OAKLAND — The Cony football team will enter rivalry week on a roll.
Quarterback Dom Napolitano accounted for four touchdowns — two rushing, two passing — as the Rams surged to a 47-12 win over Messalonskee at Veterans Field.
It’s the third straight win for Cony (4-2), which travels to Hoch Field next week for a game against Gardiner, its biggest rival.
Napolitano was 5 of 12 passing for 159 yards. He also rushed for 144 yards on 13 carries. He also had an interception on defense.
“It was a great win,” Napolitano said.
Cony got moving offensively from the opening drive, marching 69 yards on 10 plays, capped by a 3-yard touchdown pass from Napolitano to wide receiver Kam Douin for a 6-0 lead.
“We’ve come out the last couple of games and managed to establish the run game,” Cony head coach B.L. Lippert said. “We haven’t been great in the pass game. We hit a few today…Our line was pretty good tonight. (Messalonskee) did a nice job on the interior, their tackles were driving us a little bit when we got to the outside.”
Caden Schleis-Hooyman managed to force a fumble out of Messalonskee on the ensuing possession and return it 50 yards to set up his own 1-yard touchdown run for a 12-0 lead.
The play of the game occurred on Cony’s next possession. Napolitano hit Elijah Klaiber on a quick route, and Klaiber bolted down the sideline for a 94-yard touchdown that put the Rams up 20-0.
“That was all Eli, all speed, that was crazy,” Napolitano said. “I thought, maybe (a 7-yard play), but he outran them all.”
Napolitano also had touchdown runs of 37 and 44 yards before giving way to Davyn Flynn late in the third quarter.
“Dom in the open field just seems to be electric,” Lippert said.
“Once we get (the run game) going, that opens up a lot of stuff for us. We definitely ran the ball hard today.”
Flynn had three carries for 50 yards, including his own 44-yard touchdown run.
Hooyman finished with 49 yards rushing on nine carries, but was forced out of the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury.
Messalonskee (1-5) — playing its second game under interim head coach Chad Foye after former coach Walter Polky left for undisclosed reasons — showed fight and had spurts of big plays throughout. Defensive back Jack Kinney was a nightmare for Napolitano, intercepting three passes. He also scored a touchdown on offense, connecting with quarterback Tatum Doucette on a 23-yard touchdown pass.
Doucette, a freshman, showed poise and an ability to make plays with his arm and his legs. He passed for 126 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 51 yards on seven carries.
“We do well in spurts, then we do something to shoot ourselves in the foot,” Messalonskee assistant coach Dennis Martin said. “(Cony) is a good football team…The kids fight, we fight to the end.”
Running back Bryce Crowell led the Eagles ground game, rushing for 107 yards on 20 carries.
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