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[Rocketcorner News]

By Eric Kastner

​When it comes to playing a football game at Whitney field, not to many teams can look at their schedule and say they've had much success against the Flyers on the road. However, one of those teams that can say that is the Calvert Senecas, who have won three straight games at Whitney including two this season.
​This win though didn't come without a little bit of drama through the first 12 minutes. Calvert actually found themselves down 21-7 with 1:48 remaining in the opening frame and a man-down in starting defensive back Dan Reineke, as he was tossed from the contest with two personal conduct fouls, following what he thought had been a fumble recovery for a touchdown. The Senecas would be hit with 3 personal fouls and six total penalties in the first quarter, compounded by a punt block for a touchdown by St. Paul that gave them a two score lead after one.
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Scratch the first 12 minutes and you got a Tiffin Calvert 49-6 advantage the rest of the way, as the Senecas put together probably their best stretch of the season and best all-around performance in years. Calvert shared the wealth in the final three quarters and more-so in the second half as the Senecas had touchdown runs from Kwiat, Long and Puesey, as well as a 37 yard touchdown grab by Iannantuono and a 98 yard kickoff return by Nick Warnement for a score.
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Norwalk St. Paul struck quickly on their first drive with two quick runs that totaled 51 yards, and three plays later the Flyers led 7-0. Following the touchdown run by St Paul's Jesse Gross, the Senecas wasted no time by scoring 6 plays later on a 9 yard run by Quarterback Tyler Long (7-7).
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Following the opening drives by each team, St. Paul continued to pound away and scored again on a one yard run that capped off an 8 play drive (14-7). Calvert couldn't answer St. Paul's second score and followed the Flyer's possession with a three-and-out. As Calvert lined up in a punt formation backed up in front of their own end zone, St. Paul brought the entire squad and it paid off as they pounced on it for a touchdown (21-7). However, that would be the last of the St. Paul momentum for the rest of the evening.

​Following the Flyers touchdown and 14 point lead after one quarter, Nick Warnement the speedster from Tiffin got things started with a 30 yard kickoff return to jump start the Senecas into a touchdown frenzy. Quarterback Tyler Long scored on a 37 yard, 1 yard and his running mate Dan Kwiat (26-223) scored from two yards out all in the second quarter to give Calvert a 28-21 halftime lead. The Senecas didn't stop there.

​Calvert took their first drive in the second half 78 yards as Sophomore Quarterback Tyler Long connected with Brad Iannantuono from 37 yards out to propel the Senecas to a 14 point lead (35-21). Following that score, Calvert scored on another crowd pleasing play, as Long (20-191) sprinted in from 53 yards out, following a St. Paul three-and-out and the Senecas pushed their lead to (42-21).

Calvert's most gifted athlete, Safety, Nick Warnement, followed that touchdown up, by picking off Norwalk St. Paul Quarterback, Scott Slaughterbeck on their following possesion, as Warnement had a game in his own with an Interception and two kickoff returns that accounted for 128 yards and one touchdown. Surprisingly, Calvert couldn't take advantage of the St. Paul turnover and the Flyers got the ball back and scored three plays later with 8:07 remaining in the game to make it (42-27), as the extra point was blocked.

With the Flyers scoring that touchdown, it appeared they had gotten themselves back in the ballgame. However, the momentum didn't last long.

Senior, Nick Warnement, star point guard, playing his first year of football since junior high, took a 98 yard kickoff return to the house that took all the sails out of the St. Paul football team as the Senecas lead (49-21) with under 8 minutes to go. With St. Paul not being able to run the ball much in the second half by being down multiple scores, Calvert was able to get the Flyers out of their element and Slaughterbeck threw another interception, this time picked off by Senior, Defensive Back, Brendan Deats.

Calvert finished their scoring night with Senior, Tim Puesey, as he scored on an 81 yard touchdown run as the Senecas proved that they had a widespread of talent Friday evening with five different guys scoring touchdowns in the second half. Norwalk St. Paul knew they had to focus in on Calvert's Tyler Long and Dan Kwiat coming into the ballgame, however that worked fewer times than they had hoped for. Long finished the game with 191 yards and 4 touchdowns on 20 carries, Kwiat scored once on 26 carries that accounted for 223 yards and Calvert as a whole pounded out 494 yards on the ground, which proved to be their most impressive performance in quite some time.

Tiffin Calvert will take on the McComb Panthers next Friday in a game that will likely be played somewhere along the I-75 area. Calvert hosted McComb week 1 and lost 48-21 to a Panthers team who is now (11-0). However, the Senecas kept things close in that game for the most part by trailing just 20-14 at half and 35-21 after three.