning," said Upper Perk coach Keith Leamer. "Then it seemed we relaxed a little bit. You can't do that against a team like LC."

Upper Perk sophomore Shawn Wenhold returned the opening kickoff to the 27, then quickly caught a pass from Justin Kresge good for three yards, and followed that with an 18-yard run on the next play.

A 27-yard run by Cody Fleming and a 25-yard touchdown toss from Kresge to Josh Mack gave the Indians (2-1, 3-2) the lead just 1:39 into the contest.

But Howell romped 58 yards on LC's first play from scrimmage to bring the Crusaders (4-0, 5-0) to within 7-6.

Then after a goal-line stand by the Indians stopped LC six inches short of the goal, Rocky Mariano tackled Wenhold in the end zone on the next play for a safety and an 8-7 Crusader edge. Touchdown passes from Pinzka to Kahrs and Howell opened up a 23-7 margin early in the second quarter. Then a four-yard touchdown run by Howell and a pair of scoring strikes from Pinzka to Kelly made it 44-7 at the half.

Howell hung around long enough in the second half to boost his running total to 102 for the night on 16 carries and Pinzka hit Kahr with a 24-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter to make it 51-7. An 84-yard return of a fumble by LC's Ryan Tiedeman and a 77-yard kickoff return by Upper Perk's Chase Fleming wrapped up the scoring.

"You're up against two great receivers," Leamer said of Kahrs and Kelly. "We were getting there a half-step late. All he (Pinzka) did was throw the ball up there for them to go after it."

Pinzka finished up 11-for-17 through the air for 205 yards and five touchdowns.

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