On Friday the 13th, the Smith Vocational and Palmer football game started late because the floodlights were out. When the lights eventually came on and the teams kicked off, the Vikings were still haunted by Kyle Mastalerz.
Palmer’s senior running back took 24 carries for 116 yards on his way to three touchdowns. The Smith Voke defense accounted for three sacks, but Mastalerz kept the chains and clock moving. Palmer scored 22 points in the fourth quarter as gaps appeared in a defensive line that spent much of the game on the field.
“It’s always nice when I score three times,” Mastalerz said.
He added that the offensive line made some adjustments at halftime, and then “they really stepped it up and opened up those holes so I could get through there.”
Palmer fumbled the opening kickoff but leaped on the ball and recovered on its own 17-yard line. Panthers quarterback Jeff Pardo handed Mastalerz the ball five times as Palmer drove to the Vikings’ 21-yard line. The Smith Voke defense stopped the Panthers there when Zachary Morrissey stuffed Mastalerz for a loss. On fourth down, Pardo threw into the end zone and was almost picked off, but Palmer still turned the ball over on downs.
Vikings quarterback Jake Erali took over deep in his own territory and went three-and-out. After the punt, Palmer started on the Smith Voke 30-yard line. At the 7:36 mark of the second quarter, Mastalerz received the handoff from Pardo on second-and-goal from the 3-yard line and he punched it in for the touchdown.
The teams traded punts on the next two possessions. Erali kicked a beautiful ball that pinned Palmer on its own 10-yard line, which meant the Vikings had excellent field position when their defense forced the Panthers to punt. Smith Voke started on the Palmer 32-yard line. After a lofted pass from Erali just missed its intended target on third down, the Vikings faced fourth-and-long. Coach Ryan Burnett elected to go for it, and Erali found his fellow captain Troy Benedict with a spiral downfield.
As Panther defenders closed in around him, Benedict flicked the ball behind him. It hung in the air for a split second before yet another Viking captain, Parker Affhauser, pulled the lateral pass in. Affhauser barged down the sideline until he was dragged to the ground at the 5-yard line with one minute left in the half. Two plays later, Erali burst into the end zone on third-and-inches to tie the game 6-6.
Palmer’s first drive of the third began on the Vikings 42-yard line and ended when Pardo rolled to his left on first-and-goal from the 10. Pardo hit Joe Lombardi on the run and Lombardi dove for the pylon for the touchdown.
In the fourth quarter, Mastalerz ran for two more touchdowns. Tyler Placanico put the final touches on Palmer’s victory with a 36-yard touchdown run as time ran out.
“That’s a good team over there,” Burnett said. “They won a Super Bowl, they’re a division higher than we are, but we never gave up. We did have trouble moving the ball offensively. We tried to make a few adjustments and it didn’t work out tonight but defensively, a solid game, and the boys never quit.
Palmer 34, Smith Voke 6
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By MARK DUNPHY |
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For the Gazette |
Second quarter
PAL – Mastalerz 3-yard run (PAT blocked), 7:36
SMI – Erali 1 run (PAT no good), 0:52
Third quarter
PAL – Lombardi pass from Pardo (2 pt conversion no good), 6:26
Fourth quarter
PAL – Mastalerz 6 run (Pardo to Placanico 2 pt conversion), 10:50
PAL – Mastalerz 10 run (2 pt conversion no good), 4:30
PAL – Placanico 36 run (Mastalerz 2 pt conversion), 1:10
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
PASSING—Smith Voke–Erali 7-16-72-0. Palmer- Pardo 8-12-84-0
RUSHING—Smith Voke–Erali 11-19, Benedict 3-2, Cox 1-10. Palmer–Pardo 1-2, Mastalerz 24-116.
RECEIVING—Smith Voke–Affhauser 1-18, Benedict 5-57. Palmer- Ladue 3-55, Lombardi 3-20, Placanico 3-55.