Pennsauken QB Cortez improvises way to 26-6 victory

Pennsauken's Manny Cortez appears to have a knack for turning broken plays into big plays.

Cortez, the Indians' junior quarterback, scored twice on plays that didn't go according to plan Saturday afternoon, to lead Pennsauken to a 26-6 victory over visiting Cherry Hill East in a West Jersey Football League National Division game.

The win lifted Pennsauken to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in the division, while East slipped to 1-3 and 1-2.

Cortez improvised while on the move, twice, to score on touchdown runs of 13 and 61 yards and put his team ahead, 20-0, in the third quarter.

But the 6-foot-1, 175-pound signal-caller appeared to be more impressed by another statistic that involved the entire team.

"This win shows that we're on the right track," Cortez said. "It was a very disciplined game, two penalties, and only 11 in four games. This team is disciplined."

Pennsauken, a team that has had its problems with penalties in the past, was flagged for being offside once and blocking in the back once for a total of 15 yards.

Pennsauken coach Clinton Tabb said that team discipline starts with the quarterback, and Cortez has shown leadership.

"There have been times this year when he made a bad play [offensively] and it affected him on defense," Tabb said. "Now he shakes it off.

"Having guys like Byron Rozier and Marcus Jones helps, because when you get into trouble you can throw the ball to Marcus" while Rozier blocks.

Rozier, a fullback on offense, was a disruptive force as a linebacker against Cherry Hill East throughout the game.

East quarterback Blaise Paglione, who took over the controls when senior Dan Melleby suffered a shoulder injury in the first game of the season, completed 3 of 7 passes for 25 yards out of the shotgun in the first half.

The sophomore southpaw fared better in the second half, when he completed 5 of 10 throws for 40 yards and a touchdown.

The Cougars were trailing, 26-0, when Paglione tossed a screen pass to senior running back Isaiah Campbell, who beat the outside coverage on the left side for a 13-yard touchdown pass 45 seconds into the last quarter.

"It was a slide route to the flat and I ran to a corner of the end zone trying to get there before them," said Campbell, who said that he has 4.49 speed in the 40. The 5-11, 190-pound running back caught two passes for 28 yards and a TD and rushed the ball 15 times for a team-high 59 yards.

Cherry Hill East   0 0 0 6 - 6

Pennsauken   7 7 12 0 - 26

P: Cortez 13 run (Beyallah kick)

P: Finley 10 run (Beyallah kick)

P: Cortez 61 run (kick failed)

P: Jones 46 punt return (kick blocked)

CHE: Campbell 13 pass from Paglione (kick failed)