PALMER — Smith Vocational saw its first winning streak come to an end with a 27-0 loss to Palmer, Friday.
The Vikings struggled to get their offense going, finishing with 103 yards of total offense.
Nick Marcinowski finished with 1-for-8 passing for 15 yards along with three interceptions and a fumble for the Vikings.
Despite the lack of production in the passing game, Smith Vocational (2-3, 2-1 Tri County) managed to find some room on the ground. Eric Leet led the way with 13 carries for 46 yards, but lost an opening-drive fumble. Ethan Rivera added 10 rushes for 46 yards, while Tanner Smith had three rushes for 10 yards on the night.
Defensively, the Vikings struggled to stop the run as the team allowed 148 yards rushing and two touchdowns to Tyler Placanico.
With plenty of youth on the Vikings’ roster, head coach Vinnie Guiel acknowledged the challenge of coaching young players.
“The thing about us is we’re just young, and inconsistency is what kills us. It’s awesome and at the same time it’s frustrating. We’ve got 18 freshmen, seven of which are playing,” Guiel said.
On the defensive side of the ball, Smith Vocational found ways to make plays in the second half. The team forced two fumbles in the half, but were unable to capitalize on their chances.
Despite their struggles on both sides of the ball, Guiel liked what he saw from his team.
“There were a lot of good things tonight,” he said. “There were a lot of seniors making plays. Hats off to Tyler Pascal, our big guy 68. He had a game-making tackles all over the place, but no one was jumping on his back and making plays with him and that’s the type of stuff that kills.”
Guiel is still confident in his players.
“I have all the confidence in the world for this team,” he said. “I know we got McCann next and we have to win out, and we’ll see what happens with the playoffs. Right now, officially, I am officially on to McCann Tech, that’s all I’m worried about right now.”