PLATTSBURGH — Peru took advantage of four Zane Bazzano touchdowns and 293 yards of total offense in the first half in a 54-12 defeat of Plattsburgh High in Champlain Valley Athletic Conference football Friday.
Sophomore quarterback Blake Altizer hit Bazzano on six, 16 and 38-yard touchdown strikes, while the junior all-purpose player capped off his unprecedented scoring night with an 85-yard kick return for a touchdown.
Since their 27-7 Week 1 loss to Saranac Lake, the Indians (5-1, 3-0) currently ride a five-game winning streak and have outscored their opponents 204-30.
“We’re more focused (since the loss) and we’re in better shape,” Altizer said. “Our defense has been playing great as of late. We’ve been practicing hard and it’s shown in the last five games.”
Peru dictated the tempo by going no-huddle early on and concluded first half play with a commanding 48-6 lead.
Third-year head coach Nick Damiani said the fast-paced philosophy helps relax Altizer behind center.
“We tried wearing the defense down in the first few drives by spreading the ball around,” Damiani said. “I thought we did a nice job of that and had some guys make big plays. We were pretty good at the point of attack starting with the offensive line.”
Damiani was searching for more consistency offensively, and to his delight the Indians pounced for three touchdowns in the first 12-minutes of play.
After Bazzano’s first touchdown reception, senior captain Tim Remillard escaped multiple tacklers for a 9-yard touchdown score with just under four minutes remaining in the first stanza.
The Hornets (1-5, 0-3) answered with a touchdown of their own when Devin Bryant scampered down the near sideline for a 51-yard touchdown run. However, the seven-point gap was short lived.
Bazzano took the ensuing kickoff 85-yards for a score to disrupt any potential Plattsburgh High momentum and extended the differential to a 15-point margin.
“After his short stint in the backfield, we wanted (Bazzano) to focus more on his role at wideout,” Damiani said. “He’s definitely effective at what he does and a hard kid to cover. Plus, (Altizer) is getting more comfortable, so now he’s able to deliver the ball downfield more efficiently.”
Remillard continued the assault and showed his physicality at 1:39 of the second stanza with a 6-yard score. Teammate Hunter Bruno matched the performance with a 6-yard dash to the end zone at 9:59.
Remillard finished the contest with eight rushing attempts, good for 122 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, while accumulating 70 yards on three pass receptions. All of which occurred in the first 26:25 of the game.
Plattsburgh High concluded the game’s scoring with a touchdown from Ricky Rhodes at 6:09 of the fourth quarter.
Bryant led the production department for the Hornets with 16 rushing attempts for 109-yards and a touchdown, while senior bruiser Shawn Shea finished with 43 yards on 12 carries.
The Indians travel to historic Linney Field in search of their sixth consecutive win against Moriah Friday night, while the Hornets play host to Ticonderoga.
—
Peru 54, Plattsburgh High 12
Peru 21 27 6 0 — 54
Plattsburgh High 6 0 0 6 — 12
First quarter
PCS- Bazzano 6 pass from Altizer (Boyer kick), 3:58.
PCS- Remillard 9 run (Boyer kick), 8:36.
PHS- Bryant 51 run (kick failed), 11:21.
PCS- Bazzano 85 kick return (Boyer kick), 11:38.
Second quarter
PCS- Remillard 6 run (Boyer kick), 1:39.
PCS- Bazzano 38 pass from Altizer (Boyer kick), 1:59.
PCS- Bazzano 16 pass from Altizer (Boyer kick), 8:16.
PCS- Bruno 6 run (kick failed), 9:59.
Third quarter
PCS- Remillard 54 run (kick failed), 2:25.
Fourth quarter
PHS- Rhodes 2 run (run failed), 6:09.
Individual statistics
Rushing
PCS- Remillard 8-122, 3 TD; Bruno 5-39, TD; McKethan 2-14; Sarazen 1-9; Mason 1-6; Pepen-Matos 2-0; Altizer 2-(-6). Team totals: 21-184, 4 TD.
PHS- Bryant 16-109, TD; Shea 12-43; Lemieux 2-4; Rhodes 4-0, TD; Courson 3-(-5). Team toals: 37-151, 2 TD.
Passing
PCS- Altizer 10-12-0-201, 3 TD. Pepen-Matos 0-1-0-0. Team totals: 10-13-0-201, 3 TD.
PHS- Courson 1-6-1-(-4). Lemieux 1-2-1-19. Team totals: 2-8-2-15.
Receiving
PCS- Bazzano 4-75, 3 TD; Remillard 3-70; Boyer 2-33; Phillips 1-23.
PHS- Rhodes 1-19; Miller 1-(-4).
Interceptions
PCS- Hendricks, Uliva.
