One For The Ages
Monticello Pulls Off A Dramatic Upset Against Class AA Behemoth Minisink Valley In A Classic That Will Long Be Remembered
Monticello 37, Minisink Valley 28
By RICHARD A. ROSS
rross@sportsinsightsny.com
Scenes from an historic Monticello win (clockwise) Shane Jackson eludes tacklers for a big gain. He rushed for 183 yards and threw for 233 incurring two TD's on the ground and three in the air. Anthony Gray pulls in a pass. Gray racked up 175 yards on nine catches and scored three TD's in the win. Minisink Valley's Jeff Newlin hauls in a 53-yard pass from Ryan Callaghan to score the Warriors' first TD. Gray catches the ball and heads out of bounds at the one. Monticello failed to score on this drive and proceeded to relinquish the lead by surrendering 21 unanswered points but Gray and company got off the mat to responds by reclaiming and retaining the lead. Montie cheerleaders pose during halftime. Sean Reuss catches a pass and barrels forward.
MONTICELLO, NY—For years to come in the telling and retelling of how undersized, undermanned and under-appreciated Monticello marshaled a 37-28 upset victory over Minisink Valley, the Panther players and coaches will hearken back to a day when heart, soul and true grit prevailed against seemingly unspeakable odds.
A moment to treasure: Monticello players and coaches on the sideline erupt in joy as the game comes to a victorious conclusion.
There are moments in our lives, especially those tinged with unbridled emotion, that remain forever emblazoned in our memory. And this September 10 classic was just such a time.
Stalking the sideline with camera at the ready, absorbing every second of this game’s tenor , this writer bore witness to the courage and determination of a total team effort; one that would not quit in the face of pain, injury, exhaustion and even a late Warriors’ resurgence that threatened to rob the Panthers of a victory in a game they had led up to that point.
Indeed, it is when adversity rises to its most daunting level that character is tested. And as the post-game comments supplied by Panther head coach Matt Buddenhagen, as well as the observations of several of the game’s most salient players will attest, this victory was far more than just a regular season, non-league win. Their words matter and subsequently in this piece they will be quoted.
Far more than just another Saturday afternoon football game, this clash and ensuing upset victory was a milestone, a potential season-changer and above all else, a testimony to what is possible when one is willing to lay it all on the line.
For the 33 players who suited up for this second outing of the young season, the sweet rewards of victory eradicated last week’s sense of despondency following the opening day defeat to Pine Bush and created a newfound determination to make this season one for the ages. Assuredly, next week’s league clash against powerful Cornwall will be greatly anticipated and viewed differently by both teams following Monticello’s showing against Minisink Valley, a team touted as the third-ranked team in Section Nine.
For the Warriors led by classy veteran coach Kevin Gallagher, this day’s outcome will provide its own lessons and motivation for the battles to come, first and foremost next week as the Warriors take on the Kingston Tigers, a team Cornwall battered in week one to the tune of 31-6.
Minisink Valley senior Jeff Newlin did some major damage against Port Jervis last weekend and wrought some more against the Monties, but not enough to put his team over the top. Here Newlin gets into the secondary and looks to make the Monties pay.
Football games have their side stories. This one was marked by the departure of Monticello Athletic Director Doug Murphy who will be taking over the A.D. reins at Minisink Valley this week. “Bittersweet,” was the word Murphy used to describe his emotions about leaving.. “Monticello is a wonderful school with wonderful people. I look forward to the opportunity now to head down to Minisink Valley.
I had a great career at Monticello for the past 18 years as a teacher, coach, assistant principal and athletic director. I’m most proud of how well the athletic program has improved. The boys track team has won the last two division championships and bringing football back which has done great things for the school and community.”
Joking about the coincidence that Monticello would be facing Minisink Valley on his last official day, the affable outgoing A.D. called it “Murphy’s Law.” This writer quipped that hopefully this year’s coming Monticello Games will have great weather which it did every year under his watch.
A new football scoreboard was dedicated to 1975 graduate Phillip Berman. His son Logan and nephew Alan were on hand to be honored in his name.
As the teams completed their warm ups, the disparity in size and numbers was apparent. The Warriors had arrived with a huge squad that outnumbered Monticello two-two one. Behind its 37-0 thrashing of Port Jervis in week one, the Warriors looked to roll over Monticello in the air and on the ground while looking to key in on Panthers’ standout quarterback Shane Jackson.
To their shock by day’s end, it would be Monticello’s seemingly unstoppable offense that would steal the show as the Panthers would rack up 533 total yards including 233 in the air from the scrambling Jackson who was 14/21 with three TD passes to senior wide out Anthony Gray.
Football games are won or lost at the line of scrimmage. Here the Montie d-line faces a daunting Minisink Valley o-line that out-sized them. The Panther defense played a remarkable game.
Gray’s heroics produced a remarkable nine catches for 175 yards. With an enormous vertical leap, a quick first step and a hunger for the ball, Gray continuously beat Minisink Valley’s secondary to provide an open target for Jackson.
Similarly, on the ground, the Panthers moved the chains on the hefty Minisink defense as Jackson, often hobbling on not one, but two injured calf muscles eluded tacklers or made gains even running into the teeth of the defense. Jackson carried the ball 26 times for 183 yards and rushed for a pair of touchdowns.
José Cruz put in a yeoman’s effort with 22 carries for 100 yards and one TD. Cruz overcame a fumble which led to Minisink Valley’s first score. Putting the miscue in the rearview mirror, the tough back summoned his will to take the ball time and time again as he was abetted by Monticello’s outstanding offensive line.
Buddenhagen gushed with praise for his o-line’s showing. “Offensive line is the most thankless position. You never get credit or your name in the paper. They’re always getting yelled at and it’s the hardest position too. You’ve got to think constantly. There are so many change ups and calls on the line. They were awesome today”, he said naming them one by one: Brendan Madsen, Brendan Thomas, Ian Campbell, Jermel Branch, Garrett LaPolt and tight end Sean Reuss.”
The Warriors won the toss and elected to receive but Monticello’s fiery defense answered the call by nixing the opening drive. The Panthers got the ball out to their 35 on the punt return and went to work as Jackson scrambled and then threw a first down pass to Gray. The chains kept moving with a first-down pass to Reuss to the Warriors’ 17. Two plays later Jackson burst free for a 13-yard TD run at 4:34. Angelo Niforatos kicked the PAT and the Panthers led 7-0.
Words fall far short in describing the athleticism of Shane Jackson, an omnipresent threat that makes defenses edgy to say the least.
Minisink gained ground off its option pitch from QB Ryan Callaghan to running back Frank Mayo and a toss to Andrew Hannerman but a delay of game penalty slowed the push. The Warriors went for it on fourth down but the Panthers got a key stop of running back Rommel Brantley by Monticello’s Steve Demestrio .
Jackson responded two plays later with a 36-yard strike to Gray at 11:42 of the second quarter to make it 13-0. The PAT failed but the Panthers were rolling.
Gray knocked down a pass from Callaghan on the next Warriors’ series and Minisink had to punt. On the first play from scrimmage Cruz had the ball stripped and Minisink got the ball at the Monties’ 46. Wideout Jeff Newlin hauled in a 53-yard pass at 9:22 and Colin Cazetta split the uprights to make it 13-7.
The Monties overcame a delay of game penalty and used a nice mix of passes to Gray and Reuss and runs by Cruz and Jackson to move the ball forward. The drive was capped by a three-yard TD run by Jackson for the 19-7 lead. The two-point conversion try resulted in an incomplete pass.
Minisink threatened on its next series as it marched relentlessly down the field but an interception by Mistah Alli proved momentous in assuring the Monties of a 19-7 lead at the half and the prospect of receiving the ball after the break.
That they did as they began on their 20 with a touchback. Cruz carried it six but concerns rose as Jackson was visibly hurt and limping and had to come out. Jonathan Harned went in to call the signals. Cruz shouldered the load and Jackson returned two plays later. An encroachment penalty by the Warriors sustained the Monties’ drive and at 5:52 Jackson found Gray with a 14-yard TD pass to make it 25-7. The PAT was blocked but all looked promising for Monticello.
But football is a four-quarter, down-to-the-wire affair. Minisink coaches implored their players to rise to the challenge and they did.
It took them only three plays on the next series to march 67 yards capped off by a 33-yard TD run by Newlin around the left end at 5:28 to make it 25-14 after the successful PAT.
And they weren’t done yet.
The new scoreboard dedicated to the memory of 1975 Monticello grad Phillip Berman reveals the happy ending. A tribute to Berman's memory and the foundation in his name preceded the game.
The Monties went three and out and the Warriors took over at their 19. Suddenly they were moving it at will, eating up huge chunks of field. At 1:59 Branley hauled in an 11-yard strike from Callaghan and moved closer at 25-20.
Monticello had the ball as the fourth quarter began and Jackson hit Gray on a long strike to the one as the deft receiver struggled to stay inbounds for the score. In what looked to be a major shift in momentum, the Warriors withstood the challenge as Jackson’s fourth down pass to Reuss fell incomplete and Minisink shocked Monticello with a first down 99 and a half-TD strike to Frankie Yovino to take a 26-25 lead with 9:49 remaining in the game.
They added a two-point conversion run to make it 28-25 and looked to shut the door on Monticello.
But Buddenhagen’s troops would not be denied. Banged up, tired, but undaunted they took to the field determined to reclaim the lead. Credit Cruz and Gray, along with Jackson and the forceful play of the offensive line. They just kept ramming the ball forward. With 5:58 remaining, the 70-yard drive reached paydirt as Jackson ran it in from the one to make it 31-28. The conversion play failed but now it was on the defense to hold serve.
To that end the Monties came up with a huge turnover as Alli knocked the ball loose and Jacob McLaughlin recovered it at the Minisink 47. Facing a third and five, Jackson unleashed a 47-yard strike to Gray for the 37-28 lead. Niforatos’ PAT was partially blocked but only 1:44 remained in the game.
Minisink made huge gains on a screen pass to Yovino and were moving by leaps and bounds all the way to the Monties’ ten-yard line. Monticello knew the game was far from over but it was about to drop into the bag as Jackson picked off a Callaghan pass with 48 seconds remaining.
Monticello couldn’t get a first down and the Warriors got it back one more time. Monticello’s defense had the last word and the Monties erupted into a jubilant celebration behind the improbable 37-28 win.
Minisink Coach Kevin Gallagher summed it up thusly: “You’ve got to give them a lot of credit. They played a great game, the kind of game they’d need to play to beat us. I won’t say we didn’t play well but when you’ve got big play capability like they have, you’re always one play away from getting back in it , which they did after we got the lead.”
Gallagher went on to praise Jackson. “He broke tackles numerous times and he was playing hurt. He’s a gutsy kid.”
Buddenhagen addressed his troops and praised them to the sky. “They roll in here with sixty players and a program that’s been around forever. This is a huge win for us, one of the best games I’ve ever been a part of,” he added. That’s a double AA team. That’s how you play football! We got in a flow on offense. That’s the way to bounce back,” he barked as he went on to extol the game’s big playmakers one by one, already duly mentioned and in including Adam Kaiser who had pounced on a key onside kick by the Warriors.
Turning to this writer, the fiery coach added. “Our first three games presented a bear of a schedule and people kept telling me: 0-3. This gives us great momentum for the games to come.” Monticello (1-1) travels to Cornwall next week for its first and most daunting league test.
How The Players Saw It..In Their Own Words
Anthony Gray “It really feels great. This is a big win for us, a big statement. We beat a Double AA team when everyone said we were going to lose in a really big blowout. I was impressed by how our offensive line could block that well and Cruz kept it going. He got over that fumble just like Coach teaches us to do.”
José Cruz: “It means a lot to us. When we lost to Pine Bush last week it seemed like the whole team was going downhill. I think this really boosted our confidence.”
Sean Reuss :”This win means a lot to our team. We came out strong in the first and second halves and kept it up. Our line did great today.”
Shane Jackson: “I’m really proud of our team and even though I was hurt I felt I had to pull through for the team. It’s great to have a win but it feels even better coming against the third-ranked team in Section Nine.”
Monticello Stat Line:
Passing: Jackson 14/21/233 with three TD’s.
Rushing: Jackson 26/183 with two TD’s; Cruz 22/100 with one TD.
Sean Reuss led his team with 12 tackles.
Receiving: Mike Rogers 1/6; Gray 9/175 with three TD’s; Reuss 2/30; Connor Briggs 1/7.
Minisink stats are forthcoming and will be added when they are sent.
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