Football

Eight straight

Bulldogs complete unblemished regular season with Bears’ shutout; next up: they meet for real

By RICHARD A. ROSS

LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — Life is a paradox: “a statement or proposition seemingly self-contradictory and yet explicable as expressing a truth,” as it is defined in the dictionary.

Consider the paradoxical nature of the Sullivan West and Tri-Valley football game, won 34-0 by the Bulldogs on October 24.

It was really important, but then again it wasn’t.

For the Bulldogs, the win cemented a perfect 8-0 (6-0 OCIAA) season and capped off a remarkable accomplishment of disposing each and every one of their league opponents, along with non-league Chester and Eldred. That was huge.

But then again, in the scheme of the season goal of holding up the Class C trophy at Dietz Stadium, that feat, at the moment, is now relegated to the past, not the future.

You see, should the Bulldogs lose their more meaningful playoff game against the Bears on October 31, the value of that perfect season, at least by some people’s reckoning, will sink faster than a hedge fund built on worthless mortgages. Other naysayers might view a Tri-Valley defeat in similar terms.

Needless to say, this writer finds such thinking bankrupt. Sure, both teams want to win. But losing can never wipe out what was accomplished.

This game was one both teams once circled as key, but the outcome would alter nothing. Sullivan West was already the one seed in the upcoming playoffs; Tri-Valley loomed as its companion in that playoff opener as the four seed.

Still, the Bears viewed the prospect of spoiling Sullivan West’s perfect season in the Dawg Pound alluring, to say the least. So despite playing without quarterback Dustin VanLieu, still sore from the Bears’ narrow win over LM/R, and Matt Bogorad, who was away for the weekend, the intention was to play hard for the unlikely victory that would give them a psychological edge for the playoffs.

Sullivan West was missing tackle Tyler Wagner, out for a while longer with a fractured wrist, and John Whittaker, still nursing a sore knee. Then, there was the fact that Dan Figueroa had the flu. But the Dawgs weren’t about to offer excuses. They drooled at the prospect of teaching the Bears a lesson. The division and sectional losses to Tri-Valley a year ago still sting.

The operative Bulldog word in play is redemption.

This would be a busy night for Sullivan West QB Brad Reimer. Following the game’s finish and a quick shower, he was headed for the University of Virginia’s baseball prospect camp that would also be scouted by George Mason University and Longwood. Reimer, known of late as a football icon, is hopeful of getting a baseball scholarship. But once that opening whistle blew, it was football that was front and center.

The Bulldogs won the toss and elected to receive. Weston Currey kicked off and Figueroa returned it to the 39. On the third play, Reimer took off on a 13-yard run to the Bears’ 33. The Bears smacked him for a loss on the next play and looked like they would hold sway as a pass to Artie Norden was caught out of bounds.

A screen pass to Austin Erlwein got the Dawgs to the 16. A subsequent pass to Eric Leewe got it to the one. An offsides penalty and a delay of game pushed it back to the 11, but Reimer ran it in from there at 7:26 to make it 6-0. The PAT failed.

Pete DeMilia returned Norden’s kickoff to the Bears’ 35 and the Bears went to work with a screen pass to Dan Byrne and a run by Jesse Boncek. With Brendan Moore at QB, filling in for VanLieu, exchanges were not business as usual. Fumbles resulted, most of which the Bears fell on. One such mishap shortened the first Bears’ series.

Tri-Valley’s defense played tough following the punt. The Dawgs punted it back.

The Bears set up at their 48 and soon Moore took off for a 23-yard scamper to the Dawgs’ 24. The Bears fumbled twice during this possession but recovered both. An incomplete pass for DeMilia gave the Bulldogs the ball back on downs.

After a holding call, Reimer connected with Nick Mootz on a 26-yarder to the 37 as the first quarter ended.

Two plays later, Reimer hit Figueroa on a 61-yard TD strike. Figueroa had the flu but flew anyway. At 10:53, the Dawgs now led 12-0. Reimer ran in the conversion to make it 14-0.

The Bears moved the chains again, principally with Byrne taking the ball. By night’s end, he’d have toted it 17 times for 92 yards.

The Bears’ drive ended when Moore was sacked by Mike Schmidt and Chris Wagner.

The Dawgs got it on downs at the 24 and Figueroa promptly flew 76 yards for the score at 5:40 to make it 20-0. Norden’s PAT sailed through the uprights and the Bulldogs now led 21-0.

Byrne showed his mettle again on consecutive carries as the Bears entered Bulldog Country at the 47. Wagner caused a fumble, recovered by Bob Fiedler, and the Bears punted with 2:44 to go. A Rei-mer pass was intercepted by Byrne, giving the Bears the ball at the 42.

Byrne advanced it to the 28 on a fourth and one, but the half ended with the Bulldogs in possession leading 21-0.

On the opening kickoff, Bobby Beale fumbled Norden’s kickoff. The alert booter then recovered his own kick at Tri-Valley’s 34. Mootz ran six and then 28 more for the score at 10:51 to make it 28-0 with Norden’s PAT.

The Bears received, but a Bulldog face-mask penalty marked the fifth Dawg flag of the night. Moore had an eight-yard keeper but the series faltered and the Dawgs started again from their own 45. Mootz ran it to the Bears’ 30. Reimer took off on a 30-yard TD run, but a block in the back brought it back to the 18.

Mootz ran around right end from there to make it 34-0. The Bears vowed to block Norden’s kick, which they did.

By this point in the game, both teams seemed anxious to leave and prepare for the next game to come but much time remained.

The Dawgs inserted Justin Alsdorf at QB and a host of subs came in on offense in the fourth quarter. Chris Murphy carried the ball to the seven but an offsides call prompted coach Ron Bauer to return his starting unit for an attempted field goal. Norden’s kick went wide left at 5:51.

That would be the last scoring chance of the game.

Bulldog assistant coaches Kurt Buddenhagen and Norm Bauer addressed their team to clarify the big picture. “One loss and you’re done. Every game from now on is your season. We played sound football tonight but we need to work even harder.”

Bauer added. “I’m proud of you guys who stepped it up tonight. We had some guys missing. Next week is the game. We’ve got to punch our ticket to Dietz.”

Tri-Valley coach John Rusin saw things this way: “Chapter one. Both teams were fairly conservative in their play calling and both teams had players injured. I’m sure both teams will be at full strength next week and I expect a very competitive game, more competitive than this, and whoever turns the ball over fewer times will give themselves an opportunity to win. Danny Bryne worked hard today. Both teams played to win but it was a one-sided affair. We hope to handle the ball better and tackle better next week,” said Rusin. Tri-Valley is 4-4 (3-3 OCIAA). Sullivan West is 8-0 (6-0 OCIAA).

Stat line:

Sullivan West rushing: Reimer, 8/29 with a TD; Figueroa, 6/99 with a TD; Mootz, 9/65 with a TD.

Passing: Reimer, 5/8/156 with two TDs and an interception.

For Tri-Valley, Byrne rushed 17/92, Moore was 9/31 and DeMilia was 4/17.

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