St. Vincent starts fast, finishes spectacularly

The first time St. Vincent High School’s Mustangs had the football against St. Helena Saturday afternoon, they scored on their second play. The second time they were in possession, it took them half that long.

Six minutes and three St. Vincent offensive plays into the game, the Mustangs led, 14-0, and it just got better and better from there.

Final score was 42-0, and by midway through the second quarter, the clock, by unanimous consensus, was kept running except for injuries and timeouts.

Injuries and illness sent St. Helena’s Saints into the game on the new turf at St. Vincent’s Yarborough Stadium at Kiley Field with just 17 suited players. But it wasn’t so much a matter of St. Vincent wearing down the visitors as it was dominating them from start to finish.

The beginning was spectacular. After the opening kickoff, St. Vincent ran Kris Farinha into the line for eight yards, stepped back five yards on an illegal procedure penalty and then scored. Quarterback Josh Wheless faked to Farinha, and then galloped 51 yards for the touchdown.

Jeff Kesler quickly gave the ball back to St. Vincent with an interception and, on the first play following the theft, Wheless hooked up with Michael Meiswinkel on a 62-yard touchdown pass. Meiswinkel deftly stepped around a faked-into-submission St. Helena defender to complete the play.

Two good conversion kicks by Kesler made it 14-0.

The game ended on an equally spectacular note, when Steve Blanchette stopped an impressive St. Helena drive by grabbing a Saint pass in the St. Vincent end zone and zipping coast-to-coast for a pass-interception touchdown. According to rule, Blanchette is credited with a 100-yard return. The reality is that he took the pass three yards deep in the end zone and ran 103 yards for the score.

In between the big beginning and fantastic finish there was all sorts of excitement — almost all of it provided by St. Vincent.

Before the end of the first quarter, Wheless passed 24 yards to a lonesome Zack Schlegel and on the Mustangs’ next possession hit the same receiver for another touchdown. This one was good for 29 yards and required a leaping snare by the catcher.

Kris Farinha, the leading rusher in St. Vincent history, got in on the fun when he burst 75 yards for a fifth St. Vincent score midway through the second quarter.

St. Helena managed a few fairly decent drives, but was stymied each time by interceptions or sacks.

St. Vincent played most of the second half with reserves. Connor Ciocci, taking over ball-carrying duties for Farinha, was impressive with 49 yards in five carries. Farinha finished with 139 yards in just six carries.

Wheless ran for 52 yards in three carries and completed five of six passes for 130 yards and three touchdowns.

“We played well,” acknowledged St. Vincent coach Gary Galloway. “We’re really coming together. They’re not rookies any more.”