Football

Bulldogs bulldoze LMR for first win of the season

Much-needed victory comes at the hands of winless Devilcats

By RICHARD A. ROSS

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY — What the Bulldogs needed most was a win and a change of polarity from their first two devastating losses of the season. After falling to Section IV mainstays Delhi and Walton, Sullivan West looked to right the ship like it did last year with a local win.

The schedule called for a visit to take on the Class D Devilcats of Livingston Manor/Roscoe (LMR), a team that succumbed to Eldred 40-0 just a week ago.

Sullivan West effected the exact same bushwhacking begun with an onslaught of four unanswered touchdowns on their way to a 33-0 lead at the end of the first half. At LMR, numbers are down this year. Couple that with the loss of several impact players to graduation and the Devilcats proved to be no match for Sullivan West’s size and skill advantage.

After Sullivan West’s Jason Leewe recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff at the LMR 25, the Dawgs used three running plays to strike gold with Jon Figueroa ending the drive with a 10-yard score. Jim Moloney’s point after touchdown (PAT) was good.

A LMR nice drive, which nearly stalled with a fumble, ended with a punt by Tyler Schmidt that pinned Sullivan West down deep in its own territory. But on this day, the Dawgs were out to run loose. Up the field they went. The drive ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Brad Reimer and the Dawgs led 13-0.

Holding LMR to three-and-out, deep in their own end, set up a nice return by Donald Cooper. With a first and goal inside the 10, it took Moloney only two plays to hit pay dirt. The PAT made it 20-0. Another LMR fumble, this time by Seth Darbee, which was pounced on by Matt Swendsen, gave the Dawgs another short field on the LMR 15. Pass interference by LMR advanced the ball further. Leewe got the ball into the end zone and the rout continued at 26-0.

Another fumble on LMR’s first offensive play of the second quarter had things going from bad to worse. Sullivan West held sway at the LMR 33, but a penalty and a series of stops by LMR got them the ball back.

Lost yardage and an inconceivable fourth fumble led to another Sullivan West touchdown, as John Whitaker pounced on the loose ball in the end zone. After a perfect PAT by Moloney, the Dawgs took their 33-0 lead into halftime.

Five straight first downs on the ground by Sullivan West opened the second half and advanced the ball 60 yards. Will Schlott recorded the day’s last score with a four-yard run.

Sullivan West (1-2) travels to take on the Bombers of Pine Plains on September 22 for its first league game of the season.

LMR’s season gets no easier with a visit to the ferocious Bears of Tri-Valley on September 23.