Whittier Spoils Opener For Tucker, Austin Prep

READING, Ma. - His team had a player ejected for fighting, committed 13 penalties, and during the course of 48 minutes Saturday faced 1st-and-28, 3rd-and-31, and the ever popular 3rd-and-36. But after falling to Whittier, 16-6, in his first game as a head coach, Billy Tucker stayed positive about his team and optimistic about Austin Prep's future.

"We made some good plays. Unfortunately we beat ourselves with penalties," said Tucker, the former Reading High star who is taking over from Hall of Famer Bill Maradei. "We just weren't disciplined and that falls on me but I saw some really good things from some young guys. We executed on both sides of the ball, really good on special teams. We got better from our last scrimmage and it's just going to take some time."

With Michael Silva (9 for 17, 81 yards) at quarterback, AP controlled the first quarter, with 14 plays to Whittier's eight. But four penalties, including back-to-back calls for a false start followed by holding, kept the Cougars from the end zone.

It was more of the same in the second quarter. After AP recovered a fumble on Whittier's 37-yard line, it was called for a facemask penalty on the first play. Three plays later it was another false start, followed by an interception by Whittier's Nick Allen that gave the Wildcats the ball on the AP 37 (after an illegal block call on Whittier). Five plays later Chris Walsh tackled AJ Espinal for a 2-yard loss. But after the great defensive play, AP was called for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that gave Whittier the ball at the 6-yard line. On third and goal, Jyzaiah Ferreira scored and ran in the conversion to put Whittier up, 8-0.

The frustration continued for AP on their final series of the half. The Cougars went from their own 46 down to the 1-yard line. With one second remaining, Silva sprinted right and angled for the pylon. He crossed the goal line and thought he had scored, only to have the officials say no. Instead of tying the score, AP went into the locker room down, 8-0.

On the first play of the third quarter Michael Gizzi went 57 yards to put the Cougars at the 13-yard line. But on 4th down, just after an AP player was ejected for fighting and a Whittier player for leaving the bench, Silva's pass fell incomplete and Gizzi's effort was wasted. The same can't be said for the Wildcats. On their second play, Joe Iannalfo went 69 yards, taking the ball to the AP 18. But unlike the Cougars, Whittier cashed in when AJ Espinal scored from 4 yards out and after his conversion run it was 16-0.

When AP got the ball back, Ronan Noke took over at quarterback and the results were immediate. Ronan hit his brother Aidan for a 23-yard gain that took the ball to the Whittier 37. Ronan then ripped off an 18-yard run but again AP hurt itself, getting penalized for a personal foul that put the ball back on the 45. The Ronan's then connected for an 18-yard gain, but offsetting penalties negated the play. AP followed that with a holding call, followed by a false start. A punt mercifully ended the possession.

The Cougars finally got on the board in the fourth quarter after recovering a Whittier fumble on the 30-yard line. The second of two runs by Josh Azor produced the first AP score of the season with 10:38 remaining, but needing the conversion run, Noke's pass was intercepted and it was 16-6.

AP took over again with 6:38 to play and needing two scores, but seven incomplete passes including four straight gave Whittier the ball back. A late Whittier fumble gave AP one last chance with a minute to play, but on 4th-and-goal Whittier intercepted Noke and that was it.

"We're going to get better and better," said Tucker after addressing his team. "They're great kids, great faculty, great staff and I feel for them. But we'll get better. This isn't the last of AP."