DPOSTM thrashes News

"DP Sports took an early two-touchdown lead and ran out to a 24-6 victory over the rest of the paper in yesterday's annual Kamin Cup game at Franklin Field." That's how they would write it. Here's how we'd write it: For three years, DP Sports suffered the humiliation of losing to the rest of the paper in the Kamin Cup. A loss yesterday would make the graduating seniors the only class in DPOSTM history to graduate without a Kamin Cup win over the Weenies. But the four graduating seniors wouldn't let it happen, and they had help from the most promising group of young DPOSTM players in quite a while. Yesterday's 24-6 thrashing of the Weenies at a sold-out Franklin Field left no doubt that a new era had been inaugurated in impressive fashion. With a finely-tuned offense and stifling defense, the DP's Only Staff That Matters took back what was rightfully theirs and earned a refreshing shower of Pabst Blue Ribbon. The game began the way it would end: with Sports shutting down the Weenie offense on the first possession of the game. "We knew going into the game that the defensive key would be stopping [Weenie quarterback Peter] Morrisson," defensive end Luke DeCock said. "Especially since he's the only player they've got with any talent. When we did that on the opening drive, it was a great boost to our confidence as a defensive unit. You could tell he was really shaken." DPOSTM built on the defensive stop and drove the length of the field, opening the scoring with a touchdown pass from flanker Jed Walentas to quarterback Matt Wasowski on a perfectly executed flea-flicker. The conversion failed but Sports led 6-0, a lead it would never relinquish. "As the films showed, any sort of misdirection play pretty much leaves the Weenies dazed and confused," Walentas said. "This one was no different. Wasowski was as open as they get. There wasn't a Weenie in the same zip code." Trying to fight back from behind, the Weenies resorted to their slow-down offense, a strategy hampered by their receivers' amazing inability to catch the ball. Receiver Kunal Bajaj in particular found many new ways to avoid catching the football, including an amazing head-first dive onto the track. "There were a couple of dropped passes at inopportune times, but I also made a couple bad throws at inopportune times," Morrisson said. "I don't think the blame can be placed anywhere." After a Wasowski pass was picked off by Weenie safety Forrest Fineman, the Weenies had one more shot at the end zone, but DPOSTM's defense made an amazing goal-line stand keyed by defensive back Srik Reddy and outside linebacker, DP sports writer, UA Treasurer, SAC Finance member and Penn Watch Treasurer Steve Schorr. Bajaj helped the DPOSTM effort immeasurably by dropping innumerable passes, culminating in the aforementioned swan dive onto and kissing of the track. It was an angry DPOSTM team that took the field for the second half, having dominated but leading by only a single score. "We were pissed off," defensive back Nick Hut said. "Not so much with the way we were playing, but the way the game was being officiated" by executive editor and Chief Weenie Chuckles Ornstein. That anger overflowed in the physical second half, as Wasowski quickly found Jared Belsky to put Sports up 12-0. News answered back with a toss from Morrisson to rookie Yochi Dreazen, but that was as close as the Weenies would come. "It was like we put them in shackles," said Hut of the stellar defensive play. Morrisson had no choice but to agree. "I think we had a little bit of a problem moving the ball today," he said. "Some of our defensive backs just weren't as athletic as the receivers they were covering." Wasowski tossed two more touchdowns, one to split end Jason Ross and one to tight end Eric Goldstein to put the icing on the cake. And while veterans like Walentas, Hut, DeCock and safety Andy Meran were a solid core, it took the youngsters to put DPOSTM over the top, yesterday and in the future. "We have the numbers and we have the talent," Goldstein said. "We're losing some key players but we've got the talent to build a dynasty. We won't lose until I graduate." Wasowski, a junior making his first career start, tossed only one pick. Ross, a sophomore and junior Jeff Wieland were persistent threats and two of the receivers with whom Morrisson's cohorts couldn't keep up. Scott Miller was lethal on the defensive line. And Scott Mulhauser's bruising play on the offensive line prompted chants of "Moose" from the assembled multitudes. Freshman Avi Gelboim was solid at safety until the veteran Meran took over in the second half, and the DPOSTM female contingent of Jane Havsy and Anu Balakrishna performed above all expectations. Balakrishna's return after a brutal elbow injury was cited as "an inspiration" by one teammate. In sum, it was a performance more notable for what the future held in store, since the game was over pretty much before it started. "There's no doubt you like to get the young guys out there when you get the chance," DeCock said. "Still, nothing beats beating the living shit out of the Weenies."

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