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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