Football

Stand and deliver

Eldred stops Hancock on run conversion attempt in OT to garner win in epic battle

By RICHARD A. ROSS

ELDRED, NY — The season opener between visiting Hancock and perennially powerful Eldred was an edge-of-the-seat thriller as a group of experienced Wildcats took on a young Eldred team. While there’s little doubt that Eldred’s championship pedigree will continue in the near future, it’s going to take time to reload.

Coach Kean’s green demons currently have only three seniors on board in running backs Christian Martinez, Joe Counts and tackle Matt Puzio. They hope to get Cody Conklin back soon but he didn’t play in this game.

Hancock is vastly improved under first-year coach Matt Davis, who deployed a spread offense using three wide receivers on one side of the field and another on the opposite side. Both teams scored two touchdowns in regulation, both fumbled away opportunities, both missed a PAT in regulation and both scored a touchdown in overtime.

But it was Eldred’s defense in overtime, schemed by defensive coordinator John LiGreci, that had the last word. Using six defensive lineman and three linebackers that overloaded Hancock’s right side of the line, Eldred got the most important stop of the game.

Following a timeout wherein LiGreci outlined the defensive array, Scott Hallock stymied Hancock junior Darin Keesler, who was attempting a two-point conversion run that would have given the Wildcats an improbable 21-20 win.

Hancock had tied the game up at 13-all with 4:03 remaining in the fourth quarter on a 44-yard pass play from quarterback Dylan Oralls but Hancock failed to take the lead as Eldred blocked the PAT.

Earlier, Eldred’s Bobby Warden had drawn a high snap on his second PAT attempt of the day, following a Christian Martinez touchdown on a five-yard roll right, screen left pass from Henry with 1:30 remaining in the first half. Warden never got off that kick and that one point loomed large as Eldred took a 13-7 lead into halftime.

Eldred had won the toss and elected to defer. Hancock unveiled its passing offense as Oralls often had open receivers. He’d complete 11 of 24 passes for 139 yards but a number of key drops were made that hurt the Wildcats’ effort.

Each team fumbled in its early series but with the clock expiring on the first quarter, Henry threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Matt Balcom. Warden hit the PAT and the Yellow Jackets led 7-0.

Oralls defied the odds as he ran up the sideline through LiGreci’s slant defense that was stacked to prevent such. He galloped for a 65-yard touchdown. A PAT tied it at seven up with 9:34 to go in the second quarter.

Eldred stalled on its next series, but scored on its subsequent drive as the offense found its rhythm with a 17-yard jaunt by Counts, a 23-yard Henry keeper and good runs by Martinez and Ian Halloran. They scored on a five-yard screen pass to Martinez. Despite the failed PAT, Eldred took a 13-7 lead into halftime, anticipating getting the kickoff in the second half to build on its lead.

Eldred fumbled on the kickoff return and Hancock drove to the half-yard line and looked to tie the game, but Hallock knocked the ball loose from Darin Keesler and recovered it. Counts hurt his shoulder on his next carry and didn’t return. That hampered Eldred’s running game.

As Eldred concentrated on the receivers, Oralls racked up 123 yards on 15 carries by game’s end. Eldred failed to score in the second half and Hancock broke a big play as Oralls connected with Jennings for a 45-yard touchdown strike with 4:03 left to play.

In another of Eldred’s big defensive stops of the day, the Yellow Jackets blocked the PAT denying Hancock the potential winning point.

Regulation ended with the game tied at 13-all.

In overtime, teams flipped to see who would get first possession. Eldred won and got the ball on the 20. Marshalling the running of Shawn Berger and Martinez, they edged the ball across the goal line on a Henry one-yard dive to take a 19-13 lead. Warden’s PAT made it 20-13.

Now it was Hancock’s turn. After Keesler barreled through on a 10-yard run for the overtime TD, it was up to Davis to either play for the tie or the win. Knowing his undermanned team was tiring and that Eldred’s legions probably could outlast them, he opted to go for the win.

He later admitted a pass might have worked as Eldred stacked the line anticipating the run. When Hallock halted Keesler, the game ended with the 20-19 Eldred victory. Hancock will travel to Livingston Manor to take on LMR next weekend, while Eldred enjoys a bye week as Blind Brook opted out of its scheduled game with the Yellow Jackets.

A disappointed Davis commended his players, who “played their hearts out. We dropped too many passes today. A fumble on the goal line and that blocked PAT really hurt us.”

It was an admirable coming-out party for a team that has only won two games in the past two years. “We almost beat the best Class D team in Section Nine,” he bemoaned.

Kean was pleased with the win but took his players to task. “We’ve got to grow up fast or LMR will kill us,” he told them. Kean stressed the need to work on the basics of tackling, running and blocking.

Stat line

Eldred rushing: Christian Martinez 10/78, Ian Halloran 14/77, Bryan Henry 13/82, Shawn Berger 1/5 and Charlie Wolfe 1/5. Passing: Bryan Henry 2/6/21 with a TD. Visit riverreportersports.com for more stats, details and an album of pictures from the game.