Football

Phoenix rising

Bulldogs bounce back to down defending B champ Red Hook; Moloney dislocates his shoulder but will be ready for next fray

By RICHARD A. ROSS

LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — NFL Hall of Famer andformer New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor once said, “It’s not a crime getting knocked down. It’s a crime if you don’t get back up.”

Sullivan West got knocked down last week at Walton big time, but the Dawgs marshaled their forces to deliver a dramatic win over Class B defending champion Red Hook. They played most of the game without starting quarterback Jim Moloney, who dislocated his shoulder after a heroic run that set up the team’s second score of the first quarter. Sullivan West is, as Coach Ron Bauer put it, “moving in the right direction.”

In past seasons, Sullivan West has used its early season losses to toughen itself up for the vital league games that come along later. The Bulldogs have started at 0-2 for the past two years and ended each with the Section Nine Class C title, after capturing the Class B crown in 2004. That was the last year that Sullivan West played Red Hook. They won that game.

After losing to Walton last week 62-16, some pundits predicted that the Bulldogs would fall prey to Red Hook, which hoped to rebound from its own first-week loss, a 47-0 thrashing by Cornwall.

Red Hook was returning Max O’Meara and Billy Toten, both of whom did not play in the Cornwall game, as well as receiver Tommy Howard, who was banged up last week. So while Red Hook gained by the return of those players, Sullivan West shocked Red Hook with a return of its own on the very first play.

Red Hook won the toss but put its defense on the field to make a statement. But it was Sullivan West’s Brad Reimer that had the first word, an 82-yard return to the house with only 13 seconds off the game clock.

Artie Norden’s PAT made it 7-0 and the Dawgs, who many had already left for dead, were showing their bite.

Red Hook’s first series was marred by a holding penalty, and the Raiders were forced to punt. Red Hook encroached on the Dawgs’ second play from scrimmage, and quarterback Jim Moloney set up at his own 47, after a first down by Dan Figueroa.

On the next play, Moloney took the ball and made a beeline for the left pylon, but he dislocated his shoulder when he hit the ground at the one-yard line. He came out of the game and, although the shoulder was popped right back in, he did not return to the fray. Brad Reimer took over calling signals.

Two plays later, Will Schlott got a big push from the Sullivan West offensive line that was showing marked improvement early and often. Schlott dove in from the one, but Norden’s PAT was blocked. The Dawgs now led 13-0 with 7:01 left in the first quarter.

On Sullivan West’s next possession, Red Hook lined up in the neutral zone, but the flag flu was later caught by Sullivan West, who would rack up an uncanny nine penalties, two of which resulted in second-half touchdowns being called back: one on a dive by Schlott and the other on a great gallop by Dan Figueroa.

Mike Schmidt broke up a pass by Red Hook quarterback James Kravic, and great defense by Sullivan West’s Tom Lynch and Jason Leewe stopped running back Joe Picard shy of the first down. An incomplete pass led to punt.

The Dawgs moved the ball at will on the ground when the penalty bug hit. The first one was for an equipment issue. Others for motion and holding would later follow suit.

It was 13-0 at the end of the first quarter. With Reimer now at quarterback, the Bulldogs were having trouble with the cadences. Then Reimer threw a pass that was picked off by Red Hook’s Shaun Pierce.

That sparked Red Hook, who began to run O’Meara and Luke Kelly to the outside. Kravic then tossed a 27-yard strike to Totten for the Raiders’ first score. Oscar Gonzalez hit the PAT and the Bulldogs lead was cut to 13-7.

The Raiders tried a squib kick, but Sullivan West recovered it. Later they tried it again, and a Dawg fell on the pigskin again.

As the first half wound down, Artie Norden picked off a Kravic pass. The Dawgs squandered a chance to add another TD when a first and 10 at the 12 was negated by an uncanny sequence of penalties.

At the start of the second half, Red Hook mounted its best running attack of the night. Using a healthy dose of O’Meara, the Raiders sustained the drive, despite a great pass breakup by Steve Stephens, but the Raiders advanced, abetted by Sullivan West penalties.

On a fourth and goal from the two, O’Meara ran it in and a Gonzalez kick through the uprights gave Red Hook its first and only lead at 14-13.

With more time this past week receiving direction from assistant coach Matt Buddenhagen, the Bulldogs wasted no time in showing their mettle.

They answered with a methodical one of their own, getting great blocking up front from Nick Redmond, Tyler Wagner, Mark Tesseyman and John Whittaker. In the backfield, Schlott, the game’s leading rusher, became a man possessed.

The Dawgs got it to the seven and Schlott ran it in with 1:55 remaining in the third quarter to give Sullivan West a 19-14 lead. He ran in the two-point conversion and the Dawgs now led 21-14.

But the Raiders got it going downfield again. O’Meara kept moving forward but the Dawgs came up big. After, Stephens stopped Kravic for no gain and Kravic missed a wide-open Thomas Howard in the end zone, his next pass on a fourth and 10 at the 25 was a screen that was read by Jason Leewe. The ball sailed over the receiver right into Leewe’s arms, who returned it to the Sullivan West 45.

Schlott and Figueroa took turns carrying the ball against Red Hook’s porous defense. With 3:52 left in the game, Reimer took a keeper 13 yards into the end zone and Norden’s PAT made it 28-14, the game’s final score.

Red Hook coach Tom Fay said, “Offensively, we moved the ball well and we had our opportunities, but most of all we need to work on our defense.” Red Hook will take on New Paltz in its next fray, while Sullivan West will probably have a bye week since no game is currently scheduled to replace the cancelled game against Webutuck.

The week off could prove to be useful as Moloney recovers and the team continues to refine its new offensive and defensive wrinkles, and steels itself for a run at a fourth straight Section Nine title.

“It was a great team effort,” said Sullivan West head coach Ron Bauer. “The line blocked well.”

Stat line:

For Sullivan West: Will Schlot 17 carries for 101 yards and two touchdowns; Brad Reimer 12-for-85 yards and one touchdown. and Dan Figueroa five-for-55. The team rushed for 289 yards on 36 carries.For Red Hook: O’Meara 17-for-98 yards and one touchdown. Red Hook had 192 yards on the ground on 38 carries.

Reimer completed four-of-nine passes for 38 yards and threw one interception. Kravic completed five-of-16 passes for 87 yards, with two interceptions and one touchdown.

Sullivan West committed nine penalties for 60 yards, while Red Hook had four in the first half for a game total of 25 yards.

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