Brave New World
Tri-Valley Returns To The Ethereal Afterlife Of Postseason Contention Behind Its Commanding League Win Against Defending Champion Millbrook; Once Hapless Bears Now Figure To Be A Fierce Foe As They Evince Newfound Efficiency To Go Along With Existing Heart and Grit
Tri-Valley 31, Millbrook 20
Field of Dreams: Tri-Valley celebrates its 31-20 Homecoming Night playoff-clinching win over Millbrook (Clockwise): Players erupt in jubilation at the game's conclusion. Millbrook's Henry Cardinal gives the Bears and their fans an initial sense of concern with his 65-yard TD run just 46 seconds into the game. Tri-Valley senior cheerleaders (left to right) Jackie Wallace, Stephanie Hyzer, Amber Buley, Brittany Rennison, Jessica Lee and Amber Watch. Wide-eyed and filled with emotion, Conor Walsh and Greg Swarthout listen to Coach John Rusin extol the play of the team and encourage them about the road ahead. The Bears burst through the homecoming banner. Greg Swarthout scores one of his two TD's. T-V senior gridders pose for a photo. Names are all listed in the story.
GRAHAMSVILLE, NY—It’s not unlikely that many denizens of the local football world were stunned upon waking up early in the morning on October 22 to learn that Tri-Valley had made the playoffs; that the team many had come to regard as the reincarnation of the “Bad News Bears, had beaten a tough Millbrook team up and down the field in a momentous 33-20 win consigning the defending Class C champs to be observers of the coming playoff rounds they ruled a year ago.
You can't say enough about the heart and toughness of Joe Mickelson. Out for weeks with a hairline fracture to his tibia, the senior returned when it mattered the most. His work over the past two league wins has been immense. This game: 21 carries for 155 yards.
Tri-Valley’s 2-1 league mark would now carry them back to a milieu many figured would be lacking their presence this season, namely a chance to vie for a Section Nine Class C Championship in the coming playoffs.
But those of us who have been close to this team and know these boys and their coaches, never doubted whether they could indeed pass through that magical portal.
We knew that the Bears’ losing record was not a true reflection of the team’s talent and drive, and that should they qualify for the big dance, that they would be a fearsome adversary for any of the teams they had to face,.
That said, Tri-Valley’s record prior to its two recent league wins against Fallsburg and now Millbrook was a dismal 1-5. As Coach John Rusin put it, he was tired of opposing coaches telling him how tough his team was, how they had pushed their teams up and down the field and how they were the best 1-5 team in Section Nine.
That and $2.50 will get you a ride on a NYC subway to the end of the line.in other words.. to nowhere. Now the reborn Bears are going for a ride with an entirely new destination, aboard an express train which they are conducting. Warning signals are flashing up ahead to teams in their way: T-V’s express has no brakes.
What a difference a day makes.
Tri-Valley players and coaches will be the first to admit that for much of this season they had been a train wreck. After all, when your positive game highlights are overshadowed by countless turnovers and blunders, you don’t show up on anybody’s radar as more than a benign blip.
But the Bears knew that were it not for those weekly slip ups, that they could easily have been 5-1 and regarded as fearsome Grizzlies by Section Nine teams instead of being considered….well…..dare we say it.. Teddy Bears to be played with and cast aside.
Rusin knew his team had talent, toughness and heart. What they needed was to play nearly flawless football to show what they were made of.
A picture's worth a thousand words: Greg Swarthout shows his excitement after a rushing TD. He carried the ball 15 times for 102 yards and completed 2/5/33 yards including a TD pass to Cody Exner.
And so it was that after losing to O”Neill, he told his team that they had destiny in their hands. That if they beat division foes Fallsburg and Millbrook, they’d be in the playoffs with a zero-zero record just like O’Neill, Sullivan West and Burke, a trio of teams that profited by T-V mistakes to marshal victories.
Moreover, he told them, they’d be a dangerous foe, potentially lethal. But first they would have to take care of the business at hand and defer their dreams about paying two of the aforementioned teams back in spades.
Fallsburg could have been regarded as an easy mark, but the Bears did not take the Comets lightly. Playing a team in search of its first-ever win on its Homecoming Night, on a field that was a muddy mire had more than enough potential for a disastrous slip up.
But the Bears who had upended themselves against Chester, Sullivan West, O’Neill, Eldred and Burke were done sliding in the standings, though there was plenty of slippage on the mud at Morningside Park.
Steady Joe Mickelson took the ball 16 times for 175 yards and scored two TD’s, his formerly broken tibia now a distant memory. Greg Swarthout, Brendan Tierney and Shatik Smith scored as well and Anthony Beale added five PAT points as the Bears rolled to a 41-14 road win over the Comets..
Now would come the acid test.
The Bears and the Fiery Millbrook Blazers were each 1-1 in Division II coming into this do-or-die clash. The winner would advance to the playoffs, while the loser would have its title contention hopes abruptly terminated.
Millbrook's Lucas Lehmkuhl races for an 11-yard TD in the third quarter. The Blazers pulled within a TD and two-point conversion before Anthony Beale iced the deal with a late field goal.
Seniors in particular, would be devastated by such a tragic finale to their high school careers.
The Bears won the toss and elected to defer, daring Millbrook to reckon with its fierce defense .
Egged on by the capacity home crowd the Bears burst through the cheerleaders ‘Homecoming banner to rally around their beloved coach.
The sounds of the pep band, the cheerleaders and the rabid fan base filled the night.
Tri-Valley fans adore their team no matter what the season. Years back nearly every denizen of the community traveled to Westbury, Long Island to watch the Bears play Friends Academy in a boys basketball regional final. Had they won they would have filled the stands at Glens Falls. Last year they packed Mount St. Mary College to watch their Section Nine girls champs vie against Haldane bound and determined to head to Troy if they had advanced.
But back to the present.
At last the long wait was over. The kick went up and the Millbrook blaze ignited forthwith. On the second play from scrimmage tight end Henry Cardinal dashed 65 yards up the left sideline at 11:14 to draw first blood. Devon Jackson kicked the PAT and the Blazers were on the board with a 7-0 lead.
Jackson kicked off and the Bears took over at their own 35. Joe Mickelson took a steady diet of carries interspersed with advances by Cody Exner. In just four and a half minutes the Bears marched 65 yards in eight plays as Greg Swarthout capped off the drive with a one-yard TD at 6:43. The PAT failed and the Blazers held a narrow 7-6 lead.
Cody Exner cruises into the endzone. He carried the ball 9 times for 62 yards, rushed for a TD and caught a pass for another.
Millbrook began its next quest at its 34with an 11 yard run by Lucas Lehmkul. It soon became evident however that the Bears were getting great backside penetration on Millbrook’s attempted sweeps with tackles from Jesus Lozada, Troy Rossi and Brendan Tierney. Millbrook got as far as the T-V 44 before the Bears held firm and took over on downs.
As the quarter waned it was Mickelson carrying the load again with a first down and Exner getting it to the Millbrook 45. Two plays later Swarthout took off on a keeper for a 35-yard TD run at 11:13 of the second quarter. Mickelson ran in the two-point conversion and the Bears led 14-7.
Henry Cardinal was tagged for a loss by Rossi as was Brad Pitz as the Bears were now extinguishing the Blazers blaze by forcing a punt. The short kick gave T-V the ball at the MB 40. A pitch to Exner netted nine but a penalty made it a first and 15. After two failed run attempts, Swarthout uncorked a 30-yard TD pass to Exner at 6:36 of the second quarter to make it 20-7. Beale punctuated it with a PAT and the Bears now led 21-7.
As Millbrook Coach Sean Keenan would later point out, Tri-Valley disrupted Millbrook’s run game by penetrating from behind and causing loss after loss. “Their kids fly to the ball. We knew this was going to be a war. We didn’t do our best job of blocking and they just ran underneath our blocks and dismantled us,” he said.
That defensive efficiency resulted in a three and out on the Millbrook series following the Bears’ most recent score. T-V took over on downs and made a stalwart stand on a fourth and seven play on an advance that had taken Millbrook all the way to the T-V 16. “Get a stop now,” yelled Rusin and his team took him at his word.
Halftime verve! T-V cheerleaders rev it up with a great show of skill, flexibility and spirit.
The Bears got it back on downs, got off a nice weaving run by Exner but the half ended and the seniors got ready for their introduction and flower rendering ceremony to their parents and loved ones.
The following football seniors were called forth and posed for pictures with their family, friends and loved ones:: Greg Swarthout, Conor Walsh, Anthony Beale, John Monforte, Andrew Malone, Tyler Lopez, Joe Mickelson, Shawn Markle, Troy Rossi, Rafael Ramirez, Jonathan Edwards, Jameshenry Osterhoudt and Fred Dumond, Senior cheerleaders included Jackie Wallace, Stephanie Hyzer, Amber Buley, Brittany Rennison, Jessica Lee and Amber Watch.
The cheerleaders performed at the half much to the delight of the enthusiastic crowd.
The Bears received to start the second half and within three plays, they were on the board again, this time behind a 25-yard TD run by Swarthout at 11:17. Beale’s PAT made it 28-7 but you knew Millbrook wasn’t going quietly.
On the next series, the Blazers responded with a series of powerful runs by Lehmkul and Pitz and a pass reception by Jackson. Lehmkul capped off the drive with an 11-yard TD run at 8:19. Jackson kicked the PAT and the Blazers had closed the gap to 28-14.
They punctuated that by forcing a three and out on the Bears next series.
With 5:03 left in the third quarter the Blazers began at their own 21 but three plays later, a Lehmkul fumble was recovered by Walsh and with 1:59 remaining in the period.
T-V safety Shatik Smith makes sure Millbrook's Jonathan Crane stays down after his pass reception. The Bears defense yielded two TD's in the second half but held firm when it mattered for the win.
The Bears did not capitalize on the takeaway however as they began with a delay of game penalty. The quarter ended with them facing a third and eight at their own 40.
The fourth quarter began with what appeared to be a 60-yard TD pass to Exner but it was called back on a holding penalty. The series fizzled and the Bears punted.
In the next Blazers’ series, Millbrook compensated for a couple of run losses by garnering a 26-yard TD pass from Crane to Lehmkul at 9:04. The PAT sailed wide right but the Blazers were now a TD and two-point conversion within tying it up as they trailed 28-20 with plenty of time left.
Tri-Valley’s temporary reversion to its errant care of the football afforded Millbrook another try as a fumble on a pitch was recovered by Lehmkul at 6:22 at their own 38. Jonathan Edwards was hurt on the play and didn’t return for the remainder of the game. Soon he’d have company on the bench as John Anzano would join him with an injured ankle. Exner had sat out following his 60-yard callback.
Millbrook couldn’t make hay out of the takeaway. They began with a holding penalty and two snuffed running plays as the Bears were heeding Rossi’s impassioned call: “WE ARE GOING TO SECTIONALS,” he barked to his fellow defenders.
The Bears responded by stopping Millbrook on a fourth and ten play at their own 28.
The Bears got it back on downs with 3:42 remaining in the game. Mickelson marshaled one first down but the Bears found themselves facing a fourth and four at the nine. Rusin called a time out and decided on a field goal try.
Beale kicked it from the 25 straight through the uprights for the game-clinching 3 points as the Bears now led 31-20 with just 1:27 remaining in the game.
The clock and season ran out on the Blazers as the Bears celebrated the victory with hugs, smiles and a few tears of joy.
Keenan had loads of praise for Tri-Valley:
“We’ve watched them two or three times. They’re a big, physical team and they play hard. John and his staff did a great job. We never show our team film of the opponent but this past week we did it twice so they would know how good these guys were,” he noted.
Millbrook lost to Burke on a fumble recovery earlier in the season which put the Blazers in the same boat as the Bears.
Players listen to their coach John Rusin as he extols their play and tells them to enjoy their weekend safely and wisely. This week's preparation is all about O'Neill.
Rusin praised his troops before turning to talk to this writer, “You executed, limited turnovers and special teams were an asset. I’m so proud of you. You took responsibility. Everybody did what they wre supposed to do. It was a total team effort. Your record before doesn’t mean anything. Do you want the next one?” he barked. The answer from the team was deafening in its unison call of yes.
“It was so frustrating earlier in the season to see so much talent not actualizing its potential. We have senior leadership, a solid line, a good backfield, smart quarterbacks and our defense is tough. It’s a matter of putting things together, limiting mistakes and other teams’ big plays and special teams have to be a big part of it too,” he asserted.
“Millbrook is extremely well coached and they bring an offense you dread to play against. If any of your defensive 11 has a lapse they will exploit it. You just simply have to outscore them. We’ve scored 58 points in a game against them and lost.”
He went on to say, “Our guys did a good job of moving the ball and that allowed our defense to play and not have to worry about every play,.” Looking ahead to the playoffs, Rusin noted that teams will be more prepared the second time around given the fact that all of the other teams in the playoffs played T-V this year.
If the Bears beat O’Neill they’ll face the winner of the Burke-Sullivan West game in the title game. Last year they lost to Burke in the semifinals. The Bears won the Class C title in 2007 when they defeated Sullivan West 18-6.
The seniors linked arms and walked across their home field to cherish the memory of their last home game. As they walked, I strode alongside to listen to their thoughts and to soak up the final vibrations of a special night.
Here’s what was on their minds:
Greg Swarthout: “It feels so good to get a win at our last home game. I ‘ve got to give a lot of credit to the line. They were shuffling in and out with injuries and switching positions from guard to tackle. Millbrook is a really good team. Their system is tough. They give you fits. We worked extremely hard on extending our ends and clamping down on their jet sweeps,” he observed.
Anthony Beale
Anthony Beale: “The last two field goals I tried I missed but this time I was pretty relaxed. Now every time I try to think of it as an extra point and not worry about the distance. Football is so much fun. I’m just a kicker but these guys accept me and I love how they play with a lot of heart, as does my soccer team. I wouldn’t trade either sport for the other. I’m blessed to have the teammates I have on both squads,” he averred.
Conor Walsh: “It feels absolutely great. I’ve been with most of these seniors since Pumpkin Patch prekindergarten. We’ve grown up together. I used to wrestle with Greg in the hallway. Tonight feels ecstatic. I couldn’t want anything more than to go into the playoffs with my fellow seniors who I grew up with.”
Conor Walsh
Joe Mickelson:“Playing Millbrook was insane! They play great. Their coaching is great. They knew every play we were calling. I could hear them calling them out. I have to say this was the best defensive game Brendan Tierney has had in his career, penetrating that back side. As a senior I’m excited we’re going to the playoffs,
Joe Mickelson
Now we’re looking to run the table.”
Tri-Valley plays O’Neill at Middletown’s Faller Field on October 28 at 4;00pm.
Tri-Valley Stat line:
Mickelson 12/155; Exner 9/62 with one rushing TD and one 30-yard TD catch; Swarthout 15/102 with a TD; He completed 2/5 passes for 33 yards and a TD;
Leading tacklers included Jesus Lozada, Troy Rossi, Brendan Tierney, John Monforte and Joe Mickelson. Tackling statistics were not totally tabulated so numbers are not listed.
Happy Berth Day Lady Bears!
T-V senior keeper Erin Smith goes aloft for an electrifying save against Fallsburg.
Tri-Valley needed just one more win to make it to sectionals and they had hoped to garner that honor under the lights on October 21. But due to the calamitous collision between Fallsburg’s Arturo Perez and T-V’s Hunter Kennedy that had brought an end to the boys game and postponed the girls clash, the game was deferred to the next afternoon.
Fallsburg was about to unveil what Coach Mike Geller would term his team’s best play under his watch. Indeed, it was a highly competive match, even more so in the second half wherein Fallsburg had the lion’s share of the possession. Tri-Valley got two goals in the first half. The first one came at 17:17 as junior varsity call-up Ashley (A.J) Johnson picked up a pass from Mareena DiMIlia and lofted it over the head of Comet keeper Brooke Rappaport for the 1-0 lead.
At 28:00 T-V sophomore midfielder/striker Amanda Tyndell added another goal on an assist from Colleen Jones. With T-V’s staunch defense heading off Fallsburg’s runs that rarely reached keeper Erin Smith, the Lady Bears were able to marshal the needed victory. Smith made an electrifying save, one of her six on the day, as she went aloft to punch a ball skyward out of harm’s way in the upper right corner of the box.
Fallsburg’s Brooke Rappaport would have nine saves on the day and also showed her defiance of gravity on one of those nixes.
“The first half was much better than the second half,” noted T-V Coach Mary Feusner. “I think that everybody that was out there contributed in a good way for us. We were getting our shots off. Sometimes we needed to have a little bit more patience before shooting. In the first half we got to get to the battle of the net and that’s what did it for us,” she observed..
The Bears improved to 8-7 (4-7 OCIAA) and will play S.S. Seward at home on October 25. Sectional seeding will be revealed on October 27.
Mike Geller noted that his team was doing exactly the kinds of things he has taught them. They hustled, and vied to win every 50-50 ball. Geller had immense praise for Rappaport in the cage.
Fallsburg fell to 4-8 -1 (1-8-1 OCIAA).
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Between The Lines
Burke Clinches Division Title With Win Over Gritty Tri-Valley; Bears’ Heroic Defensive Effort Cannot Overcome Offensive Miscues And Missed Opportunities
John S. Burke Catholic 21, Tri-Valley 7
By RICHARD A. ROSS
rross@sportsinsightsny.com
There's more here than meets the eye: Scenes from the gritty division showdown between Burke and host Tri-Valley (clockwise) Burke's Tom Sullivan catches a 46-yard pass on the Eagles' first play from scrimmage from quarterback Robert Pezzullo as T-V junior Shatik Smith does his best to break it up. Smith slipped, Sullivan raced on and the Eagles led 7-0. In the fourth quarter Smith scores on a halfback option pass tossed by Conor Walsh. Smith is pursued by Burke's Mat Cino. Burke Coach Ed Van Curen Jr. tries to fire up his team's lackluster first half effort during a time out. Mat Cino heads up field as he is pursued by T-V's Jesus Lozada. T-V cheerleaders add spirit, allure and vibrancy to the overcast day as they cheer on their beloved Bears. T-V players raise their helmets in anticipation of the coming fray. Burke's Steve Tomaszewski scores on a 12-yard run. The scoring came as Burke capitalized on an interception by Tom Sullivan. Patrick Joyner returns the second half opening kickoff 85 yards for a score to give Burke a 14-0 lead.
GRAHAMSVILLE, NY—Face it. We live in a fast-paced world where events are often reported to us in sound bites, ten-second highlight reels, headlines and briefs. Rarely do we get the complete story, nor does it seem that most people want to take the time to uncover it.
But in racing to just grab the skinny on what takes place, whether it’s about a complex news issue or a game that contains much more than can be gleaned from a final score, we lose far more than we gain.
A fine run by Tri-Valley's Greg Swarthout comes to an airborne conclusion as he is upended by Burke defenders in the early going.
I suppose that’s why when I was contemplating a name for my nascent photojournalistic enterprise three years ago, I decided to call it Sports Insights. From my perspective, the larger meaning of high school sports requires a thoughtful, in-depth analysis, not just a laundry list of game details, but more importantly , an assessment of the lingering lessons such engagements impart to its participants.
As the saying goes, “The devil is in the details.” To that end, it is my hope that in the reading of this piece about the Burke-Tri-Valley football game readers will come away with a distinct picture of the day’s proceedings and the possible ramifications thereof.
Burke’s 21-7 Class C Division II win over Tri-Valley gave the 5-0 (3-0 Class C) Eagles the Division II title and punched their ticket back to the playoffs. The Eagles’ persistence, particularly in the second half was emblematic of a fine and battle- tested football team, a squad ably coached by Ed Van Curen Jr.
Tri-Valley, a team hampered by injuries, beset by inexperience and a lack of size, was nonetheless about to unveil what amounted to a herculean defensive effort that would slow the mighty Burke machine down to a crawl in the first half limiting them to a sole score, a 46-yard TD catch by senior Tom Sullivan, abetted in part by the slippage on the wet turf from T-V safety Shatik Smith. For the rest of the half, Burke moved the ball a mere 26 yards against the undaunted Bears.
Truth to be told, when Burke junior quarterback Robert Pezzullo tossed that initial strike to Sullivan on the Eagles’ first play, that quick score raised the specter of a potential rout. To their credit, neither team perceived things as such and took things in stride.
After blockers dispelled the last of T-V's would-be tacklers, Patrick Joyner continues his run to the end zone behind his 85-yard kickoff return to start the second half. Gone he is, along with the Bears' amped up spirit to start the half down only 7-0.
For the Eagles whose roster contains an uncanny 20 seniors in the fold, experience has been a dear teacher. Losing last year’s championship game 20-19 to Millbrook stung favored Burke and led to an off-season avowal to make amends in 2011.
Burke is the odds-on favorite to do just that, but winning a Section Nine title means overcoming adversity, evincing incredible persistence and will and fighting with all you’ve got on every down and in every game.
Having played Tri-Valley twice a year ago, Burke knew it was up against a gritty adversary; a team that would carry a strong belief in itself despite its disadvantages in a relentless search for an upset victory.
Tri-Valley Coach John Rusin is an impassioned leader who inspires his players to summon every fiber of their reserves to battle opponents, no matter what that team’s assets, reputation or record.
On this cloudy October 1, that gritty relentlessness was best personified in the play of junior safety/wide receiver Shatik Smith. Were Smith to step on the scale with rocks in his pockets, he might get the needle to tip at 125 pounds. “That’s generous,” quipped injured T-V quarterback Joe Mickelson.
What Smith lacks in height and weight, he more than makes up for in heart and in that sense, he embodies what Tri-Valley football is all about. It wouldn’t be long before Burke would glean the fact that on this overcast day on a sodden field, they were about to be engaged in a fight far more daunting than they probably anticipated. More than once they’d look up and see that little guy in the number 2 jersey making a big play on both sides of the ball.
The Bears won the toss and elected to receive. With Mickelson still sidelined with a hairline fracture to his tibia, Greg Swarthout would be calling signals again. The snap on the first play sailed over Swarthout’s head. He recovered it but that doomed the first series and the Bears punted. As it would turn out, that initial miscue would prove to be a harbinger of struggles for the Bears on the offensive side of the ball.
Pezzullo uncorked the aforementioned strike to Sullivan as Smith played him perfectly but slipped. Smith was giving up about ten inches in height to Sullivan who then raced for the score at 10:23 Andrew Nutt kicked the PAT and Burke led 7-0.
Swarthout had a nice run on a keeper but an ensuing fumble by Brendan Tierney was recovered by Burke. Turnovers have plaqued the Bears this season and this one would not be the last in this fray.
Tri-Valley junior Aric Boyes makes great headway as he bursts through the first tier of Burke's defense before being impeded in the secondary. The problem was T-V could not sustain any offensive momentum.
Burke set up at the T-V 42 but the Bears were about to make the first of many stands on the day as they forced the Eagles into a three and out. The Eagles faked a punt on fourth down but Pezzullo’s pass to Patrick Joyner was incomplete .
Offensively the Bears continued to sputter with a big loss on first down that would soon lead to a futile series and another punt. Burke was getting good field position but not making much use of it as Jake Morganstein returned Conor Walsh’s punt to the Bears’ 39-yard line. Troy Rossi hit Mat Cino for a loss after the Bears yielded five yards on an encroachment penalty. Good defense by Tierney and Fred Dumond forced another Burke punt.
Nutt’s punt pinned the Bears at the 12. Not only were the Bears unable to move the pigskin, Walsh couldn’t get the punt off and was tackled by Trevor Reynolds at the one-yard line. Another Burke score seemed inevitable.
Raffy Ramirez sacked Pezzullo for a loss and Christian Ward was brought down by Jesus Lozada as the Bears refused to accede any ground. A tackle by Tierney made it fourth and goal at the six as the quarter ended.
“You’re doing an outstanding job,” Coach John Rusin barked to his troops. Nutt’s field goal went wide and the Bears took over on the five after a momentous stand.
Burke’s interior defense was tough to penetrate but Cody Exner found room to turn the corner for a first down and a personal foul by Burke moved it ahead to the Bears’ 44. The Bears failed to convert on a third and five as Burke got the ball back on an interception by Steve Tomaszewski. Pezzullo threw a fourth down pass to Sullivan for a first down to the 30 with 6:05.
Another first down, this one a pass to Cino at the 16 had the Eagles threatening again but the Bears held fast again as they stopped a run for a loss and withstood a trio of incomplete passes for another big defensive stand.
The Bears had the ball at their own 22 but their offense was just not firing. A complete pass to John Monforte gave the Bears the ball at their own 44 but the half ended with nothing to show for it on the scoreboard. Burke led 7-0 at the break.
Joyner received Anthony Beale’s kickoff at the 15 and raced 85 yards behind a wall of blockers for the score at 11:45. Nutt’s PAT made it 14-zip.
Shatik Smith is wide open on this halfback option catch as Burke bit on the pitch to Conor Walsh who then threw the strike to Smith for the Bears' lone score of the game.
Aric Boyes had an electrifying run on the second play of the Bears’ first series. A holding call on a Burke defensive back gave the Bears a first down. The ball was first spotted at the three but then was moved back as officials placed it at the 25 as they marked off yardage from the line of scrimmage. But Burke would take over on downs as Swarthout’s fourth down pass to Exner was incomplete.
Burke continued to accrue penalties. A big run by Cino ended as the ball sailed out of his arms only to be recovered by Smith at the Tri-Valley 35. Once again, the Bears failed to capitalize on a Burke miscue and had to punt.
The Eagles offense wasn’t doing much better but a booming punt by Nutt pinned the Bears inside the ten yard line. Then Sullivan picked off an errant Swarthout pass on the Bears’ first play of the series. After a few losses on run attempts, Steve Tomaszewski carried it in from the 12 to make it 20-0 with 1:03 to go. Nutt’s PAT made it 21-0.
The score would remain as such until late in the fourth quarter when the Bears got on the board as Walsh took a pitch from Swarthout and heaved it to a racing Smith for a 42-yard TD. Smith, who earlier in the second half had leaped skyward to knock a ball away from Sullivan, would prove himself to be the hero in the Bears’ losing cause. Beale’s PAT made it 21-7, which would prove to be the final score.
Rusin would extol Smith in his post game comments. “His whole body must be heart. He has incredible legs and toughness on every single play offensively and defensively. I’d be comfortable putting him any place on the field. Even on that TD catch he was in outstanding coverage. He’s an excellent football players, the kind of kid you love to have on your team.”
Rusin had begun his postgame reflection by talking about his team as a whole. “I was pleased with the defense. They kept us in the game,” noting that the offensive guys were essentially the same players. “Offensively we have to do a better job. We keep shooting ourselves in the foot, especially on early downs and we are not the kind of team that overcome that,” he averred.
I commend my team’s efforts and I know they left it all out there on the field today but we have to be a more crisp team if we’re going to have any chance at the playoffs. We cannot turn the ball over , especially against a quality team like Burke.
Eyes on the prize. Burke senior Captain Spiro Nanakos waits to shake hands with the Bears. Now it's on to bigger things for the Eagles who lost last year's title game to Millbrook by one point. For the senior-laden squad there is no such thing as next year's quest.
We have to do a better job of protecting the football and answering scores. Over the years we’ve proven ourselves to be a pretty formidable team offensively. We’ve got to work together-linemen, receivers and backs to get on the same page to put together some drives. Defense will keep us in games but we need our offense to win.
I love this team with all of my heart,” said Rusin.
Burke Coach Ed Van Curen Jr knew his team had been up against a tough opponent. “They played very well today,” he began.
“This was a tale of two halves. We’ve been coming out and playing effective offense this year. Tri-Valley is a great team and they’re well-coached. They now us well. We saw them twice last year and we may well see them twice again. Class C is turning into really fine football.
In the first half we kind of sleep-walked so in the second half we knew we had to come out and get our offense working. They played great defense against us. They were forcing us into three and outs . Our special teams did a great job though of pinning them deep.”
Asked about the sodden field and its impact on his team’s effectiveness, Van Curen noted, “We’re two running tams. We throw the ball out of necessity but this field certainly slowed us down. As for Tri-Valley, they’re a Wing-T team which relies on its ability to make cuts to get upfield.”
Runners like T-V’s Cody Exner were certainly hampered by the field as well as Burke’s excellent lateral pursuit.
Burke plays Fallsburg for its last league game of the season, while Tri-Valley (1-4, 1-1 Class C) must defeat Fallsburg and Millbrook in order to make it to the postseason.
Tri-Valley Statistics.
Rushing: Cody Exner 10/29; Greg Swarthout 11/37; Brendan Tierney 7/21; Aric Boyes 9/49; John Monforte 2/-1. Total 39/133
Passing: Swarthout 1/14/36 with two interceptions; Conor Walsh 1/36 TD. Total passing 4/15/72
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Heated Rivalry
Sullivan West Comes On Strong In Second Half To Defeat Tri-Valley In Season Opener; Non-League Tilt Is The Latest Chapter In A Competitive Rivalry; T-V’s Exner Electrifies; SW’s Borowski Scores A Trio Of TD’s
Sullivan West 21, Tri-Valley 14
By RICHARD A. ROSS
rross@sportsinsightsny.com (album of photos at sportsinsights.smugmug.com)
Compelling moments in a storied history: Sullivan West and Tri-Valley write the next chapter in their ongoing saga as the Bulldogs come back from a 14-7 halftime deficit with two more TD's from Kitt Borowski (He returned a kick off 70 yards in the first half for his first) to defeat the Bears. Pictured clockwise are game icons including Tri-Valley junior Cody Exner who ran for a TD and racked up 103 yards of rushing on 11 carries. Greg Swarthout hauls in a 39-yard strike from QB Joe Mickelson to give the Bears a 14-7 lead at the half. Sullivan West players exult in their victory and lower left, senior Kitt Borowski scores the second of his three TD's on the day on a seven-yard run which tied the score at 14-all. He scored again with just over six minutes remaining on a five-yard jaunt.
GRAHAMSVILLE, NY—Rivalry is an integral part of sports. When teams play each other year in and year out, not just in regular season outings but also in years where titles are at stake, that rivalry intensifies. Fans feed on those rivalries be they zealots of professional, college or high school sports. Invariably, no matter what the weather, crowds come out in droves to bear witness to the games that have historical juice to them.
Whenever Sullivan West and Tri-Valley meet on the gridiron, it is bound to be just such an occasion.
Though they now inhabit different divisions in Section Nine’s Class C making last year’s game and this year’s encounter non-league frays, the fervor displayed by the teams and their supportive communities has not abated.
Last year’s game played at Sullivan West’s Homecoming may have been one whose outcome had no impact on the playoff bound Bears nor the playoff-missing Bulldogs, but make no mistake about it, Tri-Valley’s 26-20 win stung the Bulldogs nonetheless. It was the tenth gridiron encounter of the two schools and it brought Tri-Valley closer in the series which Sullivan West now led 6-4.
Ever since 2005 when the Bulldogs dropped down into Tri-Valley’s realm of Class C, the two schools have staged annual epic battles that have included meeting four times in post season play, three of them for the Section Nine Class C title and once in a semifinal tilt.
In addition the schools vied for Division titles up until last year when the realignment in the OCIAA placed them in different divisions. Check out the history section below for details on which team won what over their relatively short but heated rivalry.
Off to the races: Tri-Valley's Cody Exner gallops 40 yards for the first score of the game as the Bears capitalized on a rare fumble by Sullivan West's Thomas Mootz. to gain possession of the ball during the Westies first offensive series.
This year’s fray was unique in that it was the first time the teams opened their seasons facing each other. Normally their encounters are late-season occurrences often greatly anticipated and circled on calendars as impending show downs.
Needless to say each team wanted to win its opener, while fully understanding that the games that determine their postseason afterlife will be their league encounters.
Gone from Tri-Valley is the outstanding Peter DiMilia whose fiery play on both sides of the ball exerted a huge impact on the games over the past several years.
Similarly, Sullivan West QB Ryan Alsdorf also graduated, but as is the case with rival teams, others step forward to assume the mantle. Calling signals for the Bears is senior Joe Mickelson who moved from his effective capacity as a running back to hopefully guide the Bears back to the playoffs. Last year T-V lost to Burke 46-25 in the Class C semifinals.
For the Westies, another veteran running back E.J. Franskevicz moves to take over the reins. Both Franskevicz and Mickelson are key defensive backs as well.
By day’s end it would be clear that several other players would make their presence felt including Tri-Valley junior running back Cody Exner whose electrifying speed produced one touchdown and nearly another were it not for a game-saving tackle by Sullivan West’s Sawyer Erlwein. Exner would carry the ball 11 times for 103 yards and it took the Bulldogs most of the game to figure out a way to contain him.
For the Bulldogs, this game would be the coming out party for senior running back Kitt Borowski who made his mark last year principally as a receiver. Borowski scored all three of Sullivan West’s TD’s. His day began with an auspicious 70-yard kickoff return to the house, an emphatic answer to Exner’s 40-yard TD gallop on a pitch from Mickelson that had come earlier on the Bears’ second series of the game.
Good teams capitalize on their opponents’ mistakes and that first scoring drive by T-V was marshaled following a rare fumble by Sullivan West’s hard-nosed running back Thomas Mootz. Anthony Beale’s PAT had given the Bears a brief 7-0 lead before Borowski took the ensuing kickoff 70 yards to the house. Erlwein’s PAT knotted the game at seven all with 8:30 remaining in the first quarter.
The go-ahead score: Sullivan West's Kitt Borowski rumbles in from five yards out with just over six minutes left to play as Jared Meola helps to clear the way.
Borowski’s return aside, Sullivan West looked out of sync most of the first half. Its spread offense, now in its third year of deployment appeared to offer little mystique as Tri-Valley defenders led by the seemingly omnipresent senior Troy Rossi and other swarming Bears stifled the Bulldogs’ running game and harried QB Franskevicz. Trying to take advantage of the surging Bears vanguard, Franskevicz tossed a couple of screen passes that might have gone for big yardage but he failed to complete them.
Meanwhile Mickelson gave Tri-Valley the lead back with 8:24 remaining in the second quarter with a 39-yard strike to senior wide out Greg Swarthout. Beale was perfect again and the Bears were able to withstand a late interception by Jared Meola to take a 14-7 lead into halftime.
The intense heat was bound to take its toll on players though officials called time outs to allow for water respites accordingly over the course of the day. As the game wore on in the second half, it appeared that Tri-Valley was affected more.
Missing a couple of players including senior running back Tyler Lopez who had sustained a blow to the head and was suffering from some heat exhaustion as well, the Bears began to wear down and the Bulldogs’ ground game inspired by a strong halftime pep talk suddenly was making headway with big runs.
Sullivan West received to start the second half but went three and out. Once again Tri-Valley was on the march even making gains by recovering its own fumble as Exner rumbled 13 yards after picking up a loose ball. But an interception snagged by Erlwein halted the drive at the SW 33. By day’s end Mickelson would be picked off three times.
Enlivened by the opportunity, the Bulldogs showed their first real signs of life as Thomas Mootz, Franskevicz, Jared Meola and Borowski kept the chains moving. Borowski capped off the drive with a seven-yard TD run with 1:27 left in the third quarter and Erlwein’s PAT knotted the game at 14-all.
Drama was far from over however as T-V Coach John Rusin continued to exhort his players to give their all. Rusin in a great motivator in addition to being a fine gridiron guru. Despite the fact that his team is young and not as deep as prior years, he will get every ounce of their effort for 48 minutes each and every week.
Exner and Mickelson ran the ball well and Tri-Valley began the fourth quarter in possession of the pigskin. The drive halted with a fourth and seven at the Sullivan West 20, well within striking distance of the talented Beale, whose soccer experience has made him a potent weapon as a kicker. In practice I watched him make kick after kick, but as Rusin would later point out, he has been untested in live game action when it came to field goals.
In a league of their own: Tri-Valley's talented cheerleaders rev up the crowd at halftime.
Beale’s potential go-ahead kick sailed wide left and the Dawgs took over at the 20 with 9:58 remaining in the game. Mootz ripped off a big 24-yard run out to the Westies’ 44. Franksevicz picked up another first down. Borowski’s run to the T-V 12 was called back on a block in the back penalty but the Dawgs would prove undaunted.
Franskevicz ran for another first down. By day’s end he’d have carried the rock 12 times for 61 yards and much of that was coming when it mattered the most. With 6:08 remaining in the game, Borowski broke free for an eight-yard strike and Erlwein punctuated that with a PAT to give the Dawgs their first lead of the day, 21-14.
Exner nearly returned the ensuing kickoff to the house but a diving Erlwein just managed to trip him up. It was the most impressive of Erlwein’s 12 tackles on the day. That said, here were the Bears at the Sullivan West 29 with 5:07 remaining.
Historically, late game heroics have played a big part in the storied rivalry. In 2007 in a game story entitled “The Line of Demarcation,” Tri-Valley withstood four Sullivan West attempts in the red zone to hold on to a 13-7 Division clinching win. In 2005 James Connelly gave the Bears a 20-17 OT win with his timely field goal.
So here we were again late in a game between these two contentious squads with the game on the line. If the Bears could score, they’d undoubtedly try for a two-point conversion to win the game and with Exner and company looming, that was a distinct possibility.
Sullivan West’s defense stiffened and Tri-Valley incurred a holding penalty to boot. The issue of flags flying and then being picked up had already been a side story to this encounter. Those reversals had favored Sullivan West and Rusin hoped one would go his way.
It didn’t.
Mickelson completed a pass to Jesus Lozada but still faced a fourth and 3 at the 20. Mickelson dropped back to pass but he was sacked by Sullivan West senior defensive end Andrew Parsons. The Bulldogs took over on downs but failed to keep possession. Facing a fourth and two, Coach Ron Bauer called for a punt which gave the Bears another shot with 2:07 remaining as they started from their own 48 after Sullivan West had to re-punt the ball following an illegal formation.
Rusin rallied his troops and called for an inspired two-minute drill. Naturally the ball was going to Exner and Sullivan West knew it. Erlwein snared him again leading to a third and three. Following two incomplete pass attempts, the Bulldogs got the ball back and were able to run out the clock for their uplifting victory.
Not this time: Sullivan West's E.J. Franskevicz and Sawyer Erlwein close in on Cody Exner in Tri-Valley's final series that gave the Bulldogs the ball back and the ability to run out the clock.
For their part, the Bears knew how close they had come to an inspiring home win over their arch-rivals. If both teams make it to the playoffs, they may meet again for what will then be their 12th encounter in their historic rivalry. You can bet if that happens that the memories from this game will still be fresh.
As Promised..The History Channel
2005 Section Nine Championship SW 34, T-V7 ; Division IV Title Game T-V 20, SW 17 OT
2006 Section Nine Championship SW 48, T-V 27; Division IV Title Game SW 21, T-V 7
2007 Section Nine Championship T-V 18, SW 7; Division IV Title Game TV 13, SW 7
2008 Section Nine Semi Finals (Hallow Win Game) SW 46, T-V 6
2009 Regular Season non-league SW 29, T-V 19
2010 Regular Season non-league TV 26, SW 20
2011 Regular Season non-league SW 21, TV 14
Sullivan West leads the series 7-4.
Franskevicz and his teammates took a moment to comment on the game as they exited the field . Franksevicz noted, “It was a tough game. We were playing in the heat. I think we really pulled it out in the second half. We came out to play. We played like we know how to play.” Asked about what was said at halftime, Borowski noted, “We needed to show the will to win and to have the heart.”
Rusin was exceptionally proud of his team. Asked about the heat as a factor, he noted, “not making any excuses here, Sullivan West leaned on us enough. We don’t have a lot of depth. We’ve got a lot of young guys with a lot of heart but not much experience. They will be excellent players but our core group is not very deep right now,” he added.
“We had a few guys banged up here and there and that affects two or three positions. Again, no excuses, Sullivan West did a great job. They stuck with their game plan. They were bigger than us physically. “
Rusin extolled the play of Exner.”I’m not a big fan of getting tendencies with play calling but when you’ve got one kid on the field whose a game-breaker and who has legs at a given point of time…so we went to the same play a couple of times. I’m sure SW was ready for it but you hope to catch lightning in a bottle.”
“Rossi is the energetic leader. He always has a bounce in his step. He lives for football. He was all over the field today and he’s been studying a lot of film trying to perfect what he has to do.”
Until We Meet Again....Sullivan West and Tri-Valley plays extend the hand or respect towards each other. Both squads know the rivalry is far from over.
This was a big game for us. We had a lot of kids we hoped would come out this year who didn’t. We have a hard-working core group and came out of camp with a very positive feeling. We knew numbers could be an issue for us. We were hoping to put a couple of scores on the board early and play with a little bit of lead. But you have to tip your hat to Sullivan West. They stuck with their plan and they wore us down as the game went on.”
Asked about Beale’s missed field goal attempt as a potential shift in momentum, Rusin was quick to affirm his kicker’s ability. “When you have a kid who can hit them you go with it. He had plenty of distance. We just haven’t given him that much work in live situations. I think he did everything right. Sometimes it just doesn’t go your way. I wouldn’t hesitate one iota to use him again in that same spot. He knows how to kick the ball.”
Tri-Valley has three night games on the road in the coming weeks starting with their first league match up against Pine Plains, then non-league frays against Chester and Eldred. Rusin and his valiant Bears will put this game quickly in the rearview mirror and turn their attention towards beating the Bombers.
Bauer noted, “We got more focused in the second half and I think our conditioning paid off as well. The heat was tough today. We started to block a little better and hit the holes, “ he added. “We wanted to do well in our season opener. The kids were up and they wanted to play good ball. In the first half we played good at times but we weren’t as focused.”
Sullivan West hosts Chester under the lights on September 9 in a non-league tilt.
Stat line: Sullivan West Rushing Total 42/151; Borowski 6/68 with three TD’s; Franskevicz 12/61; Mootz 10/58
Defense: Erlwein 12 tackles and an interception
Tri-Valley Rushing: Total 36/183; Exner 11/103 and a 40-yard TD; Mickelson 4/17; Aric Boyes 5/12; Brendan Tierney 4/25/ Tyler Lopez 2/26.
Passing: Mickelson 3/10 with a 39-yard TD to Greg Swarthout. Swartout 1/1/4
Receiving Swartout 1/1/39 yard TD; Exner 2/30; Jesus Lozada 1/4
Sullivan West is 1-0; Tri-Valley is 0-1
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