As the 2016 Olympic Heights football season began, the big question was can the team make improvements on last year’s disappointing one-win season. After the team’s first outing of the year in the preseason Kick-Off classic, a mistake-filled 16-10 loss to Saint John Paul II Academy, it appeared that the Lions might be doomed for another long, loss-filled season.

But, the coaching staff, under Head Coach Chris Kokell in his second year at the OH helm, spent the following week studying game film to get an overview of where the team needed to improve, which included “finishing plays, making better reads and tackling” according to Kokell.

Apparently, the necessary adjustments were made as the team is off to a 2-0 start on the regular season with wins over Jupiter and Spanish River.

On the difference between the Saint John Paul II game and the season opening 20-7 win over Jupiter, quarterback Anthony Petillo said, “John Paul was a test. We didn’t know how we were going to look, but against Jupiter we came with a better mindset and we played smarter.”

Relying on the experience of its returning players, a strength of this year’s squad according to Kokell, the Lions went to Jupiter in the first of a four-game road trip with the Lions’ offense firing on all cylinders. After having an early touchdown called back on a holding penalty, Petillo hooked up with wide receiver Michael Ippolito for a 70-yard scoring play. The point after was added by place kicker Omar Iqab to stake the Lions to an early 7-0 lead.

Midway through the second quarter, on a fake field goal attempt, the Lions’ Joey Poloskey found Rubens Jerome, who has a scholarship offer from Wagner College in New York City, in a one-one-one mismatch for a 35-yard TD pass.

The Lions’ offense capped off a dominating first half behind strong play from the offense line, and the OH “Thunder and Lightning” running attack of Jon Roseme and Reis Clark. The half ended on a Clark on a 35-yard TD run to put the Lions up 20-0.

Battling torrential rains through the second half, the Lions relied on their defense to keep the Warriors on the short end of the score. Led by linebackers Tommy Morelli, Troy Jaffey and Jason Dodin, the Lions stifled any attempts of a Jupiter running game and forced multiple turnovers with Morelli recovering two fumbles to end Warrior drives.

A pass rush led by Sebastian Bruno, Todd Witherspoon, and Poloskey had Jupiter quarterback Alex Piccirrili rushing throws unsuccessfully into the blanket coverage of Mike Nestor, Warren Laguerre and Wadson Belizaire throughout the second half where Jupiter managed their lone touchdown.

The Lions built on the confidence – something Kokell feared may be a weakness for the team – gained in the win over Jupiter to defeat cross-town rival Spanish River 20-14 on Friday, Sept. 2, for the second win of the young season.

With the Lion faithful out in full force at River, most of the first half saw the Lions and Sharks trading mid-range and failed drives as both defenses held tough. The first half had the Lions’ Witherspoon spending most of his time in the Sharks’ backfield. With 1:06 left in the half, the Lions finally got in to the end zone on a 40-yard TD pass from Petillo to Nestor. Iqab’s point after staked the Lions to a short-lived 7-0 lead.

The Sharks were set up in favorable field position after a Sharks kick-off return to the Lions 20-yard line. The return followed a penalty on an attempted on-sides kick, leaving the Lions re-kicking from their own 25. With just 4.3 seconds left in the half, the Sharks scored on a 5-yard TD pass. The extra-point sent the teams to the half with the scored tied 7-7.

Heights regained the lead midway through the third quarter when a penalty on a River punt set the Lions up at the Sharks’ 35-yard line. On the very first play of the drive, Clark took a Petillo handoff on a nifty 35-yard run to the end zone. Iqab’s extra point put the Lions up 14-7 with 7:51 remaining in the third quarter.

A poor River punt set the Lions up at the Sharks’ 25-yard line on their next possession. A crisp drive saw Petillo hit tight end Shane Ellis for a 14-yard gain, Clark go on a 10-yard run down to the River 1-yard line, and Roseme pound the rock into the end zone to put the Lions up 20-7 with just over four minutes remaining in the third quarter.

The Sharks did not go belly-up, however, as they went on an impressive drive late in the third quarter. That drive came to a screeching halt when safety Jefferson Edward intercepted a 4th and goal-to-go pass at the goal line.

However, with just 6:30 remaining in the game, a Clark fumble deep in the Lions own territory set the Sharks up for their second touchdown with a 5-yard run on the very next play, pulling the Sharks within six at 20-14.

The subsequent Lions drive stalled at the River 15-yard line when an Iqab field-goal attempt to seal the victory was blocked, giving the Sharks one last attempt to steal the victory. The Lions defense held tough, however, and the game ended with a Laguerre interception of a desperation pass.

The Lions will head to Lantana on Friday, Sept. 9, to put their 2-0 record on the line against the Santaluces Chiefs.