The Breaking Point

Sullivan West Earns Playoff Berth As Liberty Fails On Potential Game-Winning OT Conversion Pass; Two Teams Play Toe-To-Toe For 48 Minutes And Each Scores In Overtime As Fate Of A Season Is Defined In One Cathartic Moment

Sullivan West 21, Liberty 20 OT

By RICHARD A. ROSS

rross@sportsinsightsny.com

Compelling drama from Sullivan West vs. Liberty (Clockwise) Tom Mootz scores the second of his three TD's on the night. His final one came in OT and coupled with Kitt Borowski's PAT gave the Bulldogs the momentous win. Kenny Jaycox goes aloft to elude one tackler before cutting it back for a huge kickoff return that set Liberty up for a TD pass to Ryan Henry to tie it up at 14-all before the first half ended. The score remained deadlocked for the entire second half and on into OT.E.J. Franskevicz barrels ahead on a keeper that sets up Mootz's first quarter TD that evened the score at seven-up. Ryan Henry booms a kickoff that nails the Westies back on their own four to start the second half. Tom Mootz goes upside down on a TD run after toppling into the endzone. Marshon Williams bends over in disappointment after missing what would have been the game-winning conversion pass in OT. Tom Mootz and E.J. Franskevicz share a moment of joy and incredulous relief following the win. Marshon Williams gallops 37 yards for the game's first score. Tom Mootz after bursting through the line as he scores TD number two. Sullivan West players erupt in a jubilant celebration.

LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY—Had Irving Stone not entitled his epic novel “The Agony and the Ecstasy,” perhaps this writer would have seen fit to use those exact words to describe the final moment of one of the best high school football games he’s been privileged to bear witness to.

For in the final moment of a deadlocked battle between two teams who in all earnestness had earned every right to be playoff contenders, Liberty’s agonizing disappointment stood in stark contrast to Sullivan West’s ecstatic celebration.

Tom Mootz dives for an extra yard as he advances the ball. Mootz had 20 carries for 110 yards and three TD's.

In that cathartic moment a resonant life lesson was imparted to the players and onlookers alike that reminds us about the paper thin margin between unbridled joy and  disconsolate sorrow and  between gratifying success and the stultifying lack thereof.

Life is indeed a razor’s edge.

And so it was on  this crisp and clear early October night that a season hung in the balance of a final play and that  one harrowing moment would constitute a world of difference between the  victorious Bulldogs and despondent Indians, not just in a game, but in their quest to reach the afterlife of postseason play.

Standing in the endzone after Liberty’s Kenny Jaycox had just answered Sullivan West’s Tom Mootz with an Indian touchdown in overtime, I had my camera trained on the Liberty players lined up ostensibly for the PAT which would have tied the game yet again and sent it on into yet another dramatic sequence to follow all those that had preceded it to that point.

In the interstice between Liberty’s final score and the play that would come to define the season for both of these fine teams, I pondered whether the Indians would gamble for the win by going for the two-point conversion.

Coaches have the weight of the world on their shoulders in spots like this and must take stock of their team’s assets and liabilities to come up with the play that will put their team in the best position to win.

To that end, Liberty Coach John Wilhelm decided to take the gamble, a decision Sullivan West coaches later agreed they would have made themselves in the same situation.

In lieu of having Ryan Henry kick the PAT as the formation would suggest,  Wilhelm had directed holder Quinn Jackson to throw a pass to Marshon Williams who had now raced uncovered into the endzone not five feet away from my telephoto lens.

Liberty's Kenny Jaycox proved hard to bring down but by night's end the Bulldogs had done a good job of limiting the explosive back to one TD, the one that came in OT.

As the blurry picture depicts, the pass sailed over Williams’ shoulder and with it went Liberty’s hopes of sending its archrival down to defeat for the third straight year.  While Williams stood bent over, his body language saying more than words could ever hope to convey, Sullivan West players erupted in a display of joyful release. Amidst hugs, smiles, tears of joy and high fives, they rushed to each other in what amounted to an endless group hug.

Wilhelm’s choice hadn’t worked out but one would have to stand in awe of his confidence in his players and his assessment of what would have given them the best chance under the circumstances.

“We hadn’t had much overall success running the ball. They were plugging it up all night so we took a chance. I made the call and it didn’t work out. It’s on me but I’m proud of my kids. They played a great game,” he averred.

“They had run the ball well at times tonight and we didn’t. We felt our chances here were better to go for the win than in going score-for-score with them because we just weren’t moving the ball,” he added.

While Wilhelm, Williams and the rest of the Indians were now experiencing what Sullivan West had undergone the past two seasons at their expense, the Bulldogs were busy drinking in the elixir of victory and the promise of great things that could still lie ahead.

For Sullivan West senior Tom Mootz who had scored all three Bulldog touchdowns on the night,  trying to take it all in was clearly going to take some time. “This is the best feeling in the world right now. Everybody came out pumped up and ready to go with the desire to win. Especially after what they did to us the past two years,” he noted

Officials ruled Ben Kline's fourth down catch incomplete claiming he trapped it. But Kline's hand appears to be under the ball which would have given the Dogs a first down in the red zone in the second quarter. As it turned out the point was moot as the Bulldogs won the game.

Asked about what was going through his mind as he took the ball for the 20-yard overtime TD run, Mootz quickly replied, “I don’t even know what I was thinking. Everything left my mind. But I do know that if it wasn’t for the offensive blocking I wouldn’t have gotten in there.”

Senior quarterback E.J. Franskevicz tried to put the outcome into words. “It’s unbelievable. We worked so hard to get back to the playoffs. This was our biggest win of the year and it’s just a wonderful thing to see all the seniors getting back to the playoffs,” he said thoughtfully.

Looking back over the events of the game, this writer knew full well that it might have as easily been victorious Liberty players he could have been interviewing.

It was just that close.

Liberty won the opening toss and elected to receive. Kitt Borowski kicked it off and Kenny Jaycox returned it to the 34. Anthony Covington proceeded to break tackle after tackle as he ferreted the ball to the SW 36. Two snuffed  running plays led to a third and 11 at the 37.  Then Liberty spread Sullivan West out and Williams took off on a delay for the 37-yard TD at 9:56. Ryan Henry kicked the PAT and Liberty led 7-0.

Sullivan West began its first series at the 37, soon abetted by a Liberty encroachment. Sawyer Erlwein got a first down at the Liberty 46. Sullivan West went three and out as runs by Jared Meola and Franskevicz failed to move the chains. Franskevicz punted but Jaycox fumbled the ball which was recovered by Erlwein at the Liberty 19.

Franskevicz took the ball twice to avail his team of a first and goal at the four. Mootz carried it in from there at 5:20 to make it 7-6. Borowski split the uprights and the game was knotted at seven apiece.

Liberty cheerleaders brave the chill and heat up the crowd with their incredible spirit.

Liberty cheerleaders were braving the chill as they extolled the Indian fans to vocalize their support.

After the kickoff Liberty went on the march with its best sequence of running plays as Covington and Jaycox ran ten yards on successive carries to the Bulldogs’ 47. Todd Roeder’s tackle of Efrain Baez made for a third and 12. Liberty went back to the spread but Williams overthrew Efrain Baez leading to a punt.

Franksevicz returned the ball to the Bulldog 41. On a third and eight, Sullivan West pulled what they hoped was a special play out of the hat with a pass intended for Borowski. Reading the play perfectly, Javier Baez leaped skyward and intercepted the ball. Baez gave Liberty a first down at the Sullivan West 27 with 3:10 to go in the quarter.

Sulllvan West stuffed Covington for a two-yard loss and the quarter ended in a 7-7 tie.

The Dawgs’ run defense continued to stymie Liberty which found itself again facing a fourth and 11 at the 29. Liberty went back to the wide spread but Williams couldn’t get the needed yardage on a keeper so the Dawgs took over on downs at their own 25.

Mootz ran it out to the 44. Mootz got carry after carry as the Bulldogs moved the chains to the Liberty 29 with 7:07. Erlwein picked up another eight. Mootz got a first down to the 17. “This is nothing we haven’t seen,” barked Liberty coaches on the sideline as they implored their defense to make a stop.

Franskevicz took it around the right to the eight. Then Mootz burst up the middle for the eight-yard TD at 4:30. Borowski’s PAT made it 14-7.

What a difference a year makes. Look back at the game photos from last year's clash with Liberty as a despondent Brandon Wagner walks off the field symbolizing the Bulldog downfall.

On the ensuing kickoff Jaycox fumbled the ball but quickly picked it up. He leaped over the first would-be tackler on the right sideline and cut it back over the middle bouncing off at least two more failed wrap-ups and turning on the jets. Andrew Parsons finally brought him down but not before he had reached the Sullivan West 35.

Scott Erdman and Mootz upended Covington on a gain of five, but Wiliams proceeded to uncork a 31-yard TD pass to Ryan Henry who beat Jared Meola in single coverage. Henry then kicked the PAT  to tie it up at 3:25.

Henry’s short kickoff gave the Bulldogs the ball back on their 44. SW advanced the ball on three plays to the 20 but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty moved it back to the 36 with 2:15. Danny Hopkins stopped Mootz at the line of scrimmage. Facing a fourth and 14 at the 33 with 31 seconds remaining, Franskevicz ran it to the 25 and the Indians got it back on downs.

Williams found Efrain Baez who ran out of bounds following a nice gain after the catch to the Bulldogs; 49. His next pass was intercepted by Meola and Sullivan West took a knee to end the half at 14-all.

Sullivan West received to start the second half asHenry’s booming kickoff pinned the Westies at their own four.  Poor field position hampered the Bulldogs as Liberty ‘s defense stepped it up. Liberty soon advanced the ball to the Sullivan West 34. Facing a third and six, the snap sailed over Williams’ head for a big loss and the Indians were forced to punt.

This year's seniors will be gone but the rivalry between these division contenders will go on. For football players the preparation for a year ahead is always in the here and now.

Erlwein’s return was hindered by a block-in-the-back penalty giving the Dawgs a long field again, this time at their own seven with 8:08 to go in the third quarter. Franskevicz brought it out to the 23 on a keeper. A pass to Borowski advanced it to the 37. Running effectively the Bulldogs kept it moving to the Liberty 49 where it was third and inches. Mootz was stuffed as Liberty held fast and the Bulldogs punted.

Defense continued to hold sway as each team forced punts by the other. Sullivan West had a first and ten at the Liberty 30 as the third quarter wound down.  The third quarter ended with Sullivan West facing a second and one on the Liberty 21.

In lieu of taking it up the middle for the first down, the Westies went with Borowski to the edge who was thrown for a four-yard loss. Franskevicz was snowed under for another loss as Liberty was making a big stand. The fourth and eight pass to Ben Kline was ruled incomplete as the official ruled he had trapped the ball. The photo clearly proves otherwise as one can readily see his hand under the ball.

Clearly the camera was in a better position to view the play but despite protests from the sideline the call stood and instead of a first down in the red zone, the Bulldogs now found themselves on defense.

Liberty set up at their own 28. Erlwein threw Jaycox for a loss and Williams’ pass in the flat for Henry was overthrown. An incomplete pass to Covington gave the Bulldogs the ball back after the punt.

Mootz soon made it a first at the 50. Liberty forced a three and out and punted it back again. Still no second half scoring had been tallied. Jaycox picked up a first down to the Liberty 33. Liberty got a first down but a pass to Efrain Baez was overthrown. Facing a third and seven at the 47, Liberty failed to convert on a pass to Henry and had to punt it back.

With 3:26 to go the Westies had the ball once again at their own 16. Mootz slipped and lost five. On a third and 11 the Bulldogs once again found themselves on the wrong side of an official’s view of a pass. This one was to Erlwein that would have kept the drive alive. No photo of this one could confirm Erlwein’s assertion that he had caught the ball.

One began to wonder whether these judgments would impact the outcome of the game.

Sullivan West punted it to the Liberty 45 with 1:42 to go. Erlwein and Erdman brought down Jaycox for a big loss as overtime seemed to loom as a distinct possibility. Sullivan West used its time outs after Liberty plays and got the ball back with 21.4 seconds to go at the 18. Mootz ran it up the middle and the Westies used their last time out at the 28.

Borowski was knocked out of bounds with seven seconds to go at the SW 35 but regulation ended in the 14-all deadlock.

The Westies won the toss and chose to take the first shot from the 20. Mootz burst threw for the 20-yard run and was mobbed by teammates. Borowski’s PAT made it 21-14.

Now it was Liberty’s turn from the 20. “This is our season. This is our house. This is our season!” Sullivan West players shouted at each other. Having been burned on a pass over the top against O’Neill, it was clear the Westies were looking for the ball to go airborne.

The first pass bounced off Henry with four defenders on him. But a pass to Efrain Baez gave Liberty a first and goal and Jaycox soon ran it in to make it 21-20. Quinn Jackson’s pass sailed over Williams’ shoulder on the conversion try and the rest is history.

After meeting with his disappointed squad in the end zone, Wilhelm responded to the question about whether he could get his team motivated to play the remaining games of the season knowing they wouldn’t be in the playoffs. “Yes. They’re a great group. I can’t say enough about them. It’s unbelievable because we really wanted to be in the playoffs. Imagine this: we lose two games by one point and we’re out,” he said.

His point is well-taken and summarizes the absurdity of the system wherein teams have only a few meaningful games on their schedules.

Oddly too, both Sullivan West and Liberty lost to O’Neill in games they rightfully should have won. Liberty’s failure to convert on a late O’Neill fumble with a first and goal at the Raiders’ three that ended in a missed field goal and Sullivan West’s failure to secure a first down that would have allowed them to run out the clock before surrendering a last second over-the-top TD pass .

Those misfortunes put both of these teams in a do-or-die game on October 6. Had they won they would have been playing this game for the Division title and the top seed but both of them would have been in the playoffs.

Liberty fell to  4-2 ( 1-2 Division I), while Sullivan West improved to 4-2 (2-1 Division I).

Sullivan West Coach Ron Bauer had this to say: “Overall it was a great game. Both teams played well and both had good plays at times. A whole season turned on a single play.” Asked if he thought Liberty would go for the two-point try, Bauer said, “We weren’t sure. We were going for the block to secure the win. Luckily the pass was incomplete.”

Asked about his team’s ongoing motivation now that they’ve punched their ticket to the postseason Bauer said, “We’ve got to get better for the playoffs. I thought we could have tackled a little better. Jaycox is a tough runner. I also thought we caught those two passes that were ruled incomplete,” he added. Clearly that was moot point given the win.

Sulllvan West faces Burke for the last regular season game, a team they’ll  meet  the following week in the first round of the playoffs. Neither team is likely to show much in that regular season encounter.

Sullivan West stat line:
Rushing: Tom Mootz 20/110 with three TD’s; E.J. Franskevicz 14/65; Kitt Borowski 6/42; Jared Meola 4/19; Sawyer Erlwein 3/15;

Passing:  Franskevicz 2/4/15;

Defense: Mootz ten tackles; Erlwein ten tackles; Scotty Erdman ten tackles; Todd Roeder five tackes and a sack for a 16-yard loss. Borowski eight tackles; Andrew Parsons eight tackles.

Liberty stat line:

Rushing: Anthony Covington 10/45; Marshon Williams 8/68 with one TD; Kenny Jaycox 7/15 and a fumbled punt; Efrain Baez 1/-1;

Passing: Williams 5/13/73 with one TD and one interception.

Receiving:  Ryan Henry 2/31 with one TD; Efrain Baez 2/15; Javier Baez 1/27;

Defense: Javier Baez nine tackles and an interception; Williams seven tackles; Danny Ramirez nine tackles; Anthony Saravia nine tackles and Tyrell Ivory six tackles.

Sullivan West will host Rondout Valley on October 14 for its Homecoming Game, while Liberty travels to Millbrook.

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