Wilmington blanks Reynolds for seventh win
Wilmington (50) vs. Reynolds (0)
Written: Oct 11, 2008
By DAN IRWIN
d_irwin@ncnewsonline.com
GREENVILLE — High school football guards seldom see their names in lights.
Last night, though, Brian Fulkman saw his number.
The Wilmington High senior, who wears No. 50, helped his team score an equal number of points in a 50-0 shellacking of winless Reynolds in PIAA District 10, Region 3-AA action.
The Greyhounds, ranked No. 5 in the state in Class AA, improved to 5-0 and 7-0.
“I don’t know,” Fulkman said about any expectations of scoring half a hundred points on the winless Raiders (0-4, 0-7). “We played good, so I’m happy.
“We try to take every game as serious as possible. In practice, we work just as hard as we always do. Our motto is to get better every week. We came out here and played hard.”
And then some.
Wilmington outgained the Raiders, 439-23, while the ’Hounds Hammer defense — which is givng up just 5.9 points per game — posted its second shutout of the year.
Any worries that head coach Terry Verrelli might have had that his team would relax against a struggling opponent were dispelled early on, and the entire second half wound up being played under the mercy rule.
“We worked hard on trying to get the right attitude,” Verrelli said. “We wanted to play the game the right way, play it hard, learn something, and get better when this game’s over.
“It’s difficult to prepare when another team is struggling, but I thought we accomplished what we wanted. We worked on some things we needed to work on, and I’m sure we got better as a team.”
Derrick Burns led the winners with 85 yards — including touchdown runs of 25 yards and 1 yard — on eight carries.
Also in the first half, Luke Yohman scored on a 2-yard run, Philip Woods went in from 5 yards out and quarterback Shane Wagner found Carson Sharbaugh for a 12-yard TD pass.
Wilmington also was awarded a safety when a Reynolds snap went over punter Cory Augstine’s head and out of the end zone.
Overall, a dozen ’Hounds ended up getting at least one carry, while four quarterbacks took snaps. The reserves acquitted themselves well, with the offensive understudies scoring twice, and their defensive counterparts blanking Reynolds’ starters while also coming up with a pair of turnovers.
Jake DeMedal moved up under center after playing the first half at running back and broke off a 32-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Sophomores Curtis Bretz and Tom Bober, meanwhile, hooked up on a 14-yard scoring pass in the fourth quarter.
On the other side of the line, freshman Zach Lewellyn had a fumble recovery and fellow frosh Ryan Crawford claimed an interception.
“The second-team defense played well, and so did the younger offense, they did a great job,” Verrelli said. “There’s always plusses if you work hard and respect the team you’re playing, even if they’re struggling.
“I thought on both sides of it the young kids performed well.”
The win marked the second time in three weeks that Wilmington — which is averaging 42.7 points per game — cracked the 50-point barrier. And Fulkman, for one, would like to think it won’t be the last.
“I hope so,” he said of possibly repeating the feat. “In the playoffs.”
WILMINGTON REYNOLDS
22 First downs 3
346 Yards Rushing 41
12 Yards Lost 23
334 Net Rushing 18
18 Passes Attempted 6
7 Passes Completed 1
0 Passes Intercepted 1
93 Yards Passing 5
439 Total Yards 23
0-0 Fumbles-Lost 3-1
0-0 Punts-Average 5-28.6
4-24 Penalties-Yards 7-62
WILMINGTON 21 16 6 7 — 50
REYNOLDS 0 0 0 0 — 0
Scoring plays
WILMINGTON — Luke Yohman, 2-yard run (Bryce Wilson kick).
WILMINGTON — Derrick Burns, 25-yard run (Wilson kick).
WILMINGTON — Burns, 1-yard run (Wilson kick).
WILMINGTON — Carson Sharbaugh, 12-yard pass from Shane Wagner (Wilson kick).
WILMINGTON — Safety, Reynolds punt snap goes out of end zone.
WILMINGTON — Philip Woods, 5-yard run (Wilson kick).
WILMINGTON — Jake DeMedal, 32-yard run (kick failed).
WILMINGTON — Tom Bober, 14-yard pass from Curtis Bretz (Wilson kick).
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