Football

Division dominance sends dawgs to Dietz

Best effort to date locks up Divison II title and sends Highland packing

By RICHARD A. ROSS

JEFFERSONVILLE, NY — The Highland Huskies were hoping to slip into this year’s playoffs by ringing up a road win against Sullivan West on October 22.

Hey, they could have lost by less than eight points and still made it to the dance. All that was needed was what Yogi Berra refers to as some “déjà vu all over again.”

One year ago, Highland’s 30-22 homecoming victory ended the Bulldogs’ season, thereby short-circuiting Sullivan West’s chance to go to Dietz Stadium to play for a sectional title. So this year with a 2-1 divisional record, an effective passing attack and penetrating sweeps that accounted for 330 total yards in the team’s 28-14 October 15 loss against undefeated Marlboro, Highland figured this game could well be music to their ears.

Except it wasn’t exactly the tune they had in mind.

From Joe Meyer’s impressive kickoff overture, the Bulldogs amped up their offensive and defensive volume for 48 minutes, playing with a furious rhythm and a pulsating beat (or beat down, if you will) while harmoniously composing a most impressive score.

Simply put in musical terms: Highland had its bell rung.

Playing in what coach Ron Bauer summed up as his team’s best game of the year, the Bulldogs (7-0, 4-0 Division II) captured the Division II title and punched a ticket to the Section Nine Class B semifinals at Kingston’s Dietz Stadium on October 30 against New Paltz. The survivor of that game will advance the following weekend to the championship game against the other semifinal winner, either Marlboro or John S. Burke Catholic.

Burke, who lost mightily to Sullivan West three weeks ago, suffered a devastating 40-21 loss to Tri-Valley this week. So barring any surprises, the bout for sectional bragging rights is apt to pit the Bulldogs against the Iron Dukes.

That will suit the Bulldogs just fine. They’re tired of reading about Marlboro.

“How about some respect?” they seethe.

They earned the respect of Highland’s coach Carl Relyea, who believes the Bulldogs can beat Marlboro. He marveled at Sullivan West’s quickness and penetration.

“No matter what we tried to do, we couldn’t get it done. They were coming at us from both sides of the center in the ‘A’ gaps and we never had any time to develop our plays,” Relyea said.

Heady stuff.

Yet amidst such exciting talk of a possible championship, this New York Yankees fan is reminded of how easily fortune can turn. So boys…don’t look past this week’s game.

That being said, this team is now only four wins away from a trip to the Carrier Dome with a chance to play for a state title on November 26.

So let’s hear it one more time:

“What do we like to do? Win. Where do we want to go? States.”

As it happened

Highland won the toss, and though its offense struggled, the Huskies made two first downs courtesy of an encroachment penalty and a personal foul. Laying aside its early jitters, Sullivan West defenders regained their stature as Prophets of Doom as John Glassel came up with a timely fumble. Doomsdawg Corey Hornicek chewed up a chunk of Huskie turf on a sweeping run and Scott Peters followed with a 26-yard pass reception from Meyer. ‘Toe’ Meyer’s kick made it 7-0.

Highland quarterback Ryan Devoe quickly got on a first-name basis with the ground courtesy of a sack by Jim Erlwein and John Kitson. After Brett Yeomans broke up a third-down pass, Sullivan West got it going from the Huskie 45-yard line. Yeomans, Erlwein and Hornicek were featured in this series that ended when Hornicek drove it in from the three. Sullivan West led 13-0 after Meyer’s kick was blocked.

Huskie tailback Justin Oelgeschlager rushed for 180 yards against Marlboro last week. But in this game, 180 became a measure of degrees, not yards; the big back got turned around on nearly every carry.

After both teams traded three and outs, Meyer’s 47-yard punt pinned Highland at its own 15-yard line. Good Sullivan West field position turned into first and 10 for Highland when Peters mishandled a punt. He uttered his frustration in growls and grumbles, but his teammates assured him there’d be no damage.

There wasn’t.

Second quarter action featured a touchdown by Hornicek that was called back on a holding penalty, but things got really wild in the waning seconds of the half, which featured a strange game of hot potato. Neither team could hold onto the ball. First Orion Darder intercepted a pass and Sullivan West got close before Devoe grabbed a pic from Meyer in the end zone. With 36 seconds remaining, Highland fumbled it back to the Bulldogs. With 19 seconds to go, Meyer’s pass in traffic got picked off by Highland’s Matt Radomski. But Highland fumbled again and the Bulldogs had 4.4 seconds to go, just enough time for Meyer to hit Steve Daley on a pass at the pylon. Daley’s TD took the Bulldogs into halftime with a 20-0 lead.

Sullivan West received the ball in the second half and Peters converted a basic dive play into a 45-yard touchdown. The hasty halfback outran his defenders and took an angle towards the far side goal line to make it 27-0.

Highland finally scored on its next possession after a long run by senior Radomski to the 31, followed by a pass completion and breakaway by senior Nick Cooper. The Huskies had a first and goal at the three, and despite valiant efforts, the Bulldogs surrendered their first rushing touchdown of the season as Devoe scored on a keeper. An incensed Bulldog team ratcheted up its fervor and scored twice more to show its indignation.

John Kitson picked up a Huskie fumble and ran it in for the first payback score. After Hornicek had his second TD of the day called back, Peters made off with the pigskin on a 33-yard sprint to make it 41-7. Bauer summoned his junior varsity players for the offensive series. The varsity doomsday machine returned for defensive duty only.

Following the game, which was being taped for possible airtime on The Learning Channel’s (TLC) “Town Haul,” a show that will present on national television renovations of the village in six episodes in January, lead contractor Ray Romano enlisted the help of many of the players to install siding on the upper reaches of Michelangelo’s restaurant. “Town Haul” host Genevieve Gorder teamed up with the Bulldog cheerleaders to urge them on.

As a result, the show could feature the unlikely pairing of Hornicek with a nail gun and Peters eating pizza with his football helmet still on.

Outfitted with their newly acquired turf shoes, the Bulldogs traveled to Dietz Stadium on October 26 to acclimate themselves to the fast artificial surface.

Stat line: Sullivan West: Scott Peters: 7 carries for 86 yards with two touchdowns of 45 and 33 yards and a touchdown catch of 26 yards; Corey Hornicek: 8 for 62 with a three-yard TD; Jim Erlwein: 6 for 32; total rushing: 33 for 219 yards; Joe Meyer completed 7 of 8 passes for 63 yards with two TDs and two interceptions; John Kitson: one-and-a-half sacks; Erlwein: one-half sack. Highland tailback Justin Oelgeschlager: 15 carries for 31 yards.