Football

Football briefs

Livingston Manor/Roscoe breaks losing streak

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY — The LMR Devilcats defeated Section Four’s Hancock 26-25, to end a 20-game losing streak. The victory was the unified team’s first since October 22, 2005.

“The kids in the communities are really pulling together,” co-coach Fred Ahart reported to Section Nine Football. “The kids we have coming up from our youth program are starting to make an impact.”

In the first quarter, Troy Correa scored on a 40-yard run, and Mike Hendrickson kicked an important extra point. The PATs were crucial in this cliff-hanger. LMR led 7-0.

In the second quarter, LMR’s Troy Edwards scooped up a Hancock fumble and raced 85 yards for a touchdown. The PAT failed but the ‘Cats now led 13-0.

Hancock answered with a three-yard TD run by QB Dylan Oralls. But the Blue Devils missed the PAT. Then, LMR’s Edwards scored on a 65-yard TD run to make the halftime score 19-6 in favor of the D-Cats.

Oralls threw a 16-yard TD pass to Evan Whitmore. A PAT by Travis Drake made it 19-13. Then, the visitors struck again as Darin Keesler tallied on a two-yard run, but the PAT failed, keeping the score tied at 19.

Correa turned in one of the game’s biggest plays as he returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards to the Blue Devil 7. Hendrickson, then, immediately ran in for six and followed his TD with a PAT that proved to be the margin of victory.

In the fourth quarter and trailing 26-19, Hancock drove down the field. The drive was capped by Oralls’ eight-yard TD run. But the PAT sailed wide left to keep LMR in the lead, 26-25.

Driving to the Hancock 40, LMR was set up to punt with 1:32 left in the fourth quarter. But, Hancock was flagged for roughing the kicker, allowing LMR to run out the clock and snare a very big win.

“[Co-coach] Kevin Clifford was able to scout Hancock on Monday [when they played Eldred] while I ran practice,” Ahart said. “He really had our defense ready for this game—and defense is the key.”

Correa was the D-Cats’ leading rusher with eight carries for 78 yards. Edwards was six for 76 and Hendrickson 14 for 51.

For Hancock, Oralls completed 10 of 20 passes for 144 yards. Meanwhile, the LMR defense limited leading rusher Keesler to 22 yards on 12 carries.

LMR is now 1-1 and will play Eldred in a non-league game at Roscoe on Friday night. Hancock is now 0-2.

Ellenville 34, Tri-Valley 8

ELLENVILLE, NY — Ellenville senior Donald Exner and his running mates Eric Thayer and Joe Logan collectively ran over Tri-Valley for a total of 461 yards as the Blue Devils rebounded from their loss to Sullivan West by beating Tri-Valley for the first time.

Exner had two TDs and carried the ball 22 times for 258 yards to lead the way.

Tri-Valley’s scoring came on a 24-yard run by Matt Bogorad and a two-point conversion run by Jesse Boncek. Ellenville improved to 1-1 (1-1 OCIAA), while Tri-Valley fell to 0-2 (0-1 OCIAA).

Read a detailed story on riverreportersports.com and view an album of pictures from the game. Tri-Valley plays at home against Pine Plains this coming weekend. Ellenville takes on Spackenkill.