Author: Shane Kelly

Spirit Week: How Palmer and DeRusso Represent “Twin Day”

Spirit Week: How Palmer and DeRusso Represent “Twin Day”

Today’s spirit week theme is “Twin Day”presented by the organization Africa In Motion. Seniors Greg Palmer and Alex DeRusso represent twin day perfectly, they call themselves, the “twin towers”.  The “twin towers” are a dynamic duo on the field this season, time to take a deeper look at each of these two receivers.

Greg Palmer, number 86, is one of the four captains on the Pioneers and is leading the team in receiving yards this season. Currently Palmer has 24 catches for 511 yards all in just four games. He also has three touchdowns with the longest being a 68 yard bomb.

When he unbuckles the helmet he enjoys nature and doing things outside. His favorite movie is Tommy Boy, favorite food is fish and chips, and his favorite music group is Rise Against. He first started playing football in 7th grade and is a Patriots fan.

If he could spend a day with any famous person it would be Derek Jeter because that was his first major sports idol. His pregame ritual is to listen to music in the locker room.

Take a better look at Palmer, here.

Alex DeRusso, number 10, is also a senior who is having a good start to his final season. He is second behind Palmer in receiving yards this season, he has 19 catches for 334 yards and one touchdown.

After the cleats come off, one of DeRusso’s favorite hobbies is singing. His favorite movie is I Love You Man, favorite food is french toast and favorite music artist is Kid Cudi. He first started playing football in 2nd grade and is a Seattle Seahawks fan.

Just like Palmer, If DeRusso could spend a day with one famous person he would chose Derek Jeter because he is a Yankee fan. His pregame ritual is to drink two cups of Gatorade and do a “jump and bump” with Palmer right before kickoff.

Check out why DeRusso wears number 10, here.

Pioneers Top Morrisville

Pioneers Top Morrisville

Morrisville is slowly becoming a rival school of the Utica Pioneers.

Two seasons ago offensive coordinator of Pioneer’s Kurt Fitzpatrick, took the head coaching job and Morrisville. Fast forward to a year later, and now Utica is playing Fitzpatrick and the Morrisville team in a bowl game. Unfortunately  Utica suffered a loss in that game, but it sparked a fuel for this seasons match up.

In this seasons game, both teams had a quiet offensive first quarter after it ended scoreless. The Pioneers got the offense rolling first, as kicker Thomas Woodburn hit one of his three field goals of the night. Woodburns three field goals and three extra point kicks set the school record for most points made by a kicker in a single game.

The second score of the game also was by Utica. Junior Nicodemus Gambill punched in a nine yard touchdown run to put the Pioneers up 10-0. Morrisville was quick to strike back, as running back Christian Pena ran for 28 yards for a touchdown to set the score 10-7. Then Woodburn added another field goals to put it at 13-7 pioneers with 1:47 left in the half. Right before the end of the half however, Utica Quarterback Teddy VanGalen completed a 23 yard pass to Jarred Beniquez to make it 19-7 going into the half.

The second half was all Pioneers as Morrisville would only score one more touchdown by Cory Benedetto . The Pioneers scored on a field goal, a safety and two more touchdowns. One offensive reception caught by Greg Palmer and a fumble recovery for a touchdown by Nick Woodman, Leaving the Pioneers victorious 38-14 as the fourth quarter came to an end.

After the game, student-assistant coach James Murphy said, “This is a great win against a very good team. It gives us some good confidence for next weeks game against Cortland State.”

The fans also had a lot to say after the impressive Utica win. Former player and current fan, Jacob Nigolian said, “After losing a tough one against Morrisville last year, a win against them feels as good as ever.”

For more pictures, videos and action about the game, click here.

The Utica Comets Broken Down

The Comets franchise has been around since 1932.  The Utica Comets however are very new. The Comets franchise was purchased by the NHL team the Vancouver Canucks and started their operation in Utica in 2013. Go follow the Comets on Twitter for information about the team and ticket sales.

The Comets play their home games at the Utica Memorial Auditorium, better known as the Aud. Built in 1957, the Aud can fit up to 3,800 fans for a Comets game.

In just the two short years that the Comets have been in Utica they have had huge success. Last season they were in the American Hockey League (AHL) finals. Unfortunately, they did not win the championship but they were named conference champions.

The Comets are in the Eastern Conference of the AHL and in the Northern Division. There are seven teams in the Comets division and 15 teams in their conference. Finishing best out of all those teams in just their second year in Utica gives the fans a lot to cheer for.

To show how much better they have gotten over just one year, take a look at the numbers, here.

Without a doubt the Utica Comets are among the most popular teams to follow in Utica, and for all the right reasons. Their quick success has made them a team that is nationally known in the world of AHL hockey. Utica can only hope that this success continues. Hopefully with their success it brings even more fans to their games and more championships back to this great city.

Unique Sports In Utica

The city of Utica is home to a number of sports teams at many different levels. For the size of Utica, being home to an American Hockey League (AHL) team, a college team and multiple high school teams is quite impressive.

Probably the most famous of teams in Utica, the Utica Comets are an NHL affiliate team with the Vancouver Canucks. The Comets started calling Utica home in 2013 and play their home games at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

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Utica is also home to Utica College, a Division III collegiate school that houses multiple men’s and women’s sporting teams. Founded in 1946 and affiliated with Syracuse University,  Utica College is now a private institution. The Pioneers have had growing success in their sporting programs and now have one of the biggest inflatable domes to play and practice sports in the entire country!

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No matter what age, anyone can find a sport to entertain them in Utica.

 

 

 

Shane Kelly

My name is Shane Kelly. I am 20 years old and was born and raised in Syracuse, New York. With that being said, I am an absolute die hard Syracuse Basketball fan. I am a senior at Utica College majoring in communication arts and minoring in journalism. My favorite hobbies include fishing, watching sporting events and bodybuilding/lifting weights. I will be covering the sports section on the Utica Entertainment website.