Dempster, Calabrese ignite Tottenville’s PSAL City Conference playoff win vs. Susan Wagner

The Roland express

Roland Dempster and top-seeded Tottenville will face a familiar opponent in the PSAL City Conference quarterfinals this weekend. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Heading into Saturday’s PSAL City Conference quarterfinal against Island-rival and No. 8 seed Susan Wagner, Tottenville coach Brian Neville was a little apprehensive about how his No. 1-seeded squad would react coming off a 15-day layoff.

By halftime, Neville was feeling pretty good as Pirate running back Roland Dempster had scored three touchdowns and linebacker Anthony Calabrese, who intercepted three passes on the afternoon, scored the first of his two pick 6s as time expired in the first half as the Pirates built a 32-7 bulge en route to a 46-21 victory.

The Pirates (10-0 in the league and 10-1 overall) advanced to next Saturday’s noon semifinal at home against No. 4 seeded Lincoln, a team Tottenville beat 53-26 earlier in the season.

“You always worry,” said Neville, whose team was playing the Falcons for the first time this season. “Island-opponent, well-coached team. We haven’t played in 15 days (because last week’s regular-season finale was forfeited by South Shore). So it’s always nerve-wracking and you never know when you are dealing with 16 and 17-year-olds.”

But Neville’s kids came through in a big way.

After the teams traded touchdowns -- Tot QB Anthony Pucciarelli scoring on a short keeper and SW QB Joe Thorpe finding Christian Browne on a 7-yard scoring pass -- in the first quarter, the Pirates exploded for 25 second-quarter points as Dempster took control of the game, scoring on a 26-yard run two minutes into the quarter.

After a three-and-out by the Falcons, the Pirates marched 41 yards to paydirt, culminating with Dempster’s 5-yard blast up the gut of SW’s defense to put the Pirates up 19-7.

BIG DUDE

“He’s a big dude. He’s tough to bring down," said Neville. "You have to gang-tackle him.”

Surprisingly, Susan Wagner, which finished with a 5-5 mark, opted to go a fourth-and-eight play from their own 31-yard line, but Thorpe managed to pick up only five yards on a scramble after he couldn’t find an open receiver.

Two plays later, Pucciarelli faded back and had lured the SW defenders perfectly as he dropped off a screen pass to Dempster, who grabbed the ball at 28 yard-line and scampered into the end zone on a 31-yard scoring play.

“I don’t care how I score. If it helps my team out that’s great,” said Dempster, who finished with 84 yards on 10 carries. He did not play in the second half as the Pirates cleared their bench. “If I feel I can take that play or that position I’ll take that and put the team on my back.”

Of his three scores, Dempster said he enjoyed the TD reception the best.

“I caught the pass and got a block from my lineman Michael LoPorcaro and went all the way,” said Dempster. “I look backed and I was 'wow, there is no one there.’ "

Trailing 25-7 with under two minutes left in the half, the Falcons tried to get some points on the board, but Thorpe’s pass at midfield sailed into the hands of Calabrese on the left sideline near midfield. Calabrese raced down the sideline untouched to put the Pirates up 32-7 at the half.

“It was a career day for him,” said Neville of Calabrese’s three picks. “He’s a program guy. His brother (Peter, a quarterback) came through here. His dad (Anthony) played here. He was always going to come here. He’s been around here since he was six, seven years old.

“He had one other interception against Lincoln but he didn’t score on that play and we railed on him for that. He tried to run over a tackler instead of going around him. But today, he did the right thing.”

Calabrese’s career day would continue in the second half as he picked off Thorpe’s first pass of the second half, following a Pirate turnover on the second-half kickoff.

After SW James Morse scored on a 21-yard TD run to cut the deficit to to 32-13, Tottenville’s Jason Salacedo scored on an 8-yard run, which capped a 12-play, 62-yard drive.

THIRD INT

The Falcons got the ball back and Thorpe threw short to his left, but Calabrese stepped in front of the intended target, intercepted the ball and raced down the right sideline to the end zone.

“I just want to thank my defensive lineman for getting the pressure on them,” said Calabrese, who was one of 27 seniors honored prior to the game on Homecoming Day. “The one before the half I just wanted to get in the end zone. I was gassed at the end but I had a blocker (Eric O’Neil) in front of me who cut the key block and I had someone behind me, directing me in my ear where to go.

As for his third interception, Calabrese said, “I have to thank the coaches for that because we’ve been running that play since day one. They put me in the right spot and I jumped it.”

NOTES: SW’s Joshua Meyerson capped the scoring on a 30-yard TD pass from Thorpe ... Last week’s forfeit win when South Shore failed to show up for the game forced the Pirates’ Homecoming to be moved to Saturday ... After SW had tied the game at 7, Falcon head coach Arthur Newcombe opted to try an onside kick. Although the Falcons recovered the ball, his team was flagged on the play, setting Tottenville up at the Falcons’ 38-yard line. Four plays later, the Pirates scored. “It’s not a gamble,” said Newcombe. “We practice special teams. It’s part of our game plan if you watched us all year. It’s about extra possessions.”

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