October 10, 2010
Kearny wins second straight
Kearny's Nelson Tavares rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns.
Click Here for more photos from Kearny at Snyder.
By Jason Bernstein
Editorial Director
JERSEY CITY – When Pete Llaneza took over as the Kearny’s head coach this spring, some friends and colleagues felt he was entering a no-win situation. In a town where soccer is king, it’s been five years since the Kearny football team has finished with a .500 record and even longer since they’ve appeared in the state playoffs.
While no one is confusing them with a football powerhouse, the Kardinals are experiencing the kind of success which has eluded them in recent years. That turnaround continued on Saturday night as they post their third victory of the season, a 42-16 win over Snyder at Caven Point.
“The idea that Kearny has no football players is garbage,” Llaneza said. “We have football players. We just needed to tighten some things up, teach them how to win and just keep competing.”
After being on the wrong end of many lopsided games over the years, the Kardinals (3-2), found themselves on the other end of the spectrum. A 38-yard touchdown run from Nelson Tavares gave Kearny a quick 7-0 lead after just 2:15 of play.
The Kardinals continued to give the host Tigers (0-5) fits with their triple option attack on offense. Kearny would make it 14-0 with a 45-yard touchdown pass from Eric Greenlee to Alvin Zhang. The Kardinals would score on five of their six offensive possessions in the first half and enter the intermission with a stunning 35-0 lead.
“We knew we had to come out and take care of business,” Llaneza said. “We’re still learning how to win. We did a better job of controlling the tempo and playing our style.”
Kearny averaged nearly seven yards a carry in the victory with Tavares leading the way. Listed at just 5-foot-5 and 145 pounds, Tavares doesn’t look the part of a prototypical lead back. What he lacks in size, he makes up in strength and speed as he finished with 129 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries.
“Nelson is tough as nails,” Llaneza said. “No one on this team is tougher. He’s our strongest player pound-for-pound.”
Freshman Gabriel Xavier added 65 yards on 12 carries. Greenlee, a sophomore, rushed for a score and totaled 27 yards to go with his passing touchdown.
Maurice Johnson put Snyder on the scoreboard with a 54-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter. Johnson, a senior, led the Tigers with 94 yards on 14 carries. QB Michael Morrison had 15 carries for 62 yards, a touchdown and a pair of two-point conversion. Junior Maurice Johnson added 31 yards rushing.
Snyder seeks its first win of the season when they travel to Bayonne and face Marist next Saturday.
Kearny will host undefeated St. Anthony on Friday night. While the Kardinals enter a rough stretch on the schedule with the Friars, Hoboken and Lincoln looming, Llaneza believes his squad has grown from the early success and will help them as the season progresses.
“I think you can (see the confidence growing),” Llaneza said. “Any time you have success at something you’re going to feel better. Everyone is improving as a football player.”
Maurice Johnson had a 54-yard touchdown run for Snyder in the third quarter.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kearny Kardinals (3-2) | 14 |
21 |
7 |
0 |
42 |
| Snyder Tigers (0-5) | 0 |
0 |
8 |
8 |
16 |
| Kea: Nelson Tavares, 38 run (Michael Fernandez kick) | |||||
| Kea: Alvin Zhang, 45 pass from Eric Greenlee (Fernandez kick) | |||||
| Kea: Tavares, 8 run (Fernandez kick) | |||||
| Kea: Greenlee, 3 run (Fernandez kick) | |||||
| Kea: Edward Flores, 5 run (Fernandez kick) | |||||
| Sny: Maurice Johnson, 54 run (Michael Morrison run) | |||||
| Kea: Alex Potvin, 2 run (Fernandez kick) | |||||
| Sny: Morrison, 3 run (Morrison run) | |||||