Stevenson cruises past Warren

It was the kind of surprise Stephen Salata will take anytime.

The Stevenson receiver wasn't sure the cushion he saw Warren's secondary give receivers in reviewing game film would actually happen on the field Friday night.

"I was expecting it to happen sometimes, but not that much," he said.

Salata caught six first-half passes for 106 yards and a pair of touchdowns, allowing the host Patriots to stake a 21-0 halftime lead en route to a 24-7 verdict in Lincolnshire. Stevenson's 3-0 start shows it hasn't lost a beat even with a new coach, Bill McNamara, who took over for 27-year veteran Bill Mitz.

Except maybe one difference.

"We're running a lot more in practice," Salat asaid, laughing.

Stevenson scored on its first possesion of the game, grinding out 11 plays over 78 yards capped by Joe Cassata's four-yard burst - his seventh TD already this season.

Warren quarterback Bob Boesch (8 of 19, 99 yards) gave the ball right back to the Patriots when his pass was picked off by Carl Miller. Salata snared three passes during the 47-yard drive, the last for 12 yards from quarterback Kevin Earl (11 of 23, 162 yards) to boost the lead to 14-0.

Boesch threw his second interception after the ensuing kickoff this time neatly picked off by Chris Duffey in a duel with Warren's T.J. Parker. Stevenson made Warren (1-2) pay again when Earl found Salata for a 32-yard scoring strike and a 21-0 advantage.

The interceptions limited Warren to just four offensive plays in the first quarter.

Salata, who also punts, would not catch a pass in the second half, but he did throw one. Warren's only score came early in the third quarter after Salata tried a fake punt at midfield on fourth down and his pass to Troy Radtke netted just one yard. On the first play, Blue Devils runningback Nolan Sordyl took a pitch from Boesch and lofted a pass to Mitch Munda, who had gotten behind the Patriot secondary.

Warren managed to get its hands on the ball three more times, but one drive ended in Boesch's third interception and Duffey's second of the game (third of the season), and the other two with punts after Boesch was sacked on third down both times. The interception led to Matthew Micucci's 26-yard field goal late in the third quarter for Stevenson's only points in the second half.

Tom Lindal was the Blue Devils' lone offensive bright spot with 74 yards on 14 carries, but the rushing game overall only netted 50 yards due to Boesch's four sacks for minus 36 yards. Cassata led Stevenson rushers with 89 yards on 19 carries.

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