With A Howl, Not A Whimper
Sullivan West Concludes Its Storied Turnaround Season As It Goes Down Fighting Against Talented Spackenkill; Seniors Give Their All In Final Effort; Charlie Ciccione Orchestrates His Final Magnum Opus As Dawg Pound’s Maestro Of Mania
Section Nine Class B Quarterfinals
Spackenkill 68, Sullivan West 60
By RICHARD A. ROSS
Photos at: www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
“Do not go qentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”
Dylan Thomas
Scenes from the Section Nine quarterfinal clash between Sullivan West and Spackenkill (clockwise) Sullivan West senior E.J. Franskevicz hits one of his three treys on the night. Franskevicz finished his final game with 13 points. Spackenkill junior Josh Riley scores two of his game-high 17 . Sullivan West senior John Masten goes up strong for two of his team-high 15 points. The Maestro of Mania, Dawg Pound General Charlie Ciccione leads his waving followers in a final minute rite to try and will a late Westie comeback upset. Sullivan West sophomore Patrick Pierce fires up a shot. Pierce had a big three during the Bulldogs' furious late comeback bid. Spackenkill's Josh Oliver is closely guarded by Sullivan West's Sawyer Erlwein. Sullivan West cheerleader Deshjamber Stewart carries the sign that defines the crowd's hopes: "Let's go Bulldogs."
LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY—“To everything there is a season.” So we are reminded by the oft-quoted words from Ecclesiastes that in the turning wheel of life we get to experience the full variorum of its offerings.
Some of those moments are uplifting beyond measure, while some are equally tragic. In those most trying times we may be called upon to endure the pall of sadness to avoid the abyss of despair.
Sullivan West's Patrick Pierce controls the opening tip versus Spackenkill's Josh Riley.
And so it is in the rotating Mandela, the word used to describe the wheel of life, that there will be gains and deficits, times of plenty and times of scarcity, times of upheaval and times of placidity, and of course the endless cycle of birth and death to which we are all subject.
Basketball seasons have a life of their own and for the Sullivan West Bulldogs and their legion of supporters in its inimitable Dawg Pound, this year’s noble run that rendered an 11-7 regular season mark and the bonus of a home sectional game, offered a warm suffusion of light to replace the now distant gloom of last year’s 1-17 struggles.
Throughout the team’s captivating 68-60 loss to number-six seeded Spackenkill, the gym had resonated with the Dawg Pound’s mantras of “I believe that we will win,” “Here we go Bulldogs, he we go” and the remonstrance of reminders to Spackenkill’s infrequent miscues with the unforgettable chant of “You can’t do that.”
But with their deft shooting and fine skills wrought from their play in the robust MHAL, Spackenkill had proved to be a little too much for the Bulldogs.
That said, the game which had witnessed a Spartan Lead burgeon to as much as 12 in the fourth quarter quickened the pulse of the home crowd as the Bulldogs uncorked a late blistering run that cut the lead to six and possession of the rock with sufficient time remaining to author a win for the ages.
Hoping against hope for a dramatic upset, the rabid Dawg Pound led by their Maestro of Mania senior General Charlie Ciccione, waved their bodies to and fro and from side to side to follow his ministrations in order to will their team the win to partake in their uplifting hysteria at least one more time this season by earning a trip to Ellenville for the semifinals.
But alas it was not to be.
A couple of ill-timed turnovers, missed shots and Spackenkill’s season-tested poise steadied the Spartans’ keel thereby preventing their teetering ship from capsizing.
The win propelled the black and green to play Ellenville for the third time this season with the hopes of reversing five and four point losses to the number-two seeded Blue Devils. With powerful Burke now only one win away from the finals as it looks to host feisty Liberty which toppled O’Neill 62-53, most regard these final-preceding rounds to be pro-forma and for the defending state champion Eagles to walk off handily with their fourth straight Section Nine crown.
But despite the odds, there are no gimmies in high school basketball and nobody knows that better than Spackenkill coach Terry Feeley. After all, it was his 2006 Spartans that beat Burke in the Class B finals 55-53 before losing to state runner up, Section One’s John F. Kennedy Somers. In 2008 Spackenkill lost a 61-60 heartbreaker to Burke in the Section Nine finals.
With 20 years of coaching experience under his belt and a team that has talent and confidence, Feeley will look to upend Ellenville and get another crack at Burke. After all, during its 10-8 regular season, Spackenkill knocked of its share of heavies including Class AA John Jay Fishkill, FDR and Class A Wallkill. Needless to say, Burke’s résumé is far more impressive with its performances against behemoths such as Rice, Archbishop Stepinac, John Bosco Prep and Albany Academy. Despite osses aside against some of that immense talent, Burke has sharpened its edges against the best of the best.
But this night was not about them. It was about Sullivan West.
Spackenkill Coach Terry Feeley looks to make an adjustment as Sullivan West proves to be one of the only teams they'd played this year that could take them out of their man-to-man defense.
Following the stirring rendition of the National Anthem by senior Shawn Bailey, Sullivan West sophomore Patrick Pierce controlled the opening tip against Spackenkill junior Josh Riley. Sullivan West turned the ball over and Riley buried a turnaround jumper for the first strike. Matt Cardona answered quickly with a back door cut and bucket. Pierce made it 4-2 behind a crisp pass down low.
In the riveting early going the team answered each other with rapid fire accuracy. Mark Horvath tied it up for the Spartans before senior John Masten got a step on his defender to reclaim the lead. Spackenkill evinced concise execution with a pass across the lane from Jim Kruk to Derek Lo to knot it up again.
Masten’s underhand scoop on the baseline had the Dawg Pound in a tizzy of tingles. Horvath’s baseline runner cut the Dawgs’ lead to 11-8. Masten buried another before Riley’s turnaround jumper in the paint. Spackenkill was firing on all cylinders but the Bulldogs were still in command.
Horvath and Sullivan West senior Andrew Parsons traded buckets before Kruk was whistled for an offensive foul as Masten stood in and took the charge. Kruk went to the bench forthwith.
A late three by Spackenkill’s Josh Oliver cut the Bulldog’s lead to 18-15. A late Sullivan West turnover prevented a chance to build on the lead before the quarter ended.
The Spartans began the second quarter with an offensive put back by Randy Strom. A swish by Andrew Michos gave Spackenkill the lead at 20-18. Franskevicz reversed the polarity with his first three as the Bulldogs retook the lead. Riley answered with a trey of his own to make it 23-21 with a missile from the left corner.
Rally cap: With his rally cap in place, Sullivan West senior Tom Mootz hopes to create some good voodoo for his team. Seated next to him is Brandon Wagner, a 2011 SW alum who was the unofficial Co-Chairman of the Dawg Pound.
Parsons tied it up at 6:08 but unflappable Spackenkill reclaimed the lead with a bucket from Lo. The score stood at 25-23 but Spackenkill’s fine marksmanship would soon start to take its toll as it would close out the remainder of the quarter with a 16-10 advantage after Masten had cut Spack’s lead to 28-25. In an intense flurry the Bulldogs closed the gap to 36-35 on a runner by Masten but Spackenkill had the last word with a 5-0 run to take a 41-35 lead at the half. The quarter ended with a pair of missed threes by Cardona and Erlwein and a foul by Franskevicz with 2.5 seconds that afforded Dom Cirilli one from the stripe.
In that 26-point second quarter fusillade, the Spartans got eight points from Michos including a pair of treys, four from Lo and Riley, three from Oliver and two from Strom.
The Bulldogs had countered with 17, six of which came from Masten, four from junior Sawyer Erlwein, the trey from Franskevicz and two from Matt Cardona.
Sullivan West’s cheerleaders performed at the half. Despite their diminished ranks, they showed lively spirit and the crowd evinced its appreciation.
Sullivan West inbounded to start the third quarter. Masten had his struggles beginning with a backcourt violation, a blocked shot and a leg cramp that would take him out of action for a spell but not before he’d can a three after Spackenkill got a steal off a Sullivan West inbounds pass as Michos scored to make it 43-35. Masten’s downtown strike made it a five point game.
Spack wouldn’t let up as Kruk slashed the lane uncontested. Both teams upped their defensive intensity as they dueled each other to a near standoff in this third stanza in which Spackenkill would edge Sullivan West 10-8 for the 53-43 lead heading into the final frame. Earlier Spackenkill had run the lead up to 12 at 50-38 before the Dawgs battled back. Brad Hemmer stood in and withstood a charge from Riley much to the crowd’s delight.
Franskevicz had buried his second three of the night and had raced up the floor waving to the crowd as the Spackenkill lead had dropped to 50-43. As they had done in the two prior quarters, Spackenkill closed out the stanza with unanswered points, this time with a bucket from Strom fueled by a perfect pass across the lane from Kruk with 3:05 remaining. Masten left the game limping and Spackenkill shifted its defense back to a 2-3 in just one of a number of defensive arrays they would deploy.
The Westies turned it over. The crowd expressed its dismay at a number of calls they took issue with but the players seemed unaffected. Erlwein blocked a shot by Strom as the Dawg Pound howled their approval.
With the addition of a lone free throw, Spackenkill marshaled a 53-43 lead by the end of the third quarter.
A late steal led to this lay up by Spackenkilll's Mark Horvath that really dampened the hopes of the home crowd Bulldog fans.
Sullivan West inbounded but began the quarter with an inauspicious turnover. Lo raced for a lay up to make them pay accordingly as Spackenkill pulled out to equal its biggest lead of 12. Masten returned with about 6:30 to go and Franskevicz scored on a quick back door cut. Michos responded with an offensive put back for the 57-45 lead with 6:18.
Pierce dropped in a timely three to cut the Spartans’ lead with 5:47 remaining. Michos hit two from the stripe after a Franskevicz foul to widen the gulf but the intensity hit its zenith when Cardona cut the lead to 59-52 with 4:42 remaining.
“Defense, defense, defense,” chanted the Ciccione-led canine chorus.
After a missed Westie three, Lo scored on the third offensive rebound in what would amount to a defining moment as Spackenkill had now rebuilt its lead to 64-52.
But the Bulldogs would not relent. Pierce scored and hit a free throw to make it 64-55 with 3:27 remaining. The Westies needed stops and profitable trips up the floor in this crucial nexus of the game.
After a Spack turnover the ball was in the Bulldogs’ hands but an untimely turnover as a pass intended for Pierce was picked off by Kruk. A pass from Riley to Horvath netted a scoring runner right up the middle of the lane. The home crowd registered the blow like a punch in the solar plexus. Spackenkill now led 66-55.
An airball from SW was not the needed antidote as you could feel the air beginning to get sucked right out of the Dawghouse.
With 2:15 go the savvy Spartans looked to melt some clock but a hectic flurry propelled the ball from Cardona to Franskevicz who was fouled with 1:33 to go. The iron-willed senior buried both from the stripe to make it 66-57. One could not adequately describe the replenishment of home oxygen in Westie World when Erlwein buried a three to make it 66-60 with 1:18 remaining.
The lines from the Dylan Thomas poem thrust themselves into my swirling consciousness, “Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light,” I thought watching the Bulldogs fight on refusing to relent.
Spackenkill committed a turnover behind Sullivan West’s pressure on the inbounds pass and the ensuing attempt by the Spartans to advance it up the floor. Only four seconds had come off the clock. In that nanosecond the decibel level threatened the integrity of my eardrums.
But the Westies committed a turnover to squander that golden chance as the clock dipped to under a minute. Sullivan West had a foul to give but the next one put Oliver on the line who hit both to make it 68-60. Pierce missed a three. Spackenkill lost it out of bounds but only 27.7 seconds remaining.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words so this one is worth a million as the hug shared by Sullivan West Coach Bruce Nober and senior John Masten reflects the mutual respect and admiration felt by both.
“All rise,” commanded the Maestro of Mania and the denizens of the Dawg Pound did just that. Commensurate with the body language of Mr. Goodlooking, Section Nine’s most famous entourage swayed back and forth with arms raised in a final tribal rite. In their rhythmic wave they moved as one in an uplifiting demonstration of choreographic beauty. This writer who must for all the world maintain his neutrality in the telling, had blurry eyes as he shot picture after picture relying on his camera’s dexterity to take charge for his suddenly hazy vision in order to capture those fleeting iconic movements.
Cardona missed and Coach Bruce Nober quickly inserted seniors Adam Talbi and Bailey as payment for their unbridled perseverance during the season. Seconds later the buzzer announced the end of the Bulldog season.
Masten led the Bulldogs with 15 points that included a trey. Franskevicz had 13 that included a trio of threes. Pierce had ten including one three and Erlwein ended with 10 with a pair of treys. Riley led Spackenkill with 17. Michos had 13 and Lo posted 12. The Bulldogs shot three-of-six from the stripe for 50%, while Spackenkill was 11-for-17 for 64.7%.
Feeley talked about the game’s electrifying finish. “I knew coming in that Sullivan West had tough hard-nosed kids who weren’t going down without a fight. It got a little scary there down at the end. We didn’t do a good job of handling the ball but take your hat off to them. Their kids played hard and they were a shot away from really giving us a problem,” he offered.
In response to the suggestion that his kids really shot the ball well, Feeley noted, “You preach all year to the kids what a good shot is. It’s not the shot that goes in, it’s where you take it on the floor and we try to tell the kids that the one stat we want to see is assists, sharing the basketball.
Everybody has different strengths. Riley looked tremendous for us with the turnaround jumpers. Michos is usually the leading scorer but credit Sullivan West, he didn’t have that many open looks. If you play to your strengths and take shots that we consider good ones, you’ve got a good likelihood of them going in. We haven’t shot this well all year.”
Defensively Feeley described his array. “We started out man-to-man. We’re kind of like Sullivan West, we live and die by man-to-man. But they play predominantly in a league where they see man-to-man on a nightly basis and as well as we shot the ball in the first half, I looked up and we only had a six point lead. So obviously they’re well coached and got some great shots against our man-to-man so we’ll go a little bit of match up zones against them. We started out with a 1-3-1 and when they started to figure that out we went 2-3 late.”
Feeley went on to say, “Credit Sullivan West. There are not too many teams we played this year that forced us out of our man-to-man.” Feeley had scouted the Bulldogs against Burke and even though that situation didn’t evince Sullivan West at its best he was able to see what kinds of things they wanted to do, who their key scorers were etc. They seem like a good group of kids. They play hard and they’re well-coached,” he offered.
There was nothing like it...The inimitable Sullivan West Dawg Pound now lives forever on this page and in the memory of its participants and the school and team they lovingly represented,
Ciccione remained in the stands with a few of his most loyal worshippers and pondered the end of what has become a renowned role. “Well we came in here expecting to win and the Dawg Pound was rallied up.” Asked if there was life after the Dawg Pound, Ciccione smiled and said, “Hopefully there is a Dawg Pound in college.” Ciccione, the exemplar of being a basketball junkie figures to be either in Ellenville on Wednesday or at Burke. Wherever he goes he’ll garner smiles and attention. He’s one of a kind.
Nober was so proud of his team and their late run. “When you get to a game like this you hope to bring your ‘A’ game and I thought we did that and competed. I thought it was one of the best, if not the best game we played all year,” he averred. “And that’s all you can ask for. If it’s not enough, then it’s not enough,” he added.
“There were stretches tonight when I don’t’ think Spackenkill missed and we had a hand in their face. We knew we would have a hard time winning if the score got into the high sixties. I didn’t think we cold get it into the sixties ourselves but we did.”
“All week long we worked on pushing the ball and trying to score in transition. We’re a better team when the ball is moving instead of trying to score in the half court. We did that. We pushed the ball up the score but it’s extremely tough to score and then get back because they’re getting back very fast. It’s tough to play that kind of tempo on offense,” he noted.
Nober had scouted Spackenkill against Ellenville. They’re a solid, well-coached team with some big guys who are disciplined and they definitely have some shooters.”
Asked to sum up the season Nober said, “It was very gratifying to go from 1-17 to 11-7 and getting the three seed and having a home sectional game. I think that’s a pretty big turnaround. It’s a credit to our seniors who led us. We have some talented younger players but the leadership came from the seniors.”
Asked about Masten’s departure for part of the fourth quarter, Nober said, “He just cramped up. It’s unfortunate that it happened in the fourth quarter. It’s a different intensity but that’s sports. We had that issue with him and in the past week Patrick had some bad shin splints but that happens.”
In his final lauding of his seniors, Nober said, “It’s a very positive group. E.J. and John in particular. It’s my first year as head coach but I coached during them during the past five years in modified all the way up through. I’m definitely going to miss those two guys. E.J. is a leader off the floor and on the floor. John is a great kid. There is no one who outworks him.”
Nober went on: “It was so nice to have Andrew Parsons come out for the team this year. I coached him when he was younger. He’s been away for a few years but he came back big and strong. I told him there’s no way we would have been 11-7 without him. He gave us a toughness we didn’t have on the floor.
The other two guys Shawn and Adam they came and worked so hard in practice. Shawn is probably one of the smartest kids I’ve ever been around. He come and works just hard. He and Adam worked so hard in practice. With a basketball team that hopefully has ten or 12 players, mostly you’re only going to go eight or nine deep off the bench so you need some good kids to come to practice to make the other players better.”
Franskevicz had this to say, “I’m really proud to see us turn this season around from the last two years. I think these guys will do well the next few years and I’m happy to have been apart of that. It was a great season.” Franskevicz would subsequently post his heartfelt thanks to the team and its loyal supporters on his Facebook page.
In the end the Bulldogs lived up the words of the Dylan Thomas poem as they went out fighting with everything they had. In this turn of the Wheel of Life, what some might construe as a defeat was really a victory of spirit and perseverance.
The gym was quiet when I left, but in my ears I heard and will continue to hear the chants and the cheers that made Sullivan West such a special place to be this season.
For an album of photos, visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
Home Sweet Home
Sullivan West Celebrates Homecoming With A Non-League Shutout Win Over Rondout Valley; E.J. Franskevicz And Emma Seidl Crowned As King and Queen; Football Alums From SW, J-Y and Delaware Valley Are Regaled Under Rainy Skies
Sullivan West 18, Rondout Valley 0
By RICHARD A. ROSS
rross@sportsinsightsny.com
Homecoming Hurrah (Clockwise) Sullivan West's Sawyer Erlwein is just shy of the goal line. Tom Mootz would carry it in from the two for the first score of the game. Homecoming King and Queen E.J. Franskevicz and Emma Seidl. Tom Mootz on an electrifying run that sets up a TD by Jared Meola. The sign speaks for itself. E.J. Franskevicz on a t0-yard TD run.. Football alums are welcomed back and honored. This sign also needs no explanation. Rondout Valley's Keith Malak makes an airborne grab. An adorable Red Dog cheerleader graces half time with her smile.
LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY—Dorothy had to travel over the rainbow and beyond to learn what most of us already hold sacrosanct: There’s no place like home.
Home is where the heart is. Home is where we relish the love of our family and are ensconced in the warmth of our community. Home is where we’re from; it’s the familiar milieu where friendships are forged and where we put down our roots.
Captains courageous take the field at their home stadium for the last time this year: Sawyer Erlwein, Andrew Parson, Todd Roeder and E.J. Franskevicz.
For many of us, it’s where we went to school and began our journey to become who we are later in life. The cycle begins again when we settle down as adults in a home of our own.
All the while we never forget where we started out, and where in all likelihood, our remaining family still may reside.
As young men and women we are often anxious to leave home to go out into the world at large. But home never leaves us and once we’re away, we invariably experience the yearning to come home again.
Thanksgiving and Christmas are often times for family members , though they may be scattered far and wide, to come home and relish the abiding connection.
For indeed no matter how many miles away we are, we stay connected to the people and places we hold dear.
That’s why high school Homecoming Week is such an important milestone. It marks the return of alumni who hold fast to the memories created in their halcyon high school days. For former athletes, memories of yesteryear are closely tied to their sports careers and milestones, both individual and team related.
They say youth is wasted on the young but nothing could be further from the truth. For all of us, no matter how old we are, carry with us the memories of our formative years and there is a part of us that remains forever young in the reliving of those times. Nowadays with stunning digital photos and video that freeze moments forever in time, that task of recalling what went before is that much easier.
Rondout Valley junior Jordan Gwynn finds a big hole to run through. The Ganders moved the ball well at times but couldn't close the deal.
Even without such to remind me, I’ll never forget the glory of my Midwood High School football team in Brooklyn, a squad of kids I grew up with who lost just one game during my entire high school career.
Though I was a fan, not a player, I would have to say my love of the game of football was born back then and so here I am decades later, on the sidelines affirming and documenting the achievements of this generation’s players.
Despite the threat of yet more rain, a large crowd began to gather at this year’s Sullivan West Homecoming game featuring a non-league clash with Class B Rondout Valley.
With the Bulldogs’ dramatic 21-20 overtime win over Liberty just a week prior, the excitement of the looming Class C semifinal clash with Burke on October 28 is very much on the mind of the fans, players and the proud community.
That community which was once three distinct school districts has rallied its support for the Sullivan Wst Bulldogs, while not forgetting its own history recorded at Jeff-Youngsville, Delaware Valley and Narrowsburg. The former two were great football powers in their day and stars hailing as back as 1951 would be honored by Master of Ceremonie and Homecoming Organizer Bill Moloney at halftime.
More on this erelong…
All Hail The Royal Court ,The Newly –Crowned Monarchs, And The Bulldog Elder Statesmen
The pregame festivities began with the introduction of all of the nominees for Homecoming King and Queen who marched forward with their parents and posed for the photos you’ll find in the accompanying album. Once arrayed across the field, the long-awaiting announcement came at last hailing E.J. Franskevicz and Emma Seidl as this year’s Monarchs. They posed for pictures before Franskevicz headed off to rejoin his team for the coming clash against the Ganders.
Youthful Red Dog football players and cheerleaders were on hand to lend their verve to the night’s celebration. They lined up with a banner that read, “Don’t Gander In Our Dog House.” Moments later the Bulldogs burst through the banner and headed to the sideline clearly anxious to begin their ravenous meal of Gander stew.
Representing the Jeff-Youngsville Class of '82, John Schlott takes to the field as part of the halftime honoring of football alums. John's sons Will and Vaughn went on to play for Sullivan West.
Next up was the introduction of the Sullivan West senior gridders with their parents. This year’s seniors include Kitt Borowski, Charliie Ciccione, E.J. Franskevicz, Ben Kline, Chris Lang, Tom Mootz, Andrew Parsons and Todd Roeder.
The friendly clear skies that had adorned all of this pre-game adoration morphed first into a light drizzle and then a steady downpour as the game got underway.
A Commanding Win Is the Night’s Main Course
Sullivan West received the ball from the Class B Ganders who came in at 2-4 with sectional hopes hinging on a league win over powerful Marlboro next week. Rondout Valley sophomore Seth Deruggerio kicked off and Borowski returned it to the 36.
King EJ gained 11 yards on a keeper. The Ganders defense stiffened and sacked Franskevicz. An incomplete pass led to a punt who began their first quest at their own 27 with sophomore Thomas Reardon calling the signals.
The Ganders moved the ball well with carries from junior Jordan Gwynn. Facing a third and three at the 47, Gwynn was pounced on by Parsons, Mootz and Lang. Deguggerio punted and Sawyer Erlwein evinced a tremendous return up the left sideline to the Ganders’ 25.
The Ganders stuffed the first two plays and the Dawgs were facing a third and 14 at the 24. Franskevicz completed a screen pass to Erlwein who gave the Westies a first and goal to the two. Mootz ran it in from there at 4:30 for the 6-0 lead. Borowski’s PAT went wide right.
Rondout Valley fumbled the kickoff return and the ball was recovered by Scott Erdman to give the Bulldogs a short field at the Ganders’ 27. Facing a fourth and two at the 20, Franskevicz garnered a first down to the 15.
Erlwein fought his way to the one. The Bulldogs fumbled on the snap and Mootz recovered it. The same thing happened on the next play before Franskevicz carried it in from the two with 10.4 seconds remaining in the first quarter as Sullivan West now led 12-0. The two point conversion failed on incomplete pass to Zach O’Connor.
Deruggerio returned it to the 31 and Mootz stopped Gwynn to start the second quarter. The Ganders marshaled a first down on a slant pass to sophomore Keith Malak. Senior Ian Morse got another first down. Gwynn was stopped just short of the first down at the 37 but the Deruggerio earned the Ganders another series as the Dawgs defense yielded more turf.
Scoring in the pouring rain, Sullivan West's Jared Meola completes a 12-yard jaunt for the Dawgs' final score of the night.
Rondout lost five yards on an offsides call. An incomplete pass and an illegal substitution hampered the Ganders who now went to punt the ball from their own 43. The snap was bungled and the Dawgs took over at their own 49-yard line.
Sullivan West went three and out and Franskevicz sent a booming 52-yarde punt pinning the Ganders at the three. The Dawgs’ defense was impenetrable. Tight end Seth Woodbury caught a slant pass but was nearly blown into the ethers on a hard tackle by Mootz. You could hear the sound of it crackling through the gloomy downpour.
The Ganders appeared to be on track for a score as Malak caught a pass and made serious headway out to the 43. A nice run by Morse advanced the cause to the 34. Another pass to Malak and a run up the middle by Morse gave the Ganders a first and goal at the eight with under a minute remaining.
Brad Hemmer broke up a pass intended for Morse in the end zone. The Ganders burned their last time out but failed to score as Jared Meola broke up a third down pass attempt. Facing a fourth and goal at the 13 the Ganders came up short on a pass to Malak.
The half ended with the Bulldogs leading 12-0.
Glory Days
Football alumni from classes ending in 1 and 2 dating back as far as 1951 were called to midfield for a halftime honorarium after the Red Dog cheerleaders performed in the rain. Orchestrated by Bill Moloney, the former players from Delaware Valley, Jeff-Youngsville and the Sullivan West Class of 2002 were called forth to gather for the tribute beside a banner that read, “Welcome Back Alumni.”
They were as follows: Sullivan West Class of 2002: Kevin Mullally; Jeff-Youngsville Class of ’92: Jeremy Ernst, Ed Mall, Joe Herbert, Eric Kubenik; D-V Class of ’92: Kurt Buddenhagen, Michael Larsen, Christian Renaudo; J-Y Class of ’82: Pete Erlwein, John Schlott, David Dufalt and Mike Puerschner; D-V Class of ’82: Scott Haberli; J-Y Class of ’81: Mike Geiger; D-V Class of ’72: Eugene Flynn, John Meyers; D-V Class of ’62: Garry Mitinas, Edward Sykes, Craig Stewart and Emil Lienuu; D-V Class of ’52: Bill Moran and David Buddenhagen and D-V Class of ’51: Mickey Roche.
A Fitting Home Finale At Bulldog Stadium
Getting the win was important to the Bulldogs, especially its proud seniors who fired up the defense to enforce the shut out. “This is our homecoming game,” barked Mootz at one point as the Ganders threatened to get on the board. Though the coming playoff game in two weeks loomed large on the horizon, the Dawgs knew they had to stay focused in the present challenge.
The Ganders were stymied on their first possession of the second half. Sullivan West voltage soon went off the meter again as Mootz had a huge run to the Ganders’ 18. Borowksi got it to the 12 on a sweep. Jared Meola took it in from there at 9:00 minutes for the 18-0 lead.
Borowski’s PAT was blocked.
Just the kind of thing Bulldogs fan are hoping for against Burke in the playoffs: Erlwein head s around end as Andrew Parsons seals it with a block.
The next highlight moment came after another Rondout failed series when Sawyer Erlwein hauled in a 42-yard pass to Sawyer Erlwein at 1:30 of the third quarter was called back on a holding penalty. I missed the photo as I had my camera turned off to preserve a waning battery. All of those pregame and halftime photos had taken their toll but I cursed myself for missing that great grab.
Mootz recovered a fumble. A reverse to Erlwein was called back for a holding penalty. Franskevicz sent a booming punt to the Ganders 23 to end the quarter.
Again the Ganders moved the ball well on the ground and in the air as Gwynn and Malak were effective in advancing the pigskin against the Westies’ defense . The Ganders penetrated as far as the six but facing a fourth and six from the 11 as Mootz barked the aforementioned admonition. Gwynn marshaled a first down at the six but three plays later he failed to get the yardage as the Bulldogs held on and took over on downs.
The Bulldogs punted after a three and out and Morse returned it to the SW 40.
On the first play from scrimmage Blaine Reddish knocked the ball loose and Erlwein recovered it on the SW 40.
Sullivan West converted a fourth and four at the 47 as Franskevicz carried it on a keeper. The wet ball came loose and Rondout Valley had it on the SW 47 with 2:16 to go.
Erdman and Meola knocked Gwynn out of bounds at the 41. Erlwein just missed an interception. Rondout recovered a fumble. Kline knocked down a pass intended for a diving Malak.
Time soon expired and the Bulldogs improved to 5-2 with the 18-0 win.
Rondout Valley Coach George Iacobaccio summed things up thusly: “We’re improving every week from bringing the program back two years ago. We had a 96-yard drive in two and a half minutes and just didn’t finish it at the end. We were in the red zone a few times. Our special teams killed us tonight. They took a punt back 40 yards and they scored on two short fields to begin with. Right away that put us in a whole.
Add in the fumbled kickoff and they needed only seven plays from there to get in. We’re getting there but three plays every game are preventing us from getting the W.”
Rondout Valley can make the sectionals if they can beat Red Hook next week. That will the 2-5 Ganders a 3-3 league record and a berth in the Class B dance.
“We’re still a young team and we’re still learning how to play better football” he noted.
Sullivan West Coach Ron Bauer was glad that his team had made the Homecoming a happy one. Asked about next week’s non-league prelim of the following week playoff clash with Burke, Bauer said simply,’ We’re going to play football.” Clearly neither team will show much to the other in that one though once again, Burke was filming this encounter.
Sullivan West stat line:
Rushing: Franskevicz 6/28 with one TD of ten yards; Mootz 11/83 with one TD of two yards; Borowski 1/5; Meola 5/15 with one TD of 12 yards; Erlwein 2/19;
Passing/Receiving: Franskevicz 3/6/33 with Erlwein on all receptions.
Defense: Mootz 19 tackles; Erlwein 16 tackles and an interception; Erdman 12 tackles and one fumble recovery; Parsons ten tackles; Lang eight tackles and Meola nine tackles.
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