Fall Bears Extraordinaire
Tri-Valley Fall Sports Athletes Are Extolled For Their Outstanding Efforts
By RICHARD A. ROSS
Tri-Valley athletes enjoy a rare and special relationship with their coaches, a fact tearfully expressed by senior cross-country Co-MVP Olivia Rehm as she offers a tribute to coach Missy Iatauro (center). The Most Valuable Players from this fall appear in clockwise fashion from left to right: Greg Swarthout-football, Jim Bernstein-boys cross-country, Olivia Rehm and Autumn Bender-girls cross-country, Anthony Beale-boys soccer; Heidi Furman-girls tennis; Sarah Schneyer-girls soccer; Josue Ramos-boys soccer; Rachel Adriaans-girls soccer and Ali Reynolds-cheerleading
GRAHAMSVILLE, NY—Seasons change and time moves on apace. But memories linger on, especially for young men and women who have given their all to a particular sports endeavor. For the Tri-Valley athletes, this past fall was a wellspring for many such
memories.
So it was that on the evening of November 14, coaches called forth their teams to the stage and extolled their efforts in addition to presenting awards to several outstanding individuals.
By evening’s end, a slide show that chronicled the accomplishments of cheerleaders, cross-country harriers, soccer, football and tennis players flashed across the screen to the strains of uplifting music to reinforce the words of praise that had been spoken all evening long.
Athletic Director Derek Adams welcomed the audience and extended thanks to the parents, administration, building and grounds crew and the Board of Education for their great support. Quoting Nolan Ryan, Adams referenced the idea of enjoying success by virtue of adapting. Clearly this autumn with its surfeit of rainfall required that and more.
Cheerleading coach Leighanne Walsh lauded her team. This was her second year of coaching football cheerleading while all the while preparing routines for the upcoming basketball season. Walsh had great words of praise for seniors Brittany
Rennison, Jessica Lee, Stephanie Hyzer, Jackie Wallace, Amber Watch and AmberBuley. Dorothy Monforte was the team’s
MIP. Ali Reynolds was named as the Most Valuable Cheerleader and Schuyler Kraus won the Coach’s Award.
Junior varsity girls soccer coach Ryan Ahl had words of praise for his team and noted that several of the young women would soon be filling in the rank of the varsity squad next fall.
Varsity girls soccer Coach Mary Feusner started by averring what a privilege it was to work with her team. Challenged by the loss of 12 of last year’s players including nine to graduation, the Lady Bears fielded a team of 13 dedicated players this season bolstered by a few call ups from the junior varsity. Nine of Feusner’s 16 players were first timers. Feusner was assisted this season by Kayla
Connelly, one of her former players who brought her high school and college experience to bear on helping the squad.
The team made it to sectionals and improved on their pair of 7-0 losses to dominant S.S. Seward with a more competitive 3-1 defeat in the Class C quarterfinals.
The team scored 49 goals and had 27 assists while finishing the season at 8-9 and 4-8 in its division. They registered six shutouts and had ten goals against Chapel Field. They allowed 43 goals.
Megan Tyndell was selected as the team’s Most Improved Player. Rachel Adriaans was named as the Offensive MVP, while Sarah Schneyer won the honors as the Defensive MVP. Erin Smith won the Coach’s Award.
Cross-Country Coach Joe Iatauro called forth the boys and girls teams to the stage and proceeded to praise them for their outstanding efforts. The girls were donned in t-shirts that spelled out TEAM IATAURO! The relationship that Joe and Missy
Iatauro have fostered with their teams over the years is an integral part of the storied history the program has recorded.
Evincing strong performances at invitationals from coast to coast including the legendary Mt. Sac race in California was great preparation for the divisional championships recorded by the girls (12th consecutive) and the boys (second year in a row). The girls finished first at Mt. Sac in their division, the first time since 1992. The boys were fourth there out of 30 schools.
The girls won the Section Nine championship, while the boys finished second. The girls competed at this year’s state meet and did admirably despite unspeakably muddy conditions. It was Tri-Valley’s 19th appearance at the state meet.
Brendon Hasbrouck was named as the boys MIP. Jim Bernstein was awarded the honor as the MVP. Bernstein was the
Section Nine Class C champion and a state qualifier for the second consecutive year. He finished 29th in the state meet. Omar Lopez was the recipient of the Coach’s Award.
The girls team had an exceptional season. They were led by eighth grader Autumn Bender, who was named as Co-MVP along with Olivia Rehm. Iatauro lauded the intensive training regimen of his runners, in particular Rehm and Bernstein who logged 400 and 500 miles respectively this past summer. Danielle Graham was named as the girls team MIP.
Varsity football coach John Rusin was up next and literally gushed with pride as he recounted the heart and resolve of the Bears who started their season at 1-5, but could have easily been 5-1. The team had 14 seniors and Rusin praised each one including soccer converts Josue Ramos and Anthony Beale along with gridders Andrew Malone, Fred Dumond, Jon Edwards, Tyler Lopez, Shawn Markle, John Monforte, Rafael Ramos before awarding four other seniors with trophies and more words of praise.
Conor Walsh was named as the team’s MIP. “He played any position we asked him to,” noted Rusin. Troy Rossi was
the team’s Outstanding Defensive Player. He was second on the team in tackles and recorded 3 ½ sacks. “He is an
outstanding defensive player,” said Rusin.
Rusin extolled the courage, grit and success of Joe Mickelson, the team’s Outstanding Offensive Player. Mickelson had a mammoth season a year ago and despite a hairline fracture that kept him out of a couple of game this season, he morphed
from quarterback to fullback and had 53 carries for 391 yards bringing his career total to 508 yards. He also was outstanding on defense as middle linebacker.
“The best of the best,” is what Rusin had to say about MVP Greg Swarthout, a player who never leaves the field. “Durable,” was a word Rusin used to describe the stalwart senior who took over at quarterback when Mickelson went down. “He just gets it,” said Rusin about Swarthout’s intelligent and adept play. The Bears made it to the playoffs but lost to eventual Section Nine champion O’Neill. Winning two key league games including a homecoming thriller against Millbrook proved to be the ticket to this year’s
postseason berth.
Boys varsity soccer Coach Jason Closs lauded his team as a group of special individuals who showed vast improvement this season. Emphasizing rigorous conditioning, the Bears were determined to be in every game. The team had ten seniors including Anthony Beale, Dan Lederman, Hunter Kennedy, Christian Reynolds, Mike DeVault, Josue Ramos, Patrick McHugh, Eugene Morton, Tom Monforte and Ryan Erts.
Josue Ramos and Anthony Beale were named as Offensive MVP’s, while Tom Monforte received the honors as Defensive MVP.
Girls varsity tennis coach Janet Carey capped off the team presentations as she described the challenges of the merging of three divisions into two this season. That change meant playing bigger schools and tougher opponents. The team graduated its
entire roster last year except for its number-one singles player Heidi Furman who was joined on the team this season by fellow senior throwing cohort Dominique Darby.
Jennifer Sheeley was named as the team’s MIP, while veteran Heidi Furman was the obvious choice for MVP.
This writer spoke about the outstanding character evinced by Tri-Valley athletes and their impeccable sportsmanship. Benefiting from a supportive school and community and in particular affirming parents and coaches who serve as mentors and role models,
T-V athletes are making a valuable investment in their future through their efforts on the playing fields, courts and race venues.
Last winter was an exceptional one and as kids now move on to basketball, skiing, wrestling, cheerleading and indoor track, this year may well be dubbed “Tri-umphant Valley II.
For an album of photos visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
On A Mission
Bears Fall To Playoff-Bound Raiders As Turnover Woes Continue; Non-League Game Could Well Be A Preview Of First Round Playoff Tilt As Bears Control Their Own Destiny; Raiders Vow To Hone Their Edge To Facilitate Successful Playoff Run
James I. O’Neill 29, Tri-Valley 15
By RICHARD A. ROSS
rross@sportsinsightsny.com
Scenes from the Tri-Valley vs. O'Neill non-league clash..perhaps a preview of a first-round playoff game if the Bears win out over Fallsburg and Millbrook (Clockwise) O''Neill's Matt McCarthy hauls in a four--yard TD pass from Keegan West after the Raiders capitalize on a T-V fumble of a kickoff. Another Bears miscue leads to a second TD in the first half as Amon Gerber returns a punt for a TD to regain the lead. Tri-Valley's Shatik Smith intercepts a pass intended for O'Neills' Chris Olave and T-V's Cody Exner races for a 60-yard TD to give the Bears the lead back in the third quarter.
GRAHAMSVILLE, NY—For all the apparent difference in their relative success and the lack thereof, 5-1 O’Neill and 1-5 Tri-Valley have several things in common. While the Raiders are already booked as the number-one seed from Division One for the October 28 playoff opener and the Bears must now run the table against Division II foes Fallsburg and Millbrook, the mission is the same: Make fewer mistakes, sustain drives and sharpen up or else….
O'Neill junior workhorse Jerry Nasi applies a straight arm to Tri-Valley's Conor Walsh. Strong, fast and tough to bring down, Nasi is a lethal weapon. In this game it was a workman-like 113 yards on 25 carries and a TD.
For O’Neill Coach Anthony Finochio that “Or else” meaning elimination in the playoffs, can be avoided by his team looking even sharper and avoiding mental errors. “If we want to make a run through the playoffs we have to nix those in the bud and play flawless football,” he said following his team’s 29-15 win over a tough, physical Tri-Valley team that held leads at two separate times in this game including a 15-14 edge midway through the third quarter.
The “Or Else,” for Tri-Valley is infinitely more daunting.
The Bears turned the ball over three times in this game, thereby shooting themselves in their bullet-ridden feet yet again as Coach John Rusin described this day’s somber outcome as an ongoing sore point. “ A “broken record. It’s week in and week out,” he noted as the talented Bears continue to neutralize their fine play at times with costly errors.
Now in the eleventh hour of their season the Bears have no margin for further error as they prepare to play a pair of league games against Fallsburg and Millbrook.
To make the playoffs Tri-Valley must win both of those games and if they do, it will be O’Neill they will face in the first round of the playoffs. If this game is any indication, that could be an all-out war as both squads know what they’re up against.
Rusin believes if his team gets to the playoffs that they could “Make some serious noise.” I’m sure Finochio and his Raiders won’t take that challenge lightly…or else…
Rusin hammered the message to his troops following this latest loss that followed the same script. “We are turning the ball over way too much. Minus three is the story of this game. We moved the ball well, played good defense as we have throughout but we can’t keep giving people short fields and we can’t stall drives with turnovers,” he stated emphatically.
They don't build them any tougher: Joe Mickelson, back from a hairline tibia fracture rushes the ball from the fullback spot. Mickelson brings the right stuff for T-V to win but mistakes must be minimized to do so.
Rusin believes in his team, but eschews the notorious distinction of being the “best 1-5 team in Section Nine. “I’m tired of hearing the other team’s coach tell me we’re the toughest team they’ve played all year and that you beat us up and down the field and that we’re going to give next week’s opponent hell. Those are direct quotes,” Rusin avers but they are not the words he relishes in the least.
Yet for all of the heartbreak and the mélange of miscues, Tri-Valley is in position to benefit from the requirements of playoff contention, namely to emerge with a positive league record, thereby rendering all of these past weeks defeats meaningless.
Much has and will be said about this process whereby teams like Liberty could easily be 6-3 by season’s end, having lost two league games by a single point and find themselves on the outside looking in. You can be sure that the entire system will be scrutinized severely as it renders most of the games teams play as insignificant in terms of playoff entry.
Tri-Valley won the toss and elected to defer, a logical choice given the fact that its defense has consistently been its strongest suit all year. “Let’s set the tone! They’ve come here to try and pound us but don’t let them dictate the tempo o f the game,” Rusin implored.
Tyler Lopez, returning from his absence since the Pine Plains game, kicked the ball out of bounds and the Raiders set up at the 35. As expected the first carry went to junior workhorse Jerry Nasi, his first of 25 on the day, this one for a nine-yard gain. He took it again for a first down before Joe Mickelson tagged him for a loss.
Mickelson’s return from a hairline tibia fracture was a plus for the Bears. In his absence fellow senior Greg Swarthout has been calling the signals. Mickelson would play fullback in this tilt and would make a fine showing therein, but here on defense he showed his aggressive verve had not been dulled by his inactivity.
O’Neill committed a pair of offsides penalties, giving credence to Finochio’s contention about his team’s lack of mental focus at times. That doomed this first series and after an incomplete pass to Matt McCarthy, the Raiders got set to punt.
When it comes to spirit there is none greater than that exuded by the Tri-Valley cheerleaders.
The Bears’ elation about their fine defensive stop was short-lived as Shatik Smith fumbled the punt and the Raiders recovered it at the Bears’ 20. Troy Rossi stopped Nasi in his tracks on first down. Nasi wove in out and for five before being dropped by Jesus Lozada bringing up third and five at the 15.Nasi met Brendan Tierney and Rossi on his next attempt.
The Raiders went to the air on fourth down as quarterback Keegan West hit McCarthy for the 15-yard TD at 7:08. O’Neill surrendered five yards on the PAT attempt by dint of their third offsides penalty and kicker Jordan Baskerville’s kick sailed wide right as the Raiders now led 6-0.
Mickelson carries brought a first down as Finochio called a time out after yelling, “Trips,” seeing a trio of T-V receivers in a formation he felt his team was unprepared to defend against. The Bears soon penetrated into Raider territory with their ground game. The chains kept moving as the Bears marched on with runs by Swarthout, Mickelson and a pitch to Lopez.
The drive continued as Swarthout converted a third and two run from the 25 to the Raiders’ 19. The Bears were moving the ball at will as they garnered a first and goal from the nine with 2:09 to go in the first quarter. O’Neill stiffened as the Bears faced a fourth and goal at the two as the quarter ended.
Pass defense will be needed to beat O'Neill whose running game sets up strikes like the one that beat Sullivan West. Here T-V's Shatik Smith defends against Chris Olave as the ball falls for an incompletion.
Mickelson was stopped and the Raiders took over at the three. Furious at having squandered their attempt to take the lead the Bears’ defense bore down on O’Neill looking for a safety. The Raiders barely avoided such on the first carry by Nasi. On a third and 11 it appeared they had Nasi in the end zone but the officials said no.
The ensuing punt was a short one giving the Bears the ball just outside the ten. Smith caught a ball coming back across the grain to bring the ball to the three. Cody Exner ran it in from the one at 7:44 to tie it at six- all. Anthony Beale gave the Bears the 7-6 lead with his PAT.
Lopez fired an onsides kick that was rolling loose before the Raiders recovered it. A flag signaled a late hit by T-V’s Aric Boyes affording the Raiders fine field position at their own 47. O’Neill tried a sweep with Kyle Kilner carrying but Rossi snuffed it out after a yard. The ball came loose but it was ruled to be after the play.
Facing a fourth and five the Raiders went to the Power I formation and Nasi got the needed yardage to the T-V 36. After an incomplete pass to McCarthy, West went to the air again but it was Smith who came up with the ball as he dove to take it away from intended receiver Chris Olave.
A jubilant Smith was lifted aloft by Brendan Tierney but as it would turn out, the Bears failed to capitalize on the break. Instead, their drive stalled and in a dramatic turn of events, they allowed O’Neill’s Amon Gerber to return a punt all the way to the house. Nasi ran in the two-point conversion out of the “Power I” formation to put the Raiders in the drivers’ seat to the tune of 14-7 with 2:37 left in the half.
The Bears worked to get the lead back with a run by Exner and a reception of a halfback option pass by the stalwart junior but a Mickelson fumble was recovered by O’Neill’s Zach Trainor to extinguish the threat. O’Neill carried the 14-7 lead into halftime after the Bears’ defense stymied O’Neill’s final drive that ended with a sack of West by Fred Dumond and Rossi and a trio of incomplete passes.
Rusin’s address to his troops at the half must have been a stern one given the turn of events.
The Bears began the second half with a return to the 33 by Exner. A big run by Exner was brought back by a block in the back. After a short gain by Tierney, Exner broke loose for a 60-yard TD run at 10:15 to make it 14-13.
O’Neill was called for offsides and Rusin replaced his PAT array with his offense to go for two. Mickelson took over at QB for this play and effected a sneak for the 15-14 lead.
Jesus Lozada denied Gerber a kickoff return as he zoomed in on the quick sophomore determined to not allow him game-breaking runback.
The Raiders went back to a steady diet of Nasi who soon had the chains moving in the Raiders’ favor to the O’Neill 41. With a fourth a three to go at the O’Neill 49, Nasi got the first down as officials issued a sideline warning to the T-V coaches.
McCarthy snared a pass as he ran in between Smith and John Monforte just moments after defensive coach Joe Porcaro had yelled for Smith to drop back. The ball now sat at the T-V 20 with 5:45 to go in the third quarter.
On a third and two, West hit McCarthy with a 12-yard TD pass at 4:20 for the 20-15 lead. Nasi carried it in for the two-point conversion to make it 22-15.
Again the Bears were moving the ball on the ground but an option pitch to Conor Walsh was recovered by Kilner snuffing out yet another T-V drive. Kilner carried it to the Bears’ 40. Nasi came up short on a third down play giving the Raiders a fourth and two at the Bears’ 28 as the quarter expired.
West got the first down on a keeper. The Bears worked assiduously to hold the Raiders out but Nasi twisted and turned his way to the 11. Lozada knocked Nasi back to the 14 on the next play. On a third down play the Raiders used effective trap blocking to spring Nasi for the nine-yard TD to the outside at 7:41 for the 28-15 lead.
A snap infraction on the center pushed the ball back on the PAT but Baskervile split the uprights anyway for the 29-15 lead.
The Bears began at their own 24. A roughing the passer penalty availed the Bears extra yardage as the Bears moved it with a pass and a reverse to the O”Neill 31. Down by two the Bears got another first down at the 20 with 3:58 to go but the clock was moving as Swarthout was caught behind the line of scrimmage by Chris VanSkyock. Facing a fourth and long back at the 27 the Bears failed to convert on a screen pass to Mickelson as the Raiders took over on downs with 2:22 to go.
O’Neill kept it on the ground to run out the clock. The Bears used their last time outs to no avail as they were unable to thwart a final fourth and inches. The game ended with O’Neill in possession of the ball and the victory.
Nasi took the win in stride acknowledging the fact that there is much yet to do. “We still have a lot of work to do. Tri-Valley was physical and fast, “ he said giving props to the Bears, “but we’ve got to get better each week.”
Finochio had already stated as much in his comments that began with praise for Nasi. “he finds the seams and does a good job. When you have a great running game it does open up passing lanes too,” he noted referencing the TD catches from McCarthy.
“The formula has been working and we’re trying to get better week to week,” he said. Asked if he had held anything back anticipating that the Bears might be the team the Raiders would face in the playoffs, Finochio quickly replied, “No, we play to win every game.”
Rusin’s words conveyed his disappointment, while he continued to cite his team’s toughness and work ethic. “Am I proud of them? Absolutely. Do I want more them? Absolutely. They’re a much better football team than their record shows but the left column is all anybody ever looks at. Repeating the mantra he will stress each and every day over the coming week, “We control our own destiny. But if we turn the ball over three times to Fallsburg, we will lose.”
Tri-Valley’s mission is to dampen the Comets’ Homecoming by garnering the win. If they do that, they will then turn their attention to talented Millbrook whom they host on their own Homecoming the following week to determine which team will face O’Neill on October 28.
O’Neill plays Livingston Manor Roscoe and Ellenville in its final two tune ups.
Tri-Valley stat line:
Rushing: Exner: 7/93 2TD’s; Mickelson: 16/60 2PT conversion; Swarthout: 9/34; Lopez: 2/7;Tierney: 1/2; .Total: 35/196.
Passing: Swarthout: 3/5 32YDS; Mickelson 1/1 13YDS.
Receiving: Exner: 2/21; Lopez: 1/15; Smith: 1/8.
Defense: Mickelson: 10 Tackles 6 Assists 1 Sack; Lozada: 9 Tackles 1 Assist; Tierney: 5 Tackles 4 Assists.
For an album of photos visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com
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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