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Football
Eldred 25, Roscoe 12
Eldred’s final game ends in jubilation under the lights
By RICHARD A. ROSS
ELDRED, NY — The pre-game atmosphere had a special feel to
it. It was Eldred’s first-ever night game and the fans were out in force to
cheer on the team they never gave up on.
True, it had been a season of disappointment, but this was
the last game for seniors Kyle Jasper, Rick Daboul, Dave Albanese, Todd Walter,
A.J. Martucci, Nic Olcott, Matt Counts and star running back Vinny Reilly. They
were introduced with their parents prior to the game.
The Yellowjackets were stoked for a win over Roscoe, a team
that beat them twice last year. Victory seemed likely since Roscoe came in
winless, decimated by last year’s graduation. Still, Roscoe was playing for
pride, and with savvy coach Fred Ahart on the sidelines, nothing could be taken
for granted.
Roscoe took the first kickoff but Eldred’s defense proved
itself worthy to the task. Starting on their own 18-yard line after a Roscoe
punt, the Yellowjackets went to work. Despite three penalties on their first
possession, they used runs by Reilly, Counts and a pass to Kyle Jasper from
quarterback Nick McCormick to set up a 22-yard touchdown run by Reilly with
2:33 left in the first quarter. Taylor Diguid’s PAT was good and Eldred led
7-0.
The celebration was short lived. A short kick off landed in
the hand of Roscoe’s Joseph Bowers who returned the ball all the way to the
Eldred one-yard line. In a blink of an eye, a four-yard run by Justin Bowers
made it 7-6. Fortunately the point after was blocked and Eldred held a slim
lead.
Eldred responded with another drive—also somewhat hampered
by penalties—that took the Yellowjackets down to the one-yard line.
Surprisingly, Eldred could not score and turned the ball over on downs after
the referees ruled McCormick down on an attemped pitch to Reilly behind the
line of scrimmage.
Eldred’s Kyle Jasper intercepted a third-down pass from
Justin Bowers and Eldred was set up again. Jasper scored a touchdown two plays
later with 5:24 to go in the first half and Eldred led 13-6 as Diguid’s PAT was
blocked.
Starting at their own 40-yard line, Roscoe went to an air
attack, and courtesy of a facemask penalty against Eldred, the Blue Devils got
within striking distance. A pass from Bowers to eighth grader John Clancy
brought Roscoe close at 13-12. The conversion attempt failed and Eldred held
the 13-12 lead at halftime.
Roscoe received the kickoff in the second half but went
three and out. Eldred got the ball on its own 20-yard line following a
touchback, but a personal foul penalty stalled the drive and they punted back.
Once again, the Yellowjackets’ defense proved its mettle,
holding Roscoe and forcing a punt. Taking over on their own 29-yard line with
1:05 remaining in the third quarter, Eldred started driving. Carrying the ball
on every down like a man possessed, Reilly finally broke free for a 13-yard run
to garner his second touchdown, giving Eldred a 19-12 lead with 10:18 to go in
the game. Diguid’s kick made it 20-12.
Roscoe seemed determined to make a comeback, but with the
ball on the Eldred 32, Nick McCormick picked off a Bowers pass at the Roscoe
40. Reilly and Counts both made headway on running plays. Reilly broke free
again, this time for 25-yards for his third score of the game to give Eldred a
26-12 lead, which stood up for the rest of the night.
When the game ended, emotions erupted. Despite their
disappointing season, the team and coaches seemed vindicated. Eldred players
hugged one another as fans and parents patted them on their backs. The seniors
were congratulated and thanked by their coaches and fans.
Stripped of his jersey and showing a mixture of joy and
sadness, Reilly said, “I wish this wasn’t the end. I hope I can play in
college.” He had a terrific career at Eldred, capped off by the victory over
Roscoe in which he ran for 197 yards on 29 carries. Nick McCormick completed
six of nine passes for 84 yards. Tim Hallock ran for 52 yards on 13 carries.
Kyle Jasper had two interceptions and McCormick had one.
Roscoe Coach Ahart was proud of his team despite the winless
season. “We’re young. I had a couple of eighth graders out there,” he said.
Last year’s superstar running back Brian Ballard was on the
sidelines to help out. “I thought about suiting him up,” joked Ahart. Coach
Kean was glad for his seniors. “Instead of getting down at halftime like we did
in about four games this year when things weren’t going as well as we planned,
I told them to just keep driving it. This time they did it.”
Eldred will hold its annual football dinner for team members,
parents and invited guests at the Eldred Preserve on November 12.
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