On A Mission
Bears Fall To Playoff-Bound Raiders As Turnover Woes Continue; Non-League Game Could Well Be A Preview Of First Round Playoff Tilt As Bears Control Their Own Destiny; Raiders Vow To Hone Their Edge To Facilitate Successful Playoff Run
James I. O’Neill 29, Tri-Valley 15
By RICHARD A. ROSS
rross@sportsinsightsny.com
Scenes from the Tri-Valley vs. O'Neill non-league clash..perhaps a preview of a first-round playoff game if the Bears win out over Fallsburg and Millbrook (Clockwise) O''Neill's Matt McCarthy hauls in a four--yard TD pass from Keegan West after the Raiders capitalize on a T-V fumble of a kickoff. Another Bears miscue leads to a second TD in the first half as Amon Gerber returns a punt for a TD to regain the lead. Tri-Valley's Shatik Smith intercepts a pass intended for O'Neills' Chris Olave and T-V's Cody Exner races for a 60-yard TD to give the Bears the lead back in the third quarter.
GRAHAMSVILLE, NY—For all the apparent difference in their relative success and the lack thereof, 5-1 O’Neill and 1-5 Tri-Valley have several things in common. While the Raiders are already booked as the number-one seed from Division One for the October 28 playoff opener and the Bears must now run the table against Division II foes Fallsburg and Millbrook, the mission is the same: Make fewer mistakes, sustain drives and sharpen up or else….
O'Neill junior workhorse Jerry Nasi applies a straight arm to Tri-Valley's Conor Walsh. Strong, fast and tough to bring down, Nasi is a lethal weapon. In this game it was a workman-like 113 yards on 25 carries and a TD.
For O’Neill Coach Anthony Finochio that “Or else” meaning elimination in the playoffs, can be avoided by his team looking even sharper and avoiding mental errors. “If we want to make a run through the playoffs we have to nix those in the bud and play flawless football,” he said following his team’s 29-15 win over a tough, physical Tri-Valley team that held leads at two separate times in this game including a 15-14 edge midway through the third quarter.
The “Or Else,” for Tri-Valley is infinitely more daunting.
The Bears turned the ball over three times in this game, thereby shooting themselves in their bullet-ridden feet yet again as Coach John Rusin described this day’s somber outcome as an ongoing sore point. “ A “broken record. It’s week in and week out,” he noted as the talented Bears continue to neutralize their fine play at times with costly errors.
Now in the eleventh hour of their season the Bears have no margin for further error as they prepare to play a pair of league games against Fallsburg and Millbrook.
To make the playoffs Tri-Valley must win both of those games and if they do, it will be O’Neill they will face in the first round of the playoffs. If this game is any indication, that could be an all-out war as both squads know what they’re up against.
Rusin believes if his team gets to the playoffs that they could “Make some serious noise.” I’m sure Finochio and his Raiders won’t take that challenge lightly…or else…
Rusin hammered the message to his troops following this latest loss that followed the same script. “We are turning the ball over way too much. Minus three is the story of this game. We moved the ball well, played good defense as we have throughout but we can’t keep giving people short fields and we can’t stall drives with turnovers,” he stated emphatically.
They don't build them any tougher: Joe Mickelson, back from a hairline tibia fracture rushes the ball from the fullback spot. Mickelson brings the right stuff for T-V to win but mistakes must be minimized to do so.
Rusin believes in his team, but eschews the notorious distinction of being the “best 1-5 team in Section Nine. “I’m tired of hearing the other team’s coach tell me we’re the toughest team they’ve played all year and that you beat us up and down the field and that we’re going to give next week’s opponent hell. Those are direct quotes,” Rusin avers but they are not the words he relishes in the least.
Yet for all of the heartbreak and the mélange of miscues, Tri-Valley is in position to benefit from the requirements of playoff contention, namely to emerge with a positive league record, thereby rendering all of these past weeks defeats meaningless.
Much has and will be said about this process whereby teams like Liberty could easily be 6-3 by season’s end, having lost two league games by a single point and find themselves on the outside looking in. You can be sure that the entire system will be scrutinized severely as it renders most of the games teams play as insignificant in terms of playoff entry.
Tri-Valley won the toss and elected to defer, a logical choice given the fact that its defense has consistently been its strongest suit all year. “Let’s set the tone! They’ve come here to try and pound us but don’t let them dictate the tempo o f the game,” Rusin implored.
Tyler Lopez, returning from his absence since the Pine Plains game, kicked the ball out of bounds and the Raiders set up at the 35. As expected the first carry went to junior workhorse Jerry Nasi, his first of 25 on the day, this one for a nine-yard gain. He took it again for a first down before Joe Mickelson tagged him for a loss.
Mickelson’s return from a hairline tibia fracture was a plus for the Bears. In his absence fellow senior Greg Swarthout has been calling the signals. Mickelson would play fullback in this tilt and would make a fine showing therein, but here on defense he showed his aggressive verve had not been dulled by his inactivity.
O’Neill committed a pair of offsides penalties, giving credence to Finochio’s contention about his team’s lack of mental focus at times. That doomed this first series and after an incomplete pass to Matt McCarthy, the Raiders got set to punt.
When it comes to spirit there is none greater than that exuded by the Tri-Valley cheerleaders.
The Bears’ elation about their fine defensive stop was short-lived as Shatik Smith fumbled the punt and the Raiders recovered it at the Bears’ 20. Troy Rossi stopped Nasi in his tracks on first down. Nasi wove in out and for five before being dropped by Jesus Lozada bringing up third and five at the 15.Nasi met Brendan Tierney and Rossi on his next attempt.
The Raiders went to the air on fourth down as quarterback Keegan West hit McCarthy for the 15-yard TD at 7:08. O’Neill surrendered five yards on the PAT attempt by dint of their third offsides penalty and kicker Jordan Baskerville’s kick sailed wide right as the Raiders now led 6-0.
Mickelson carries brought a first down as Finochio called a time out after yelling, “Trips,” seeing a trio of T-V receivers in a formation he felt his team was unprepared to defend against. The Bears soon penetrated into Raider territory with their ground game. The chains kept moving as the Bears marched on with runs by Swarthout, Mickelson and a pitch to Lopez.
The drive continued as Swarthout converted a third and two run from the 25 to the Raiders’ 19. The Bears were moving the ball at will as they garnered a first and goal from the nine with 2:09 to go in the first quarter. O’Neill stiffened as the Bears faced a fourth and goal at the two as the quarter ended.
Pass defense will be needed to beat O'Neill whose running game sets up strikes like the one that beat Sullivan West. Here T-V's Shatik Smith defends against Chris Olave as the ball falls for an incompletion.
Mickelson was stopped and the Raiders took over at the three. Furious at having squandered their attempt to take the lead the Bears’ defense bore down on O’Neill looking for a safety. The Raiders barely avoided such on the first carry by Nasi. On a third and 11 it appeared they had Nasi in the end zone but the officials said no.
The ensuing punt was a short one giving the Bears the ball just outside the ten. Smith caught a ball coming back across the grain to bring the ball to the three. Cody Exner ran it in from the one at 7:44 to tie it at six- all. Anthony Beale gave the Bears the 7-6 lead with his PAT.
Lopez fired an onsides kick that was rolling loose before the Raiders recovered it. A flag signaled a late hit by T-V’s Aric Boyes affording the Raiders fine field position at their own 47. O’Neill tried a sweep with Kyle Kilner carrying but Rossi snuffed it out after a yard. The ball came loose but it was ruled to be after the play.
Facing a fourth and five the Raiders went to the Power I formation and Nasi got the needed yardage to the T-V 36. After an incomplete pass to McCarthy, West went to the air again but it was Smith who came up with the ball as he dove to take it away from intended receiver Chris Olave.
A jubilant Smith was lifted aloft by Brendan Tierney but as it would turn out, the Bears failed to capitalize on the break. Instead, their drive stalled and in a dramatic turn of events, they allowed O’Neill’s Amon Gerber to return a punt all the way to the house. Nasi ran in the two-point conversion out of the “Power I” formation to put the Raiders in the drivers’ seat to the tune of 14-7 with 2:37 left in the half.
The Bears worked to get the lead back with a run by Exner and a reception of a halfback option pass by the stalwart junior but a Mickelson fumble was recovered by O’Neill’s Zach Trainor to extinguish the threat. O’Neill carried the 14-7 lead into halftime after the Bears’ defense stymied O’Neill’s final drive that ended with a sack of West by Fred Dumond and Rossi and a trio of incomplete passes.
Rusin’s address to his troops at the half must have been a stern one given the turn of events.
The Bears began the second half with a return to the 33 by Exner. A big run by Exner was brought back by a block in the back. After a short gain by Tierney, Exner broke loose for a 60-yard TD run at 10:15 to make it 14-13.
O’Neill was called for offsides and Rusin replaced his PAT array with his offense to go for two. Mickelson took over at QB for this play and effected a sneak for the 15-14 lead.
Jesus Lozada denied Gerber a kickoff return as he zoomed in on the quick sophomore determined to not allow him game-breaking runback.
The Raiders went back to a steady diet of Nasi who soon had the chains moving in the Raiders’ favor to the O’Neill 41. With a fourth a three to go at the O’Neill 49, Nasi got the first down as officials issued a sideline warning to the T-V coaches.
McCarthy snared a pass as he ran in between Smith and John Monforte just moments after defensive coach Joe Porcaro had yelled for Smith to drop back. The ball now sat at the T-V 20 with 5:45 to go in the third quarter.
On a third and two, West hit McCarthy with a 12-yard TD pass at 4:20 for the 20-15 lead. Nasi carried it in for the two-point conversion to make it 22-15.
Again the Bears were moving the ball on the ground but an option pitch to Conor Walsh was recovered by Kilner snuffing out yet another T-V drive. Kilner carried it to the Bears’ 40. Nasi came up short on a third down play giving the Raiders a fourth and two at the Bears’ 28 as the quarter expired.
West got the first down on a keeper. The Bears worked assiduously to hold the Raiders out but Nasi twisted and turned his way to the 11. Lozada knocked Nasi back to the 14 on the next play. On a third down play the Raiders used effective trap blocking to spring Nasi for the nine-yard TD to the outside at 7:41 for the 28-15 lead.
A snap infraction on the center pushed the ball back on the PAT but Baskervile split the uprights anyway for the 29-15 lead.
The Bears began at their own 24. A roughing the passer penalty availed the Bears extra yardage as the Bears moved it with a pass and a reverse to the O”Neill 31. Down by two the Bears got another first down at the 20 with 3:58 to go but the clock was moving as Swarthout was caught behind the line of scrimmage by Chris VanSkyock. Facing a fourth and long back at the 27 the Bears failed to convert on a screen pass to Mickelson as the Raiders took over on downs with 2:22 to go.
O’Neill kept it on the ground to run out the clock. The Bears used their last time outs to no avail as they were unable to thwart a final fourth and inches. The game ended with O’Neill in possession of the ball and the victory.
Nasi took the win in stride acknowledging the fact that there is much yet to do. “We still have a lot of work to do. Tri-Valley was physical and fast, “ he said giving props to the Bears, “but we’ve got to get better each week.”
Finochio had already stated as much in his comments that began with praise for Nasi. “he finds the seams and does a good job. When you have a great running game it does open up passing lanes too,” he noted referencing the TD catches from McCarthy.
“The formula has been working and we’re trying to get better week to week,” he said. Asked if he had held anything back anticipating that the Bears might be the team the Raiders would face in the playoffs, Finochio quickly replied, “No, we play to win every game.”
Rusin’s words conveyed his disappointment, while he continued to cite his team’s toughness and work ethic. “Am I proud of them? Absolutely. Do I want more them? Absolutely. They’re a much better football team than their record shows but the left column is all anybody ever looks at. Repeating the mantra he will stress each and every day over the coming week, “We control our own destiny. But if we turn the ball over three times to Fallsburg, we will lose.”
Tri-Valley’s mission is to dampen the Comets’ Homecoming by garnering the win. If they do that, they will then turn their attention to talented Millbrook whom they host on their own Homecoming the following week to determine which team will face O’Neill on October 28.
O’Neill plays Livingston Manor Roscoe and Ellenville in its final two tune ups.
Tri-Valley stat line:
Rushing: Exner: 7/93 2TD’s; Mickelson: 16/60 2PT conversion; Swarthout: 9/34; Lopez: 2/7;Tierney: 1/2; .Total: 35/196.
Passing: Swarthout: 3/5 32YDS; Mickelson 1/1 13YDS.
Receiving: Exner: 2/21; Lopez: 1/15; Smith: 1/8.
Defense: Mickelson: 10 Tackles 6 Assists 1 Sack; Lozada: 9 Tackles 1 Assist; Tierney: 5 Tackles 4 Assists.
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The Razor’s Edge
O’Neill’s Defense Makes A Huge Late Stand And Liberty Misses The Game-Winning Field Goal In An Epic High School Classic; League Result Puts O’Neill One Win Away From A Playoff Berth and Liberty Having To Run The Table Vs Ellenville and Sullivan West
James I. O’Neill 14, Liberty 13
By RICHARD A. ROSS
rross@sportsinsightsny.com
Scenes from an epic clash as Liberty and O'Neill vie for a win in a closely-contested Division I clash (Clockwise) Liberty's Anthony Covington dives over the goal line for a 12-yard TD. O'Neill junior Jerry Nasi cruises into the end zone on a two-point conversion run. He scored both Raiders' TD's as well. Liberty's Ryan Henry hauls in a 20-yard TD catch from Marshon Willaims. Williams is brought down by a diving Nasi. Both teams played fine defense but O'Neill had the last word.
LIBERTY, NY—Sometimes it’s the narrowest margin that separates contrasting outcomes in life. In a sense we’re always walking that tightrope knowing full well that in some instances things will work in our favor, while at other times they just won’t go our way.
One right answer on a test can be the difference between passing and failing; one quick swerve on the road can avoid a catastrophic collision. Even more poignantly, as we saw on 9/11, precious life can hang in the balance in a fateful second as a burning skyscraper is about to collapse. In such critical instances a split second decision can be the difference between life and death
While sports mirrors life in its teetering outcomes and offers the compelling drama of games that literally hang in the balance, we must remember that they are after all, just games. Win or lose, the outcomes must remain in perspective.
O'Neill's Jerry Nasi racked up 140 yards on 20 carries and accounted for all 14 Raider points.
That said, in clashes such as the epic down-to-the-wire division encounter between host Liberty and visiting James I. O’Neill, won 14-13 by the latter on September 17, the captivating allure of a high school classic whose result would not be manifested until the game’s very final seconds, was indeed a reminder of how narrow the margin can be between exultation and heart-rending disappointment.
For Liberty which came into this fray having scored 94 points over its first two wins of the season and playing its first league game, this was to be an emotional first-step towards returning to the playoffs, a place they’ve been for the past two years. More so, the Indians have dedicated themselves towards winning it all and they most certainly still can do that.
But succumbing by one point after recovering an O’Neill fumble, having a first-and-goal at the Raiders’ nine –yard line and seeing things unfold the way they did with a dropped pass in the end zone, the inability to surmount O’Neill’s staunch run defense and then missing a game-winning 22-yard field goal by a kicker for whom this ordinarily represents a chip shot was a shocking result.
“That’s football,” said Liberty Coach John Wilhelm who knew that his team had squandered a win by dint of excessive penalties and missed opportunities. Ever the realist and always focused on the next step, Wilhelm will now guide his young Tribe towards keeping their focus and winning against Ellenville on what else, Pride Weekend, in order to stay in the hunt.
As for O”Neill, they showed immense character down the stretch and for that matter, most of the second half as they played what Coach Anthony Finochioy called “Raider football,” to withstand the most daunting threat. To be sure, O’Neill’s heroics which up to that point had centered on great second half blocking, relentless tackling led by Eric Wallace’s 15 takedowns, and the outstanding running of workhorse junior Jerry Nasi were capped off by a goal line stand of epic proportions.
O’Neill won the toss and elected to defer. As Libety junior Kenny Jaycox received the ball and ran it back to the Raiders’ 45, the home crowd had its first electrifying rush of excitement. Liberty offered up a mix of runs with junior Anthony Covington, senior quarterback Marshon Williams and Jaycox as they advanced the ball to the 17 before faltering on fourth down allowing O’Neill to take over on downs at their 16.
Sophomre Keegan West was calling the signals. A false start hampered O’Neill on its first play but an option pitch to Nasi proved to be profitable as did the next few plays on the ground until Covington registered a sack on fourth down of Keegan and the Indians got the ball back.
Liberty junior Kenny Jaycox electrifies the crowd on this hefty game-opening kickoff return. Jaycox was key on defense as well with nine tackles, a sack and two forced fumbles. He ran for 34 yards on eight carries.
Liberty was unable to sustain its drive on this series and Ryan Henry’s fake punt was snuffed out giving the Raiders the ball on the Liberty 40. A pass to senior tight end Matt McCarthy was key as the first quarter ended 0-0 but with O’Neill threatening at the nine-yard line.
A steady diet of carries by Nasi soon yielded a one-yard TD at 9:48 of the second quarter. The PAT failed and O’Neill led 6-0.
Liberty’s ground advance was undercut by a chop block call that set them back with a first and 25 at midfield but the Indians overcame the challenge with a great catch by Henry that brought the Tribe to the Raiders’ seven-yard line. A TD by Jaycox was called back on a holding penalty but Williams connected with Henry again, this time for a 20-yard TD with 4:15 remaining in the period to tie the game at six-all. Henry’s PAT gave Liberty a 7-6 lead.
An onside kick was recovered by O’Neill’s Bobby Jackson and once again the Raiders had a short field at their own 46. Jaycox caused a fumble which O’Neill recovered but the Raiders were forced to punt. Neither team scored and the Indians took the 7-6 lead into the half.
O’Neill recovered Liberty’s opening onsides kick but went three and out to start the third quarter. The punt was partially blocked and Liberty took over at the Raiders 45. Impressive runs by Jaycox, Williams and Covington got the ball to the 12. Covington scored from there sailing airborne over the goal line at 6:20 for the 13-6 lead. Henry’s PAT ricocheted off the bottom of the crossbar. Little could anyone imagine that that would constitute the difference in the game’s final score.
Liberty now had the momentum as Henry recovered his own onsides kick but the Indians didn’t capitalize on the advantage and went three and out. Henry’s punt pinned O’Neill at its own 16 but Nasi was about to go to work taking the ball on nearly every down. The quarter ended with the Raiders on Liberty 15.
A great call on a reverse placed the ball in the hands of junior Derrike Shrieve as Liberty bit on the play and went off in search of Nasi who no longer had the ball. Now the Raider set up with a first down at the four and Nasi took it in from there to make it 13-12 still in Liberty’s favor. He then toted in the two-point conversion with 11;24 remaining in the game for O’Neill’s first lead as they now were on top 14-13.
A great punt by junior Jordan Baskerville who had come out of the game on O’Neill’s first series with a knee injury pinned Liberty at its 15. The Raiders dug in and Eric Wallace sacked Williams. O’Neill got the ball at its own 45 as Liberty coaches barked, “We need a stop.”
They got just that as Covingston knocked the ball loose and Tiago Mastrogiovanni recovered it giving Liberty the ball at the Raiders’ 43.
A facemask penalty by O’Neill helped the Liberty cause as they now faced a first and five at the 42 with just over seven minutes to go. Williams completed a short pass to Javier Baez. After Covington racked up another first down, Liberty was again flagged this time for holding. Now it was first and 20 at the 46 with 4:30 to go.
The Williams to Henry air express worked again yielding a first down on the 22. Five yard runs by Williams and Covington brought it to the 12and with 2:30 to go Williams got a first and goal at the nine.
On the very next play he hit Jaycox in the end zone for what would have been the winning TD but the speedy Fallsburg transfer student couldn’t hold on to the ball. The Indians tried to bang it in with a dive by Covington that went to the five. O’Neill was flagged for encroachment which put the ball on the three. After Williams was stopped in his tracks and with 35.7 seconds remaining. Liberty called a time out and set up its final play, a 22-yard field goal attempt by Henry.
Ryan Henry kicks the field goal at the end of the game but it sails wide right.
“Wide right,” went Henry’s kick and with it the Indians’ hope of a cathartic comeback win. Those were the same famous words used to descirbe the Buffalo Bill demise against the Giants in Superbowl XXV in 1991 as Scott Norwood missed a 47-yard attempt with the Bills trailing by a single point with eight seconds left in the game.
By stark contrast to Liberty’s sinking emotions, O’Neill’s players and coaches erupted in joy at the last minute reprieve.
“Stick a fork in me. I’m done,” quipped Coach Finochioy. “My kids showed unbelievable heart today. They showed that they had the heart of a champion. They really stepped up. I’m so impressed. I’ve never seen a group of young men that played through adversity like this before,” he said as his voice reflected overwhelming emotion.
“Nasi is a workhorse. It doesn’t get any bigger that this he added,” agreeing that this game’s was Liberty’s for the taking and that his team took it back. “Liberty controlled us in the first half and we knew when we came out in the second half that we had to establish Raider football again and run the ball and my kids did that. The offensive line did an unbelievable job including my tight ends.
Jordan Baskerville is tough as nails. He took a knee injury early on and came back in,” he added.
Nasi was quick to deflect the praise. “It it wasn’t for the offensive line I don’t think I would have been going anywhere.”
Liberty Coach John Wilhelm had already spoken to his troops when this writer got to interview him. As the Indians exited the field Wilhelm had this to say: “We hurt ourselves today with too many penalties. But we did play well. The kids ran hard and Marshon threw some really nice passes to Henry but again too many mistakes.
This picture says it all. To the victors belong the spoils.
We did put ourselves in a position to win. Hopefully the next one goes our way. Now we’re in a must-win situation as we face Ellenville and then Sullivan West,” he added.
Ellenville’s coach Tony Borriello was Wilhelm’s coach and is truly his mentor. With the game slated to be played on Liberty’s Pride Weekend and with 0-3 Ellenville and 2-1 Liberty both having to win to assure themselves of a playoff berth, this game is going to be immense to say the least. “Ellenville is hungry and we’ve got our work cut out for us.”
Liberty Stat Line:
Passing: Marshon Williams 7/12/107 with one TD.
Rushing: Williams 16/74; Anthony Covington 11/52 with one TD; Kenny Jaycox 8/34
Receiving: Ryan Henry 3/83 with one TD; Javier Baez 2/9; Covington 2/15;
Defense: Baez six tackles; Jaycox nine tackles, one sack, one forced fumble; Covington six tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles; Tiago Mastrogiovanni one fumble recovery; Tony Saravia 11 tackles and Danny Hopkins three tackles and one sack.
Liberty is now 2-1 (0-1 OCIAA), while O’Neill is 2-1 (1-0) OCIAA. The Raiders host Sullivan West on September 23. The winner will be assured of a playoff spot.
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