Roadrunners cruise by Riverisde-Brookfield

Updated: October 15, 2011 12:53AM

No. 14 Nazareth lived up to its nickname once again Friday night as the Roadrunners ran past Riverside-Brookfield 44-6 in Riverside.

“It was just all-around a great game for us,” Nazareth linebacker Aeneas White said. “Our coach came in this week and talked to us about how important this game was, it being their homecoming, and how amped up they’d be for the game. We just came out here and did what we were told to do.”

Nazareth (7-1) took a 7-0 lead just two minutes into the game when quarterback Sam Poulos threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Carl Jackson.

Kevin Curtin then put Nazareth up 14-0 after he ran one yard for a touchdown on the Roadrunners’ next drive.

White recovered a fumble on the ensuing Bulldogs possession and returned it 58 yards for a touchdown, putting Nazareth up 20-0 at the end of the first quarter.

“We just played like we have the whole season. Fundamentals, mechanics, that’s how it gets done,” said White, who also contributed on offense with two carries for 83 yards.

Matthew Ramsey’s 27-yard field goal put the Roadrunners up 23-0 with 6:30 left in the second quarter. Ramsey also had six touchbacks on kickoffs.

The Roadrunners got back into the end zone on their next possession. Joshua Moore ran 34 yards for his first touchdown of the game, putting Nazareth on top 30-0.

Moore led Nazareth with 13 carries for 118 yards and two touchdowns.

Moore has played well since taking over the number one job after Rudy Romagnano injured his ankle on the first snap of Nazareth’s win over Joliet Catholic on Sept. 30.

“He’s [Moore] not really filling in, him and Rudy are like the one-two-punch, so he’s just taking on more of the load,” Nazareth coach Tim Racki said. ‘‘Him and Rudy are tight friends, so he takes pride in taking on more of that load.”

Racki is hopeful that Romagnano will return this season.

“He’s a real tough kid. We hope to get him back, but when, I don’t know,” Racki said.

Poulos finished off the first-half scoring for the Roadrunners with a one-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the second quarter. Nazareth led 37-0 at halftime.

Moore ran two yards for his second touchdown of the game just a minute into the third quarter and the Roadrunners led 44-0.

The Nazareth offense had no turnovers and was able to score on its first six possessions of the game.

Riverside-Brookfield (2-6, 1-2) avoided a shutout when Dylan Beketic connected with Joe Odeh on a two-yard touchdown pass with five minutes remaining in the third quarter.

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