Opalewski 5 TDs passes lift
Packers to flag football title
-
ROCKAWAY TWP. - Quarterback Jonathan Opalewski threw five touchdown passes and the Rockaway Township Packers 5th-grade flag football team scored on every possession to defeat the Randolph Lions, 41-6, in the championship game of the Wayne Flag Football League at Hess Field in Wayne.
Christian Bornemann caught TD passes of 15, 55 and 8 yards; Bryce Mott caught a 25-yard TD pass; Ryan Keiper caught a 3-yard TD pass; and Matias Pelligrino scored on a 20-yard run to account for the Packers' six touchdowns.
Mike Katz scored three of the Packers' PATs while Mott scored two.
The victory completed a 10-1 season for the Packers, who finished the regular season with an 8-1 record before beating the Wayne Bengals, 24-0, in the semifinals to reach the title game against Randolph.
The Packers wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard as Opalewski and Bornemann combined for a 15-yard scoring pass the first time they had their hands on the ball. Pelligrino carried twice for 25 yards and Opalewski also hit Bornemann for a 25-yard pass to set up the TD.
Randolph answered with a TD in its first possession but Keiper was able to knock down the Lions' PAT pass attempt and Rockaway Township still had the lead, 7-6.
The Packers struck quickly the next time they had their hands on the ball with Opalewski connecting with Bornemann on a 55-yard TD pass after Bornemann had beat his defender on a square-out-and-up.
It was Opalewski-to-Bornemann again - this one for eight yards - for a 21-6 Packer lead. Pelligrino ran for eight yards and caught a 12-yard pass and Bornemann picked up 20 yards on a reverse to set up the TD play.
The Packers made it 28-6 on a 20-yard TD run by Pelligrino. Key plays on the drive were a 30-yard run by Bornemann and an eight-yard pass from Opalewski to Mott.
Mott caught his 25-yard scoring pass on the Packers' next possession. The play was set up by a 25-yard run by Pelligrino.
Keiper scored the Packers' final TD - a 3-yard pass from Opalewski - after setting it up with a 15-yard run to the Randolph 3-yard line.
On defense, Randolph went three-and-put on its second possession when consecutive flags by Bornemann, Pelligrino and Opalewski left Randolph well short of a first down. Mott and Opalewski each had two interceptions to stop the other four Randolph drives.
Players who contributed to the regular-season record only to miss the championship game were Nico Santora, Phillip Kirna and Jake Maute.
The team is coached by Ed Bornemann, Glen Katz, John Maute, Vince Opalewski, Horacio Pelligrino and Mark Santora.
This is the fourth straight season that Bornemann, Santora and Opalewski played on a Packers' championship team. Keiper, Maute and Katz have been part of three Packer championship teams.
