Football

LMR gets first game experience in loss to Deposit

By RICHARD A. ROSS

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY—The excitement was palpable as the Devil Cats, the newly merged Livingston Manor and Roscoe (LMR) team, took the field in their maroon and gray jerseys, navy blue pants and white helmets. Emotions soared on the sidelines and in the faces of the fans who came out on a brilliantly sunny day to see rival team players do something many believed unimaginable, namely play together. The merged Town of Rockland team undoubtedly saved the sport, a fall rite of passage that has been a vital part of both northern Sullivan County communities for time immemorial.

According to coach Fred Ahart, had the schools had not merged their football programs, it’s likely neither Livingston Manor or Roscoe would have been playing on opening day.

But play they did.

Season opener opponents were the Deposit Lumberjacks, a Section 4 Class D team that struggled in 2004 with a 3-6 record and won the sectional title in 2003. The Lumberjacks made up for their small numbers with efficiency and poise. Given the fact that this was LMR’s first game, the team’s coaches Ahart and Kevin Clifford knew that plays had to be basic and crisp execution needed. LMR was also missing two key players, Lee Sanabria and Kelly Lackey, who remain ineligible until week three.

Despite their limitations, LMR kept it close in the first half and showed their ability to move the ball on the ground with some impressive runs by Dan DeVantier, Tyler Schmidt, Ryan Taggart and Mike Perry. Lance Brookins looked solid at quarterback. The newness of the team showed in a preponderance of delay-of-game and offsides penalties that stymied key drives.

After recovering a Deposit fumble on the Lumberjack’s first offensive play of the game, LMR had a first down at their own 45. A procedure penalty gave them a first and 15 instead. That drive stalled at the Deposit 33 and the Lumberjacks struck quickly on a 65-yard burst off left tackle, by junior running back Tyler Vandermark to make the score 6-0. Lining up strong left, Deposit bulldozed through a two-point conversion and took an 8-0 lead. Both the touchdown and the conversion resulted from defensive miscues.

The Lumberjacks held the Devil Cats at bay in the second quarter and took that 8-0 lead into halftime after having a last-second touchdown run called back on a clipping penalty. LMR was hurt in the first half by two delay-of-game penalties that killed off two key drives, including one that took them to the Deposit 23.

The third quarter began with Deposit getting great field position on an onside kick. Running by Vandermark set up Deposit’s second score, a short dive by quarterback Ryan Briggs.

A seemingly botched conversion attempt miraculously turned into a pass reception and LMR trailed 16-0 early in the third quarter. A false start and a delay-of-game penalty, resulting from the team’s newness, got the ball back to the Lumberjacks, who quickly converted a 43-yard Briggs pass to split end Ali Caba for another score. The extra point made it 23-0.

In the fourth quarter, things went south for LMR as they gave up two more touchdowns. They may also have lost their quarterback Brookins, who was ejected from the game for unsportsmanlike conduct following a roughing the kicker penalty. A game videotape showed Brookins merely stepping over the kicker but the official ruled that contact was intentional. Pending an appeal, Brookins may miss next week’s league game at Chester. That might sting a lot more than the 35-0 opening day defeat.

Summing up the day’s events, coach Fred Ahart said, “We were there,” referring to the close score at halftime. “I thought we could take advantage of that but we didn’t. That’s football. Give them credit, they played well,” he said, referring to Deposit.

Expect LMR to regroup and use this first-game experience as a jumping-off point. Sanabria, Lackey and Brookins will be suited up for a non-league meeting versus Eldred, scheduled to be played in Roscoe.