Fisher's INT sets stage for Trojans' shutout win
Garden City H.S. quarterback Tom Gordon, no. 12, runs for a touchdown before Mepham H.S. defender Max Weithorn, no. 54, can tackle him. (Sept. 7, 2010) Credit: Jack McCoy
It was obvious Tuesday that for Garden City, the best offense was a good defense.
The defending Class II Long Island champions, who compiled nine shutouts in a 12-0 season in 2009, posted another one in its 2010 opener, defeating Mepham, 28-0, with turnovers leading directly to all four Trojans' touchdowns.
"We're always stressing turnovers. The coaches say if we win the turnover battle by two we win the game," said Trojans defensive back Brian Fischer. The turnover margin was 5-1, with Garden City recovering four fumbles and making one interception.
That allowed the Trojans to cruise, despite managing only 152 yards on offense.
Fischer got it going with a 66-yard interception return to the 1 that set up Steve Jahelka for the first of his two touchdown runs with 2:35 left in the first quarter.
"Steve tipped it and I was in the right place," Fischer said.
Jahelka was a defensive force all afternoon, making tackles from all angles. "Today, it was just search and destroy," Jahelka said. "They were in the spread and we just read the keys. A lot of guys came up big in their first start."
Jahelka and James Wright are the only two starters returning from last year's stellar defense that ran off five consecutive shutouts before allowing a field goal in Game 6. There is no talk among the Trojans about duplicating that feat. "We put the focus on winning, not shutting teams out," Fischer said.
They accomplished both, thanks to an opportunistic 4-3 defense that limited the Pirates to 107 yards. Defensive end Scott McElroy made perhaps the biggest play of the game late in the first half. He broke in from the right edge to sack Nick White, jarring the ball loose. Kevin Tauriello recovered on the Pirates' 40 with 1:10 left before halftime.
A key 27-yard run by quarterback Tom Gordon (nine carries, 61 yards) brought the Trojans to the 11 and Gordon capped the drive with a 5-yard scoring run on the last play of the half.
There was more turnover torment to come. Mark Ellis forced a fumble that Fischer recovered at the Mepham 48 early in the third quarter. Gordon hit Griffin Eilbeck on a crossing pattern for 42 yards to the 2 and Jahelka ran it in on the next play.
The Trojans wrapped up the scoring when Anton Dobrolezhin wrapped up White. He executed a rare sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery touchdown return when he scooped and scored from 10 yards out.
"Everyone made big plays," McElroy said. "It was another zero, but our major goal is to just win. A shutout is icing on the cake."
Garden City's defense cooked up another winner.
