Classical grounded by Winthrop

WINTHROP – After racking up 324 yards rushing a week earlier, the Classical ground game was missing in action Friday in a 16-6 loss to Winthrop at Miller Field.The Rams compounded the power outage with a couple of fumbles and missed opportunities that opened a door that Winthrop gladly walked through.”They played and we didn’t,” Classical coach Tim Phelps said. “We made mistakes. Fumbles, dropped passes, you can’t make those mistakes, especially when you’re away.”Classical (2-2) moved the ball well on its first possession. After getting the ball on the 50, quarterback Nick Grassa opened with a 19-yard keeper that put the Rams on the Winthrop 31. Six plays later, Casey Johnson barreled up the middle for a 3-yard touchdown. The kick failed.The Vikings (2-2) came into the game hobbled by a few injuries, one of them a wrist problem with quarterback William Milano. Milano took over on Winthrop’s third possession and it was as if someone turned on the light switch.Milano got the ball on the 28 and 14 plays later ran it in from one-yard out (Robert Deeb’s kick was good) to give the Vikings a lead that help up until the final whistle. The key plays of the drive included a 28-yard pass to Nick McCarthy, a 15-yard run by McCarthy and a Milano 21-yard pass to Chris Strangie that landed the Vikings on the Classical five.Winthrop took a 7-6 lead into the lockerroom and after shutting the Rams down on their opening possession of the second half, McCarthy struck again – this time on a 64-yard touchdown run – to give the Vikings a 13-6 lead.Winthrop threatened again on its next possession, but the Ram defense came up big, stopping the Vikings three times from the one-yard line. On third and a foot, the Rams threw McCarthy for an eight-yard loss which turned into 13 yards thanks to a penalty.The defensive stand didn’t provide Classical with the shot in the arm it needed. Early in the fourth quarter, after starting a drive on its own five, Classical fumbled and Winthrop’s James Barker, who had started a quarterback, recovered the ball. Although the Vikings had to settle for a field goal, it wwas enough to end any Classical hopes of a comeback. The Rams got to the Winthrop 27 with 2:29 left, but fumbled the ball and Winthrop recovered.”After a tough couple of weeks, it was nice to be home,” Winthrop coach Sean Driscoll said. “They a very good football team.”Driscoll said he was very happy with the say his defense played. He also had praise for McCarthy (23-123 yards rushing). Classical only had 89 yards rushing and nine yard passing. Winthrop had 123 yards rushing and 91 yards passing.