In Loving Memory
County Fare: Donna Deppa Meet Of Champions Evinces Sole Spring Meeting Of All Sullivan County Schools, Though Some With Partial Attendance; Individually Scored Meet Features Many Local Standouts; Lightning Nixes Relays And Pole Vault Conclusion
By RICHARD A. ROSS
Photos at: www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
County Fare: Scenes from the Donna Deppa Meet of Champions (clockwise) Monticello's Camryn and Sydney Johnson are one-two in the 1500 and 3000, Sullivan West's Reed Scott wins the 1600 and 3200, Liberty's Rebeccah Harman wins the 100 hurdles. She also won the 400 H, Monticello's Mistah Alli claims the long jump. He also won the 100 and the triple jump, Sullivan West boy seniors Shaughn Goggin, John Masten, Ben Kline, Charlie Ciccione, Chris Lang and Sam Smith, Sullivan West girl seniors Amanda Rosenberger, Rachel Deppa and Kristina Sumfleth, In the water after the meet Rosa Martinez, Courtney Meyerer and Corrine VanWagner, Liberty's Kane Sauchuk wins the 110 hurdles before winning the 400H, Sullivan West's Dani Myers comes from behind to win the 2000 steeplechase, Liberty's Peter Koval wins the javelin and Fallsburg's Candhace Forrest inches out SW's Amanda Rosenberger to win the 100. Rosenberger came back to win the 200.
JEFFERSONVILLE, NY—In this life there are givers and takers.
Donna Deppa was a giver.
Like many parents I’ve met over the years, she was always there for her kids. Whenever her daughters Rebecca and Rachel were involved in sports, season after season through all kinds of weather she not only supported her kids, but gave of herself unselfishly to the entire team enterprise at Sullivan West
Donna passed away a year ago last winter after a valiant battle with cancer. Sick as she was she was there right up until the end, present at Gillis Field House at West Point cheering on Rachel and her teammates. So it was fitting last spring that the Sullivan West invitational meet, formerly dubbed the Sullivan County Meet of Champions was renamed in Donna’s memory.
For me, she timelessly represents the legions of parents who ensure that their kids get the last full measure of their love and support. Believe me, they all need it. Track and field athletes work incredibly hard. A fair number of them are year-round warriors. Some play other sports during fall or winter but come spring this is where they end up. Of course there are those track aficionados who come on board in the winter and devilishly prepare themselves for the rigors of spring.
You can tell who they are.
They are light years ahead of the ones who took the winter off figuring they’d get it together in the spring only to find themselves way behind the curve chasing the kids who put in the time and work on the indoor circuit.
Finally there are the distance runners who began this year’s quest running cross-country back in the fall. Most moved on to build their stamina and increase their speed in the winter and now in the glorious spring, they shine on brightly as they stride gracefully and with vigor across the miles. Stamina they’ve got. In some meets they’ll run multiple distance events oftentimes with not much time in between.
I make no bones about how much I love these kids which is why I spend what some consider a disproportionate amount of time documenting their exploits in words and images.
For me, the Donna Deppa Meet of Champions is a photographer’s dream. For it is the one time in the spring when you can see every country school with a track team represented. Given its proximity to the OCIAA championships which always takes place two or three days after it, a number of coaches hold kids out of this extravaganza. I get it.
This meet is not scored on a team basis, so kids are really on their own in their events without the added pressure of trying to marshal points for the entire squad. With the array of colors featuring the Liberty red and white, the Monticello royal blue and white, the Fallsburg black and gold, the Sullivan West black and white, the Livingston Manor maroon and gray, the Eldred green, and the Tri-Valley red, white and a smattering of blue, the meet affords a blur of rainbow hues as runners, jumpers and throwers take to the verdant venue to give it all they’ve got.
Last year Mother Nature sent a downpour, nixing the steeplechase and the relays. This year’s meet, delayed a day by another monsoon began under bright, sunny skies but with the threat of an impending dose of lightning, thunder and hail predicted to descend before it was all over.
The lightning did come and the relays went with it as did the finish of the pole vault. But for the most part, though it did rain towards the end, Mother Nature spared us her trail of tears as well as her roiling fury.
Here are the first place finishers. I am also posting the scoresheet to show the full results. For many of the kids who competed in this meet, this was a chance to show their stuff as some of the headliners were missing in action.
Girls Highlights
A dicey 100 final with Fallsburg’s Candhace Forest inching out SW’s Amanda Rosenberger. The duo are 1-1 now against each other and will look to sectionals to evince their best against the best of Class C. Rosenberger came back to win the 200. Eldred’s Breanna Brucher maintained her hold on the county’s pole vault supremacy, while Monticello’s Tania Walker showed her strength in the 400.
Liberty’s Rebeccah Harman remains the county’s top hurdler winning the 100 and 400 hurdles with her inimitable graceful lengthy strides. Monticello’s Camryn Johnson claimed the 1500 and 3000 with twin Sydney just behind her. The duo represent the next wave of great distance runners ready to take charge as some of the area’s seniors evince their swan songs en route to a new life in college. SullivanWest’s Dani Myers surged from behind to overtake Monticello’s Erica Concors in the 2000 steeplechase and Livingston Manor’s Ami Calo marshaled a sweep of the long and high jumps showing that tiny school entrants can trump those from much bigger schools.
Girls results: 100 meters: Candhace Forest (Fallsburg) 12.7; 200: Amanda Rosenberger (SW) 27.5; 400: Tanya Walker (Monticello) 63.8; 800: Julie Kane (Monticello) 2:37; 1,500: Cameron Johnson (Monticello) 5:22; 3,000: Camryn Johnson (Monticello) 11:32; 100 hurdles: Rebeccah Harman (Liberty) 17.4; 400 hurdles: Harmon (Liberty) 70.4; 2,000 steeplechase: Dani Myers (SW) 8:43; high jump: Ami Calo (Livingston Manor) 4-8; long jump: Julia Doherty (Monticello) 14-8.25; triple jump: Ami Calo (Livingston Manor) 31-8; shot put: M. Harris (Fallsburg) 29-5; discus: Sarah Coney (Tri-Valley) 81-5; pole vault: Breanna Brucher (Eldred) 9-0.
Boys highlights
Monticello’s Mistah Alli had himself a day to say the least as he won the 100, the long and triple jumps. But when it comes to hurdles the name of Liberty’s Kane Sauchuk is always part of the conversation. He swept the 110 and 400 hurdles (again). Sullivan West’s Reed Scott took the 1600 and the 3200 while Monticello’s Joe Klein prevailed in the 3000 steeplechase. SW’s Matt Cardona ruled the high jump as teammate Anthony Rydell captured the discus. Fallsburg’s Michael Robinson claimed the shot put. Monticello’s Terry Duncan ruled the 200, while Manor’s Neal Mock won the 800.
100 meters: Mistah Alli (Monticello) 11.3; 200: Terry Duncan (Monticello) 23.1; 400: Raiquawn Malloy (Liberty) 55.3; 800: Neil Mock (Livingston Manor) 2:10; 1,500: 1. Reed Scott (Sullivan West) 5:04; 3,000: Reed Scott (Sullivan West) 10:40; 110 hurdles: Kane Sauchuk (Liberty) 16.0; 400 hurdles: Kane Sauchuk (Liberty) 59.2; 3,000 steeplechase: Joe Klein (Monticello) 11:31; high jump: Matt Cardon (Sullivan West) 5-10; long jump: Mistah Alli (Monticello) 20-3; triple jump: Mistah Alli (Monticello) 41-1; shot put: Michael Robinson (Fallsburg) 41-11; discus: Anthony Rydell (Sullivan West) 119-10; javelin: Pete Koval (Liberty) 135-0.
For an album of photos, visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
“A”drenaline Rush
Cornwall Defeats Monticello To Return To Class A Finals Looking To Topple Defending Champ Wallkill; Monticello Survives Early Turnover Woes To Avoid First Quarter Blowout Yielding Just 16 Points In Dragons’ First Five Possessions
Section Nine Class A Semifinals
Cornwall 36, Monticello 14
By RICHARD A. ROSS
rross@sportsinsightsny.com
Scenes from the Class A semifinal wherein Cornwall downed gritty Monticello 36-14 (Clockwise). Offensive MVP, Cornwall senior Peter Catal gains great yardage on his first touch of the ball. Catal carried the ball 17 times for 150 yards and scored the first three TD's for the Dragons. Monticello's Anthony Gray makes an unbelievable catch as he intercepts a pass intended for Cornwall's Alex Cruz. Gray later scored on a 73-yard TD pass from Shane Jackson. Cornwall sophomore quarterback Mike White lays the ball down in the end zone after scoring the Dragons' final TD of the night. Monticello''s Shane Jackson takes off for a first-down scamper. Playing on an ankle still sore for an injury two weeks prior, Jackson gritted it out and gave it his all, as did his teammates in the Monties' best showing in four tries against immensely talented Cornwall.
MIDDLETOWN, NY—College players who move on to play professional football will say time and time again how the speed of the game in the NFL is so much quicker than they’ve ever experienced before..
Watching elite Cornwall, abetted by Monticello turnovers that contributed to the Dragons getting the ball in the red zone for its first five possessions, required an adjustment to a level of play this writer hasn’t seen this year. As fast as my lens is, I had to quickly get used to the pace of the action to keep up with it all.
Tough as nails: Monticello's Mike Rogers has lost his helmet but not his grit as he tries albeit unsuccessfully to keep Cornwall's Offensive MVP Peter Catal from scoring his second TD of the night, a product of a Monticello turnover.
It’s no knock on the fine teams I cover, it’s just that Cornwall plays on a whole other level.
That Monticello’s defense allowed just two TD’s during that early maelstrom is a credit to the toughness of the Panthers and an indication of just how far they’ve come this season.
As compared to their prior meeting with Cornwall when a bevy of first half turnovers turned into a 35-0 Cornwall margin, Monticello’s early struggle to hold onto the ball afforded the Dragons just 16 points, keeping this game within reach.
By all rights as the teams would enter the locker room at the half with Cornwall holding a 23-0 lead, it it might well have been 37-0 or worse.
Two solid defensive stands by the Monties had resulted in a pair of missed field goals by junior kicker Damon Neil.
Considering Cornwall’s dominance over Monticello in their three prior meetings since last fall that had resulted in the Dragons outscoring the Monties 148-13, this game would prove to be Monticello’s best showing of the four encounters and proof positive of the program’s ongoing improvement and viability.
For the three-seeded Monties to have any hope of upsetting the two-seeded Dragons, they were going to need every conceivable break, flawless efficiency in every facet of the game and a game for the ages from still-ailing quarterback Shane Jackson.
Still partially hobbled by an ankle injury suffered in the Port Jervis game, Jackson not only sat out last week’s win over Goshen, he hardly practiced during the past two weeks. “I think he was about 75%, observed Coach Matt Buddenhagen following the game.
Green lightning: Cornwall's first possession advance is accelerated by Kevin McNally's catch from quarterback Mike White as Monticello's Jacob McLaughlin defends.
Jackson was quite healthy though earlier this year when Cornwall beat Monticello 52-7. So to win this one, the Monties would probably have had to call on the hopefully beneficent football gods and as well as the sword of the legendary St. George to slay this cadre of lethal Dragons.
Cornwall won the toss and elected to receive as the night grew chillier, an ominous foreshadowing of an unseasonal blizzard that would blanket the area the following day.
Cornwall’s cheerleading captains came over to greet the Montie cheer squad in an amicable pre-game showing of class and sportsmanship. During the game, after each Cornwall touchdown, the Lady Dragons would get down and do seven pushups to commemorate each seven point acquisition.
Cornwall’s Aidan Carroll pounced on Angelo Niforatos’ kickoff at the Dragons’ 30 and the game was underway. On the first play from scrimmage Cornwall’s Offensive MVP Peter Catal carried it for a first down. Another first down by Rashard Wroten and a completed pass to Kevin McNally had the ball advancing at light speed to the 16.
At 10:54, Catal carried it from there to cap off the one minute, six seconds seventy yard drive. The PAT was good and the Dragons led 7-0.
Anthony Gray returned the kickoff to the 29 yard line. Jackson began the game as slot receiver with Mike Rogers at quarterback. Rogers had an epic game against Goshen last week. An offsides penalty showed the Montie jitters. Jackson took the handoff looking to pass it on the option play and was thrown for a loss by the charging Dragons.
Jackson took over the reins and the ball was fumbled on the next play, recovered by Cornwall’s Joe O’Rourke at the Monticello 11. Cornwall picked up seven on the first carry. Wroten was racked up twice, the second tackle coming by Otha Smith as the Monties held Cornwall out.
Neill’s field goal was no good and the Monties had dodged their first bullet. That said, there were more rounds to come.
Gone in the night: Monticello senior Talon Watson gallops 85 yards after intercepting a pass from Cornwall's Mike White for the Monties' first score of the game with 2:27 remaining in the third quarter.
The Monties took over on the 20. Jackson hit Reuss for completion but the play was nullified by an offsides penalty. On the next play, it was fumbled again at the Monticello 11. Catal needed just one play to make the Monties pay for their second turnover to make it 13-0 at 6:46.The PAT failed and the Dragons got set to kick it off again.
Gray returned it but things went from bad to worse as O’Rourke intercepted a Jackson pass that was tipped affording the Dragons had a first and ten at the Panthers’ 26. O’Rourke was thrown for a loss and sophomore QB Mike White’s two passes to Alex Cruz fell incomplete. Neill’s field goal attempt fell short at 5:13. Make that two Dragon rounds fired which turned out to be blanks.
The Monties had their first positive yardage as José Cruz gained four on the first play of the ensuing series. Cruz took it again. Jackson was sacked leading to a short punt by Reuss that gave the Dragons the ball at the Montie’s 39
Catal took it seven yards before White uncorked a 31-yard TD pass to McNally to the four-yard line. Wroten was tossed for a loss. Catal took it to the two but the Dragons were assessed five yards on a motion penalty. McNally dropped White’s third down pass and Neill came on to make the field goal to widen the lead to 16-0 with 58 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Give me seven: Cornwall cheerleaders accentuate a Dragons TD and PAT with seven push ups.
A nice return by Gray brought the ball out to the 27. Jackson completed a short pass to Conor Briggs as the first quarter ended with the Monties facing a third and six from their own 31.
Settling in, the Monties began to move the chains, first with a run by Cruz and then with a breakaway run by Jackson to the Cornwall 25 yard line. They then advanced it to the 16. Two plays later the Monties appeared to cough it up again but officials ruled it not to be the case. A Cornwall encroachment penalty led to a fourth and two at the eight-yard line.
An incomplete pass intended for Gray gave the Dragons the ball back and despite their heroic drive, the Monties had no points to show for their efforts.
With 9:15 remaining in the second quarter it was Cornwall in possession again. Catal ferreted it 34 yards out to the 42 as once again Cornwall looked like a green blur on the attack. White completed a second down pass to Casey Kerdesky as Cruz drilled him to stop his progress leading to a third and eight.
White went back to Kerdesky for a first down conversion at the Panthers’ 44. Cornwall fumbled but recovered it as they lost yardage. White hit Cruz as Gray brought him down leading to a third and nine. White moved the chains again with a completion to Chris Bauer as the ball was now at the Panthers’33.
Though this was not Anthony Gray's epic 73-yard TD catch, but rather a great grab that turned out to be just our of bounds, the leaping senior who I have affectionately nicknamed "Gray Skies," for airborne antics like this will be sorely missed next year. Cornwall Coach Marcus Hughes referred to Gray, Sean Reuss and Shane Jackson as "phenomenal" players. Gray will now take his aerial act to the hardwood and Cornwall hasn't seen the last of him yet.
White went for the home run as he looked to hit Cruz but Gray went airborne for the pick as he came down on his tailbone but still holding onto the ball. It was an amazing play by “Gray Skies” and not the first he would register in the last football game of his high school career.
Gray appeared to be hurt badly but soon got up and left on his own power. He’d be back on the very next play. That kid is tough.
That takeaway kept the Monties close. Consider the alternative reality: the Dragons had failed to score on three viable possessions up to this point.
The Monties took over on their own two at 5:55. Cruz barreled ahead out to the 18 but the series ended with a three and out from there. Reuss punted and Cornwall got it going again from their own 41 with 3:29 to go in the first half.
Reuss ripped Wroten down for a loss. White took it on a keeper to the Monties’ 27 with 1:58 to go. After an offsides penalty he hit Bauer for a completion. White dodged a sack by throwing it away. A completion to Wroten gave the Dragons a first at the 16 before he uncorked a TD pass from there to O’Rourke with 22.8 seconds remaining in the half for the 22-0 lead. Neill’s PAT was good and the Dragons took a 23-0 lead.
The Monties went to the hurry up offense but time ran out and the teams retired to the locker room with the Dragons nursing their 23-0 lead.
The Monties received to start the second half. A completed pass for 15 yards gave the Monties a first down and another to Briggs had the ball moving out to the 39 but the Dragons held firm and the Panthers had to punt.
Most Valuable Players: Cornwall's Peter Catal (top) had 17 carries for 150 yards and a trio of TD's. Joe O'Rourke was the Defensive MVP with five tackles, half a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery.
Cornwall began at its own 36. Jackson just missed an interception on a tipped ball. Wroten nearly broke loose but was held to seven. Monticello was called for back-to-back unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that led to a 28-yard TD pass to Cruz at 7:09 as the lapse of self-control proved to be costly for Monticello. Cornwall now led 29-0. Neill’s PAT failed.
Steve Demestrio returned the kickoff to the 24 but the Monties went three and out on the series.
O’Rourke returned it and White went back to the air with passes to Kerdesky and Cruz as the ball advanced rapidly to the Monties’ 16. Just when it was looking like Cornwall would score again, White tossed his second pick of the game, this one grabbed by Talon Watson who returned it 85 yards for the Montie’s first score as the gorgeous Faller Field jumbotron read Cornwall 30, Monticello 8 with 2:27 remaining in the third quarter after Jackson had run in the two-point conversion.
The Monties tried an onsides kick but Cornwall’s Anthony Vega recovered it. Wroten twisted and turned his way forward for first at the Cornwall 47 but on the next series the agile senior was dragged down on a third down play leading to a Cornwall punt.
The Monties got it at the 18 as the quarter wound down with the Monties facing a third and six at their own 22.
The final stanza began with Jackson running for a first down. Cruz carried it out to the 49 and then took it three straight times leading to a fourth and four at the 43 with 9:56 to go. A pass to Reuss was overthrown and the Dragons were at it again. Catal got it going again with repeated carries. O’Rourke brought it to the ten. Catal carried it twice bringing it to the two. White ran it in from there at 5:26 and Neill’s PAT made it 36-8.
The squib kick was recovered by Mike Rogers. Jackson wasted no time in rearing back and throwing a 73-yard TD pass to Gray on the far side of the field at 5:11 to make it 36-14. Jackson was pulled down on the two-point conversion attempt.
Gray appeared to recover the onsides kick with a nifty catch but officials ruled it as interference with a fair catch and what appeared to be an epic recovery turned into a penalty.
Cornwall Coach Marcus Hughes inserted subs into the mix as sophomore Matt Smith soon took over at quarterback. Little else of note transpired before the final whistle as the Dragons advanced to play Wallkill, the team they lost to by two points in last year’s Class A tltle game. Wallkill beat Cornwall 7-6 on September 23 in the teams’ only encounter this season thus far.
Interesting it is indeed that Monticello nearly toppled Wallkill this season, losing to them late by the score of 28-21 back on September 30.
A great throw by Shane Jackson translates into a 73-yard TD pass to Anthony Gray. The immensely talented Jackson will hopefully be lighting it up again next season.
Cornwall’s Peter Catal was named the Offensive MVP. He carried the ball 17 times for 150 yards and scored Cornwall’s first three TD’s.
With his five tackles, a half a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery, Joe O’Rourke was named the Defensive MVP.
Coach Hughes acknowledged that his team had chances to put this game away early but he had plenty of praise for Monticello.
“It’s a credit to them. They also made mistakes early and they kept fighting. It’s good for the Section. Monticello is playing well and they’re only going to get better. It was a good game,” he noted.
Asked to comment about his team speed and high capacity offense, he noted, “They play well. It’s a brand new offense with a sophomore quarterback. He makes his mistakes but he does a heck of a job. The line blocked well tonight and the running backs and receivers did their job.”
Hughes had lots of praise for Jackson, Gray and Reuss. “Those guys are phenomenal,” he averred.
Asked about the coming rematch with Wallkill. “It’s going to be a good game. They’re tough and theydo a lot of good things. I’m excited for the challenge. I love playing close games. Unfortunately, the last three we lost to them by a total of six points. That’s football,” he concluded.
Cornwall beat Class AA playoff contenders Kingston and Washingtonville this season, but a win over Wallkill for the title would make those victories pale by comparison. Wallkill beat Port Jervis 30-0 to set up the title rematch with the Dragons slated for November 4 at Faller Field at 7:00pm.
Buddenhagen said this about his team. “You could see these guys have gotten a lot better and grown into young men. This started out like the first time we played them with four turnovers in a row. But this time it was only 16-0. Once our defense settled down they played their butts off. We were knocking on the goal line and it could have been 16-8 at halftime,” he reflected.
“We were lucky it wasn’t 35-0 after the first quarter. They had the ball four times inside the 30. I kept telling the kids they were lucky it was only 16-0.
This was another solid season. We lose a lot of seniors, about 15 of them. This was a senior-laden team. It’s only the second year of varsity and we’re playing with the big dogs. We’re right there. Look at Cornwall and Wallkill, these kids are playing since they were five years old. Our kids have only been playing two or three years. The experience factor is crucial. We’ve got to get our kids playing at a young age so they know the in’s and out’s of the game, the basics and stuff.
This group of seniors have been with us for four years. They’ve worked their tails It takes a special person to play football and these guys are going to be great men and they’ll move on to be productive citizens.”
Asked about Jackson’s return, Buddenhagen noted, “He was maybe 75 percent. He’s a gutty kid and a great competitor. He hasn’t practiced much in two weeks and it was a serious ankle injury. Give him credit he took some shots and kept playing.”
Buddenhagen felt his team was a bit overwhelmed on Cornwall’s first series. “We have a lot of checks. We put in a very aggressive defense and I told them we’re bringing the punch to the fight and suddenly on their first drive we’re on our heels.. But when you turn the ball over, that’s adversity,” he noted.
“What do young men do in the face of adversity? You could have folded tents there after four turnovers and our kids battled. They missed a field goal and we held them out how many times. That’s a damn good job,” he noted.
This was the swan song for seniors Earl Allen, Connor Alvarez, Jermel Branch, Connor Briggs, Ian Campbell, José Cruz, Steve Demestrio, Anthony Gray, Adam Kaiser, Garrett Lapolt, Brendan Madsen, Joe Mulvey, Sean Reuss, Brendon Thomas and Talon Watson.
Congratulations to these warriors for their great effort and their historic part in the resurrection of Monticello football.
Monticello stat line:
Passing: Jacskon 4/15/87 with one TD and one interception.
Rushing: Jackson 15/37; Cruz 15/61;
Receiving : Gray 2/66 with a TD. Briggs 1/6; Reuss 1/15.
Defense: Watson one interception for a TD; Gray one interception. Reuss nine tackles, four solo tackles; Jacob McLaughlin nine tackles, three solo; Otha Smith seven tackles, four solo. Mistah Alli had eight tackles.
Monticello ended its season at 5-4, while Cornwall improved to 8-1.
For an album of photos visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
