Football

Never surrender

Sullivan West ascends Cloud Nine for third straight time with win over relentless Bears

By RICHARD A. ROSS

KINGSTON, NY - In the end, the much anticipated “Delirium in Dietz Stadium,” the Class C title rematch between Sullivan West and Tri-Valley, lived up to its billing. Though Sullivan West emerged as the 48-27 victors, Tri-Valley fought like demons. The Bears, who had earmarked a victory in this game as their goal for the season, turned a 28-7 third-quarter deficit into a pitched battle and fought back to within one touchdown of tying it up, twice.

The Bears got off to a great start as Bo Murphy’s opening squib kick pinned the Bulldogs back at their own 16. A Bulldog offsides penalty made their starting point the 11, and Tri-Valley’s staunch defense forced a punt after three-and-out. Dustin VanLieu capitalized on the Bears’ great starting field position at the 42 with a five-yard keeper. A 37-yard shovel-option pitch to Brendan Musa took the ball to the one. Fullback Ryan VanLieu ran it in from the one at 9:27, but the touchdown proved very costly.

In the push to get the ball over the goal line, VanLieu reinjured his knee, which had sidelined him for the better part of the season. The early loss of a key player was ominously reminiscent of the injury to Danny Knox on the opening kickoff of last year’s tilt between the two best Class C teams in Section Nine.

VanLieu’s absence removed a key weapon from coach John Rusin’s arsenal, but the Bears pulled together and resolved to keep their great start going as Murphy got set to kick off again.

Though the Bears were filled with intensity and fervor, they ultimately committed a number of errors, including six turnovers and key penalties that stymied progress at critical times.

But their day of troubles began on the ensuing kickoff as Sullivan West’s Donald Cooper rambled 82 yards to the house at 9:15 to make it a 7-6 game. Jim Moloney’s PAT failed and the Bears nursed a narrow lead. That lead proved to be short-lived.

They failed to get a first down on their next series and punted. They held Sullivan West one inch short of a first down, and got the ball back at their own 29.

After a sack of Dustin VanLieu by Matt Swendsen, VanLieu was hit again, this time by Alan Ackermann. VanLieu fumbled and Ackermann recovered the ball at the Tri-Valley 14. Moloney promptly hit Cooper on a 14-yard pass play and the Dawgs led 14-7 with 4:47 remaining after Jon Figueroa ran in the two-point conversion.

A huge return by Kyle Byrne to the 44 had the Bears in good field position, but a pair of penalties, including a costly block-in-the-back, undercut the advance, which came to a halt when Ackermann intercepted a VanLieu pass for turnover number two.

The Dawgs parlayed that gift into a 35-yard pass to Justin Alsdorf, and capped things off with a 13-yard touchdown (TD) run by Moloney for the 21-7 lead after Moloney’s PAT.

Jason Leewe picked off another VanLieu pass to end Tri-Valley’s next series.

Defensive end Max Fiedler sacked Moloney to halt another Bulldog scoring threat. Moloney’s deep punt put the Bears far back up field where their offense stalled. Tri-Valley’s defense cut off the Bulldogs’ fourth score by tackling Leewem just short of the pylon on a fourth-and-goal from the 10.

The half ended with the Dawgs leading 21-7, after Moloney intercepted a VanLieu pass for turnover number four.

Tri-Valley received to start the second half, but after an electric return by Kevin Drown to the Bulldogs’ 38, the turnover bug struck again as a fumble by Kevin Smith was recovered by Bulldog John Whittaker for turnover number five. Moloney hit Alsdorf with a 17-yard pass and then dished a shovel pass to Figueroa, who juked 26 yards for the score at 8:11. With Moloney’s PAT, the score stood at 28-7.

It looked like Sullivan West had the Bears caged.

But Tri-Valley is an extremely well coached group that has no quit in them. Two series later, Fiedler recovered a fumble by Cooper and raced 58 yards to give the Bears life at 28-13 with 1:34 left in the third quarter. The Bears then pounced on a Murphy onsides kick and recovered it at the Bulldogs’ 35.

An ensuing 32-yard TD strike from VanLieu to Sean Drown had the Bears crowd in a tizzy and the Sullivan West sideline somber as the scoreboard read 28-21 after Musa carried in the two-point conversion. The Bears tried an onside kick again, but Swendsen fell on it at the Dawgs’ 48. The game had the makings of a barnburner, with the Bears dangerously close at 28-21 as the third quarter ended.

But in this epic struggle, Sullivan West found a way to answer Tri-Valley’s challenge. Big games bring out the best in great players and Moloney earned his stripes. He answered the call with a 31-yard pass that turned into a highlight reel catch for Alsdorf. Figueroa carried the ball 18 yards to the house on the next play on a flanker sweep at 11:51. Moloney’s PAT made it 35-21 and the Dawgs breathed a bit easier.

But not for long.

Three plays after North tore off a huge return to the Dawgs’ 47, VanLieu hit North on a fly-pattern pass for a 30-yard TD at 10:32, and the Bears were again within one score at 35-27 after Alex Calabrese’s PAT was blocked.

The stunned Dawgs went three-and-out. In its next series, instead of tying the game, the Bears turned it over again as VanLieu fumbled and Whittaker recovered the ball that the game’s Defensive MVP Ackermann had knocked loose. Moloney, the game’s offensive MVP, tossed his third touchdown pass, an 18-yarder to Alsdorf to put the Dawgs up 42-27.

Tri-Valley answered back with what appeared to be a 42-yard balancing act TD run by Musa along the sideline, but it was called back for an ineligible receiver downfield.

Alsdorf had one more great catch in him, a 23-yard grab to the Bear’s 18. Runs by Moloney and Leewe set up Dan Figueroa’s one-yard TD run that iced the 48-27 victory.

It was Sullivan West’s third consecutive Section Nine title. Though the Bears desperately sought redemption for last year’s 34-7 title game loss to the Bulldogs, Sullivan West succeeded in building on its back-to-back titles won from Class B Marlboro in 2004 and last year’s Bears defeat. This year’s win gave them the three-peat.

This game was high school football at its best, featuring a Bears team that vowed to never surrender and a Bulldogs squad that marshaled its forces in the air and on the ground against a daunting opponent.

Not without injuries of their own, Sullivan West overcame the loss of Brad Reimer, who is out for the year since the last game against Tri-Valley; and a hobbled Leewe, who played with a nagging ankle injury from the game versus Millbrook, which was aggravated in full-contact practice two days prior to the sectional final.

Ultimately, Sullivan West’s overpowering line play and its defense, which forced six Tri-Valley turnovers, proved to be the determining factor.

Sullivan West seniors Bryan Schmidt, Ackerman, Swendsen, John Dertinger, Alsdorf, Figueroa and Patrick Knack posed with the trophy that had been presented to Nick Mootz. Mootz was lifted onto the shoulders of his teammates.

Coach Ron Bauer told his team, “You did a great job and really pulled together.”

Rusin gathered his troops and had his seniors Byrne, Smith, James Knapp, Calabrese, North, Brendan Walsh and Fiedler stand up as he honored them for their leadership and their commitment.

“I couldn’t have asked more out of you. You set a tone for what Tri-Valley football is all about,” Rusin told his elder statesmen. The rest of the team took turns embracing the team’s outgoing leaders. “We went in at halftime down 21-7, and I saw more heart and great pride in that second half. A lesser team would have hung their heads, but you scored, recovered that onside kick and got within one touchdown. You guys left it all out there on the field tonight, and you gave me everything you had. As a first-year varsity coach, I couldn’t ask for anything more,” he said.

After his team left the field, Rusin admitted that his team had made a lot of mistakes early but he credited Sullivan West with playing an excellent game. “They stopped us early,” he said, “but our kids carried themselves with class and never quit.”

Rusin looks forward to next season when his team, which will have lost only a few seniors, will have a championship game experience under their belts.

Sullivan West (6-4) will play Dobbs Ferry (9-0) at Mahopac High School on November 10. The Bulldogs lost to last year’s Class C state runner-ups 26-0. Dobbs Ferry fell in the title game to Sydney.

Stat line

Sullivan West passing: Moloney completed 10-of-16 passes for 190 yards and three TDs.

Sullivan West receiving: Alsdorf, five catches for 136 yards and a TD; Cooper, two-for-14 and a TD; Figueroa, two-for-31 and a TD; Leewe one-for-nine.

Sullivan West rushing: Figueroa, six carries for 72 yards; Moloney, 10-for-37 and a TD; Will Schlott, eight-for-14; Dan Figueroa, seven-for-two.

Tri-Valley passing: Dustin VanLieu completed five-of-25 passes for 121 yards with two TDs and four interceptions.

Tri-Valley receiving: Nick Cassidy had two catches for 17 yards; Musa, one-for-37; North, one-for-30 and a TD; Sean Drown, one-for-37 and a TD.

Tri-Valley rushing: Dustin VanLieu rushed 15 times for 32 yards; Ryan VanLieu, one-for-one and a TD; Kevin Smith, eight-for-15 and Musa, six-for-45.,

Max Fiedler had a fumble recovery and a 58-yard TD run.

Visit riverreportersports.com for a title-game album of photos.