Logan Klitsch throws for 256 yards, runs for two TDs, but Weiser can’t slow down Cocalico
Once the handshakes were made and the postgame huddle was broken, Brett Organtini found an empty space on the bench. It was the first time since kickoff he had a moment to sit.
Conrad Weiser’s captain admitted his body was aching from all the punishment inflicted over the previous four quarters. It wasn’t going to get any better in the morning.
“Trust me,” he said with a smile. “Tomorrow I’m going to feel like I was in a train wreck. I’ve got to go home and rest. I can’t catch my breath right now.”
Weiser lost to Cocalico 36-21 in a non-league football opener at Eagle Stadium Saturday. Organtini did everything he could to change those unforgiving numbers on the scoreboard.
The senior is a 5-9, 170-pound bundle of mind over matter. He plays inside linebacker on defense and left guard on offense. He almost never leaves the field.
It’s hard not to admire Organtini, even if you’re wearing a headset on the opposite sideline.
“When you see a kid like that, that’s what football is meant to be,” Cocalico coach Bryan Strohl said. “You’re opposing him but you respect the effort he gives and his desire to get to the football.”
Organtini was in the middle of everything in Week 1. The middle of the defense trying to stop Cocalico’s veer. The middle of the offense trying to protect quarterback Logan Klitsch.
During the first half, when it looked like Weiser might be able to pull this one out, Organtini pounced on a fumble that set up the Scouts’ first score.
“He’ll rarely ask for a break,” Weiser coach Alan Moyer said. “He’s got a motor that doesn’t quit.”
Klitsch’s 22-yard touchdown run and Trey Dianna’s 19-yard TD reception gave Weiser a 14-7 lead after the first quarter. That was the Scouts’ high-water mark.
Cocalico’s wide-array of weapons is hard to stop. Anthony Bourassa rushed for 210 yards and three touchdowns. Steven Flinton ran for 92 yards and caught the game-changing pass.
“It’s a lot of misdirection from them,” Organtini said. “A lot of guards pulling. That team runs a very tough veer option. I credit them for that.”
Cocalico dealt with its share of adversity in the first half. The Eagles lost fumbles on their first two possessions and threw an interception late in the second quarter. Bourassa missed most of the half due to illness.
All of those problems seemed to dissolve when Blayke Taddei connected with Flinton on a 74-yard score with 2:23 left before intermission. Cocalico went ahead 21-14 and never looked back.
“Those are killers,” Moyer said. “Their offense kind of lulls you to sleep like that. They can get you. They’re not known as a throwing team but they’re very effective and they’re well-coached.”
Cocalico used two touchdown runs by Bourassa to stretch the lead to 36-14. The Eagles ran out the final 7 minutes after Weiser pulled within two scores.
“That start was rough,” Strohl said. “Our kids didn’t get down. They kept battling. They knew we could get it rolling and we could do some things. Being able to hit the home run ball every now and then certainly helps.”
Weiser’s skill position stars, Klitsch and Aanjay Feliciano, did some damage. Klitsch completed 18-of-30 passes for 256 yards. The senior threw for a TD and ran for two more. Feliciano caught four balls for 109 yards. Two of those were acrobatic grabs few high school receivers can make.
The Scouts couldn’t overcome their own mistakes. They were flagged for 15 penalties for 103 yards. Many of those were false starts and offsides.
“We’ve got to clean those things up,” Moyer said. “That’s a quality team. I’m sure they’re going to do well again this year. You can’t make those mistakes. Especially not Week 1. But we’ve got a lot of new faces. We’re young. No excuse. We’ve got to get the job done.”
Weiser travels to Muhlenberg Friday. After navigating last year’s abbreviated regular season undefeated, they’ll have to regroup from 0-1.
Organtini switched positions this season because of the changing roster. He went from defensive line to linebacker and fullback to guard and never complained about his shifting assignments. He’s often asked to block players six inches taller and 50 pounds heavier.
“It’s always a tough loss in Week 1,” he said. “Like Coach said, that’s why they give you many weeks. All we can do is improve from this week, learn from our mistakes and fix them in practice.”
Wherever this season goes for Weiser, Organtini will be there. In the middle of it all.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Conrad Weiser | 14 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Cocalico | 7 | 14 | 8 | 7 | 36 |
Scoring summary
| Team | Player | Play | From | PAT Player | Extra Point |
| Conrad Weiser | Klitsch | 22 run | Noll kick | ||
| Cocalico | Bourassa | 89 run | Roos kick | ||
| Conrad Weiser | Dianna | 19 pass | Klitsch | Noll kick | |
| Cocalico | Vang | 5 run | Kick failed | ||
| Cocalico | S. Flinton | 74 pass | Taddei | Vang run | |
| Cocalico | Bourassa | 6 run | Bourassa run | ||
| Cocalico | Bourassa | 5 run | Roos kick | ||
| Conrad Weiser | Klitsch | 4 run | Noll kick | ||
Team statistics
| Conrad Weiser | Cocalico | |
| First downs | 14 | 16 |
| Rushes-yards | 25-99 | 43-347 |
| Passing yards | 256 | 76 |
| Total yards | 363 | 423 |
| Passes | 18-30-1 | 2-3-1 |
| Fumbles-lost | 1-0 | 3-2 |
| Punts-average | 4-34.8 | 2-36.5 |
| Penalties-yards | 15-103 | 4-40 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Conrad Weiser: Klitsch 16-72, Rothermel 5-13, Jones 1-12, Dianna 3-2.
Cocalico: Bourassa 21-210, S. Flinton 9-92, Vang 4-18, B. Flinton 2-15, Taddei 5-5, Weaver 1-4, Swann 1-3.
PASSING
Conrad Weiser: Klitsch 18-30–256.
Cocalico: Taddei 2-3–76.
RECEIVING
Conrad Weiser: Feliciano 4-109, Fizz 4-43, Dianna 5-37, Pazdrick 1-33, Jones 2-20, MacKenzie 1-11, Rothermel 1-3.
Cocalico: S. Flinton 1-74, Angstadt 1-2.
INTERCEPTIONS
Conrad Weiser: Jones.
Cocalico: B. Flinton.
