Football

Eldred’s quest advances with first league win

Coach Kean’s 90th-career win is an essential step toward ultimate goal of sectional title

By RICHARD A. ROSS

AMENIA, NY — In the twilight of a career of manning the sidelines for over three decades, Eldred’s football coach Frank Kean finds himself in the midst of a wonderful dream. In it he envisions himself standing on the sidelines at Dietz Stadium with his team playing for a sectional title. Over recent years, Kean has coached teams that had the potential to convert that dream into a reality, but unfortunately each time something happened to burst the bubble, delaying the champion quest for another year.

This year, Kean and his loyal hive of Yellowjackets are again on a mission to make that dream come true. And if the Yellowjackets (4-0, 1-0 Class D) continue on their current course, they could well avail themselves and their coach the chance to play for that elusive sectional title. But lurking ahead are teams that would love to deny Kean and his team that chance. League rivals Chester, Millbrook and LMR must all be beaten if the Yellowjackets are going to Dietz Stadium. Long-range goals begin with short-term accomplishments and on September 24, Eldred handed Kean his 90th career win as they downed Webutuck for the second time this year.

The first win, a 44-14 victory over the Warriors on September 10, was a non-league match up. This week’s victory propelled Eldred into a tie with Chester in Class D.

Just like last time, the Webutuck Warriors were strong at the outset. First a Webutuck punt by Jeramie Richardson pinned Eldred at its own four-yard line. Trying to give itself some room Eldred went to the air. Webutuck’s Cody Cafiero picked off a pass by Nick McCormick and returned it to the Eldred five-yard line. Special teams rise to just such occasions and Eldred’s defense was up to the task.

Webutuck tried two times to ram the ball in. On the first carry, Marquis Williams was thrown for a four-yard loss. On his second attempt, he ran into nose tackle Hilton Johnson, who jarred the ball loose. Eldred’s Jonathan Counts picked up the ball and galloped 90 yards for the score. Mike Prunka’s PAT gave Eldred a 7-0 lead.

Earlier this season, Eldred had a momentary mental lapse against Hancock that resulted in a breakaway play. It happened again this week. With just over six minutes to play in the second half, Warrior speedster Tiere Spruill galloped 69 yards on a trap play. Webutuck was back in the game at 7-6. The extra point attempt failed. Despite the score, Webutuck was having troubles of its own with players’ emotions running unchecked. An unsportsmanlike penalty by Webutuck’s Riley Malloy fueled Eldred’s next drive that culminated in a five-yard touchdown run by Patrick Kean. With Prunka’s PAT, Eldred took a 14-6 lead into halftime.

An intense halftime speech by Kean inflamed the hive, and Eldred went on a tear. A second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Webutuck started the Warriors’ downward spiral. Instead of facing a third and 13 to start the second half, the penalty gave Eldred a first down and a chance to continue. A 60-yard drive ended with a six-yard Counts run and Eldred led 21-6.

Kean picked up his second TD in the fourth quarter on a six-yard run and the score bulged to 27-6. Abuzz with excitement, Eldred continued to swarm. McCormick hit J.T. Vogt on a 30-yard TD pass and perfect Prunka made it 34-6. Pulling his varsity offense didn’t stop the scoring. Junior varsity running back Tom Compasso iced the win with a 20-yard TD run. Webutuck fell to 0-4 (0-2 Class D).

The game got off to a late start after Eldred’s tardy arrival. Their charter bus never showed up so the team jumped on the cheerleaders’ bus to Glen Spey where they transferred to a large bus. Woes continued when the driver got lost on the way to Amenia but it all worked out in the end. Eldred travels to Tri-Valley next weekend, while Webutuck takes on LMR.

Counts carried the ball 28 times for 189 yards in Eldred’s victory.