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Elmwood Park rushing attack rolls Guerin for first win
River Grove, 09/01/12--Elmwood Park's Rocco Fanella breaks through the line and heads upfield for a big gain. Guerin Prep High School hosted Elmwood Park High School in football Saturday afternoon. | Jon Langham~for Sun-Times Media
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Updated: September 10, 2012 9:03PM
RIVER GROVE — It would be an understatement to describe the Elmwood Park football team’s rushing attack as impressive against host Guerin Prep Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers pounded out seven rushing scores, also adding a defensive TD, in rolling to a 55-9 victory in Week 2.
Five different ball carriers found the end zone for Elmwood Park, including Rocco Fanella, who tied the score at 6-6 in the first quarter on a 9-yard TD run. Fanella led all runners with 168 yards on just eight carries, all before halftime.
Elmwood Park (1-1) piled up more than 400 yards on the ground, scoring five times in the second half to blow open a contest that was as close as 14-9 with just over two minutes left before the break.
David Benavidez had back-to-back TDs for the Tigers, scoring with just seconds left in the second quarter on a 3-yard run, and adding a 15-yard TD on Elmwood Park’s opening drive of the second half. The senior finished with 71 yards on five carries.
James Gonzalez collected 91 yards on four attempts, also scoring twice on runs of six and nine yards.
“One of our best features is having multiple running backs,” Elmwood Park coach Luis Arroyo said. “We have probably four quality running backs that can start at any time. It gets difficult at times, because they can all do it. So what we need to do is make sure, as coaches, to stay with our program so that those kids all get touches.”
James Angelico added a 6-yard TD scamper midway through the third quarter for the Tigers, while Geno Cadetto scored the game’s final TD on a 6-yard run in the closing minutes.
Guerin (1-1) was able to take a lead toward the end of the opening quarter, when Kevin Kross scooped up a fumble and returned it 18 yards to give the Gators a 6-0 advantage after a missed point-after kick. Kross also grabbed nine passes for 87 yards.
The Tigers scored a defensive TD when Mitch Cervante forced a fumble on a Guerin kickoff return and returned it 15 yards to the end zone.
