WALPOLE — For last night’s season opener at Walpole, King Philip coach Brian Lee worried a little about the inexperience his team had. After all, the Warriors graduated a talented and accomplished senior class.
But, after his team’s 42-14 romp, Lee’s King Philip Warriors played, well, like King Philip Warriors.
They combined a smothering defense with a punishing ground attack in the victory. For as many great players leave the program, Lee and Co. replace them every year, and this Hockomock and state power remains a pace-setter.
“We were very nervous up until this point because there were so many new faces,” Lee said. “Their heads were spinning. We’ve got four new o-linemen, plus a new tight end, new quarterback and all that stuff. It’s a lot. We didn’t really know. We hadn’t played anybody that good live and in action in a game with those newbies under Friday night lights here.”
Despite the relative inexperience, KP was dominant in every facet. The Warriors rushed for over 250 yards. Keigan Cant0-Osorio rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. Aiden Astorino (touchdown), Ryan Greenwood (71 yards rushing, TD), and Tallan King (56 yards rushing, TD) all ran the ball well.
Brandon Nicastro had a 90-yard kickoff return for a score, and the defense picked off two passes, did not allow a first down until the end of the first half, and did not give up a point until the starters were out.
It was a dominant performance.
“We take so much pride in our defense, just making checks right and doing our responsibility, lining up right,” said Astorino, a linebacker and running back. “Our big four is alignment, assignment, communication, and execution. We really did that all the quarters the ones were in. We just stopped them, and they couldn’t move the ball at all.”
The Timberwolves could not. After the teams traded punts to start the game, Tommy Kilroy for KP intercepted a pass to give the Warriors the ball at the Walpole. King followed with a 14-yard run, and a few plays later, Canto-Osorio was in the end zone on a 24-yard scoring run to help give KP a 7-0 lead.
After another Walpole three and out, KP quarterback Zach Gebhard completed two passes, and after the second, Canto-Osorio ran in an 8-yard touchdown to give KP a 13-0 lead.
Greenwood, a fullback, then set up another score with a 37-yard blast up the middle, and Astorino finished it off with a 3-yard scoring run. Canto-Osorio’s conversion rush made it 21-0 in the second quarter.
Again, Walpole went three and out, and Greenwood broke loose for a 30-yard touchdown. That made it 28-0 just before the half, and the rout was on.
Nicastro had his kickoff return in the third, and King added a touchdown to help make it 42-0 after Sean Woods’ extra point. Then it was running clock time, and Walpole added touchdowns from quarterback Noah Mackenzie to Will McGrath and Blake Pileski to Griffin McCarthy. But it was too little, too late.
“He was making nice cuts,” Astorino said of Canto-Osorio. “He was just making cuts on cuts, and running people over. They did not want to hit him on the outside. I expect this from him. A big game from him.