Boyd, White lead Elizabeth Forward past Shady Side Academy

By: Jeremy Sellew
Friday, September 16, 2022 | 11:49 PM

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Zach Boyd and Zion White continue to torch opposing secondaries, and Elizabeth Forward continues to win because of it.

The Warriors started a little slower than coach Mike Collodi would have liked, but they still came away with a 42-21 win over Shady Side Academy at Warriors Stadium.

Boyd continues to show why he should be considered one of the elite players in the WPIAL, finishing with five receptions for 202 yards and four touchdowns. He also returned the opening kickoff of the second half 97 yards for another score.

“I just can’t believe how unbelievable that kid is,” Collodi said. “There at the end of the first half, we had a minute something to go and wanted to get downfield. We just put the ball in his hands.”

White completed 7 of 12 passes for 227 yards and the four touchdowns.

“Zion put on a lot of muscle and strength in the weight room in the spring, and all the work he’s done is showing so far this season,” Collodi said. “He’s flicking his wrist and throwing the ball 45-50 yards down the field. His technique has really improved, and he’s turned into a great quarterback.”

The Warriors (3-0) scored on their opening drive of the game, going 63 yards in nine plays. It was capped by White’s 1-yard dive on fourth-and-goal to make it 7-0.

The drive was costly, though, as EF starting running back Johnny DiNapoli was banged up and didn’t play much offense the rest of the way.

The Bulldogs (0-3) had an answer as quarterback Max Wickland hit Nate Mallory on a crossing pattern. Mallory shook a tackler and raced 51 yard for the score.

After the first quarter ended tied, Boyd caught a 23-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter. Logan Beedle’s PAT was no good, so the score remained 13-7 Warriors.

“We showed that even with Johnny out, we were still able to run the ball. I thought Jordan (Wilmore), Zion and Charlie Nigut did a great job handling those duties,” Collodi said.

The Bulldogs took the lead with 7 minutes, 46 seconds remaining in the first half as Darren Haynes broke loose for a 71-yard touchdown run.

“I chalk a lot of that one up to Johnny not being in the middle of our defense there,” Collodi said. “But that kid is a good little back, and he has a lot of speed.”

Haynes finished with 143 yards on 18 carries and the touchdown.

The Bulldogs’ lead didn’t last long as White and Boyd hooked up again on the first play of the ensuing drive, this time from 57 yards.

Leading 20-14, the Bulldogs punted back to the Warriors with 53 seconds left in the half, and EF made them pay for leaving too much time on the clock.

The Warriors went 80 yards in five plays, capped by Boyd’s 27-yard touchdown catch with no time left on the clock. EF converted the 2-point conversion and led 28-14 at the break.

“We knew they were going to try to make a push, so we wanted to come out quick in the second half,” Collodi said.

It doesn’t get any quicker than Boyd racing 97 yards for a touchdown on the opening kickoff. That was even with the Bulldogs kicking from the 50 because of a penalty on the final play of the first half.

“The kid’s one of the best athletes I’ve ever seen play this game,” Collodi said. “There’s no doubt about it, and I think he can play at any level of college football.”

The Bulldogs cut into the lead on Joey Bellinotti’s 9-yard touchdown catch from Wickland, but the Warriors put a stop to any thought of a comeback when White hit Boyd again for a 79-yard touchdown with 3:34 remaining in the third quarter for the final score of the night.

While Boyd and White did their thing offensively, Collodi lauded the play of his defensive line. Players such as Charlie Meehleib, Chris Climes and Ricky Prokop were relentless pressuring the quarterback.

“Climes, man, for being a sophomore, that kid is special,” Collodi said. “He was bursting through that line consistently making things difficult for them. When they paid more attention to him, Charlie was getting pressure, or one of the other guys was back there. We were really strong in that aspect tonight.”

Wickland finished 9 of 24 for 116 yards and the two scores. He also threw three interceptions, one each by Nigut, Isaiah Turner and Keilly Rush.

“I told these guys after the game, Zach and Zion don’t have the night they had if the offensive line wasn’t doing their job and blocking,” Collodi said. “This was a true team effort. Everybody did their job, and they went out there and played physical.”

The Warriors are back on the road next week with a nonconference matchup at Knoch.

Tags: Elizabeth Forward, Shady Side Academy