By Mike Warren
The 66th overall meeting on Thanksgiving Day between the Steinert Spartans and the Hornets of Hamilton West began with some excitement, with the very first play from scrimmage being an interception thrown by Steinert QB Anthony Giglio. The lone blemish on the day for Giglio’s passing line, Brandon Boswell picked him off over the middle to set up West in plus territory, only to go three and out. Boswell’s interception was one of few bright spots for the Hornets on either side of the ball, now failing to score a point against Steinert for the third straight year.
The Spartans opened up the Turkey Day scoring with a 30-yard field goal from kicker Matt James with 6:45 to play in the first half. After another three-and-out for the Hornets offense, Steinert responded with their first touchdown of the on Isaac Pate’s four-yard scamper to make it 10-0 Spartans. Pate would go on to rush for over 200 yards and two scores enroute to winning the Rich Fornaro MVP Trophy given to a Steinert player each year.
That wouldn’t be all the scoring done by the Pate’s on the afternoon, as brother Isaiah found the endzone on the arial connection with Giglio from nine yards out to grow the Steinert lead to 24-0. In the second half Steinert saw two of their seniors find the endzone on senior day. Lineman Tyler Corocci scored on a four-yard carry as the fullback, and Tight-End Jon Weaver hauled in a 25-yard acrobatic catch the put the cap on the scoring for the offense, making it 38-0 Steinert. Weaver, who had a pick-six taken away from him on defense due to a questionable call, was all over the field for Steinert racking up multiple tackles for a loss in his final game as a Spartan.
For the third straight year the Steinert defense did not allow a point to Hamilton, extending their shutout streak across 12 total quarters of football. Improving to 2-0 on Thanksgiving was Steinert Head Coach Thaddeus Richards, who has not given up a single point during that span and held the West offense to less than 10 rushing yards on the day. With the Thanksgiving victory, the Spartans finished the season at 5-7 with Hamilton West finishing at 2-9.
