Bulldogs strike early, often

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YORKVILLE -- Homecoming games aren't supposed to start with the air rushing out of the balloon on the game's first play.

This one did.

Batavia linebacker Mike Theriault poked the first hole in Yorkville's homecoming when he intercepted a pass at the Yorkville 23 on the Foxes' opening play from scrimmage.

Four plays later Bulldog quarterback Jordan Coffey found Mark Briden for an 11-yard touchdown pass and the Bulldogs were off to a 44-6 victory.

Theriault, who also recovered a fumble at the Yorkville 28, only started the ball rolling during a first quarter that was total disaster for the Foxes (1-5, 0-4 in the Western Sun Conference).

Yorkville's first five possessions resulted in two pass interceptions, a lost fumble, a center snap that sailed out of the end zone for a safety and a punt.

It all made winning a bit easier for Batavia (4-2, 3-1).

"The only disappointing aspect of the game for us was that we turned the ball over a couple times as well," Batavia coach Mike Gaspari said. "We've really been outstanding about that all year long."

Batavia entered Friday night's game having coughed the ball up just five times all year. Coffey (11-of-20, 114 yards) had two of his passes picked off by halftime. That, of course, provided a silver lining for Gaspari.

"That will give us an opportunity to go over some things in the film session tomorrow (today), so that's a good thing," Gaspari said with a smile.

Those films will show mostly good things.

Coffey did throw a pair of touchdown passes, 34-yards to Erich Zeddies and 10-yards to Briden, and only played the first half and J.R. Kabba had nine carries for 106 yards and TD jaunts of 47 and 27 yards.

Plus, Kyle Duhig scored on a 26-yard blast, Zeddies ran the second half kickoff back 80 yards for a touchdown and the Bulldog defense was just plain nasty.

Led by Theriault, Batavia held Yorkville to 129 yards and the majority of that came after Gaspari had pulled the starters.

"Our defense has made the most progress," Gaspari said. "Their level of physicalness is what really has improved the most."

Despite the romp, the Foxes did move the football at times. Yorkville averted a shutout when Daniel Swope scored on a 13-yard run with seven seconds remaining.

Swope played a fine game. He intercepted a Coffey pass on defense, caught a 23-yard pass from quarterback Luke Parece, broke loose on a 41-yard run and completed an 11-yard pass to Brandon Tudisco.

Unfortunately for the Foxes, it wasn't nearly enough.