Picture much brighter for Blazers following second straight win
After a shaky start things are coming into focus for the Daniel Boone Blazers.
They got another big night from their replacement quarterback, Dean Rotter, and his top receiver, Alex Vassallo, in beating Conestoga Valley 27-12 on Homecoming.
The Blazers (2-2) lost their top player, quarterback Carter Speyerer, in the season-opener but have bounced back with two straight wins.
“It is a different picture right now,” said Boone head coach Rob Flowers, “it’s the picture we thought we could be in.
“Our message to them: ‘We’re doing this together.’ They all see that. It’s literally next man up, in multiple spots, and that’s a beautiful thing to see.”
Rotter, a sophomore who stepped in when Speyerer was lost for the season with a broken ankle, completed 11-of-14 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns.
Both the TD passes went to Alex Vassallo, who led the Berks Football League in receptions last season. Vassallo had scoring grabs of 6 and 32 yards.
“(Dean) understand Alex is the go-to guy,” Flowers said, “and he gets him the ball as he sees fit. Dean’s doing a good job of grabbing and running the system; he’s just just understanding. He’s getting better.
“And the O-line is doing a nice job. They’re elevating their game, as well.”
The Blazers went up 12-0 on Vallsallo’s first TD and a 2-yard run by sophomore Ethan Kryman.
The Buckskins (0-4) cut it to 12-7 on Aiden Johnson’s 15-yard TD catch, from Macoy Kneisley, in the second quarter.
Vassallo’s second TD reception and a two-point run by AJ Hofer put Boone up 20-7 in the third quarter.
Kneisley threw a pair of TD passes and competed 13-of-24 overall, for 171 yards.
The Blazers were able to shut down the running game, allowing just 53 yards.
“We did a nice job containing their run,” Flowers said, “that was exciting to watch. We had to (pass) cover. We knew if we covered (we’d do well). Our cornerbacks, Alex Vassallo and Thatcher Hogan did a good job with that. We knew if we covered those guys we would put ourselves in good situation.”
The Blazers rushed for 162 yards and out-gained the Bucks 313-224.
Daniel Boone does not have a game scheduled for next week but would like to add one.
It opens play in Section 1 of the Berks Football League the following week against Berks Catholic.
“It’s nice to see our guys’ hearts and minds in the right spot,” Flowers said. “We felt we could really compete well this year. Our guys are doing a good job the last two weeks.
“The defense only gave up one touchdown, so that was impressive. The offense continues to get better despite some of the losses we’ve had. We’ve just had guys stepping in.”