Hayden has tough task vs. Akron

Hayden has tough task vs. Akron


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By JOE SPENCER and KENT MINCER
The Daily Sentinel

Thursday, November 15, 2007

The Hayden High School football team gets a crack at ending one of the state’s longest streaks in the semifinals of the Class A 11-man state playoffs Saturday.

The Tigers (9-2) host defending state champion Akron (11-0), which is riding a 24-game winning streak heading into the 1 p.m. kickoff Saturday in Hayden.

The Rams’ last loss came in the 2005 state championship game against Limon, which is 10-1 this season and plays visiting Wray (8-3) in the other semifinal Saturday.

Akron avenged that loss with a victory in last year’s state title game.

“I think it’s pretty safe to say the community, and the school, is pretty excited this week,” Hayden coach Shawn Baumgartner said.

“I’ve been told (Hayden) reached the semifinals here in 1975, but I am not sure if they played it here or not. This is obviously one of the biggest games played in Hayden in a long time.”

The Tigers stuffed a dive play on a two-point conversion attempt late in the fourth quarter to hold on for a 14-12 victory last Saturday at Byers.

Russell Waugh’s 1-yard touchdown run and Sam Kopsa’s 5-yard touchdown catch were enough for Hayden.

“We knew we were overmatched up front,” Baumgartner said.

“They had guys like 230 pounds and we are about 170, 180. Give our guys credit, they were hitting them hard every play. They made small holes for our backs and we methodically moved the ball down the field, kept it away from Byers.”

Akron hasn’t had a close game since shutting out Wray 14-0 in its fourth game, one of seven shutouts for the Rams this season. They have outscored opponents 434-42 this season.

In a 39-9 loss last week, Peyton scored the first points Akron had given up since Oct. 5.

Eight running backs have run for more than 100 yards for the Rams, led by Joe McKay (1,068 yards, 18 TDs).

Baumgartner said he hasn’t seen Akron’s team speed and intensity matched on tape.

“They are capable of busting a 60-yard run out of the single wing on every play,” he said.

“Our guys have to try to make them take 20 plays to get down the field instead of two. I am reminding our kids that they are still high school kids and if you make them make a lot of plays, they will make a mistake at some point.”

Baumgartner credits Chase Salazer for his team’s improved line play and Waugh’s ability to take some of the rushing load off the shoulders of Coy Letlow (1,300 yards).

• Montrose High School received a boost in its efforts to renovate its football stadium Saturday during its Class 4A playoff loss to Fountain-Fort Carson.

The Montrose Lions Club announced during halftime of the 28-26 loss to the Trojans that it will pledge a total of $5,000 in donations over the next two years.

Sullivan Construction also pledged $1,000.

Expansion of the south bleachers on the home side of the field was completed before Saturday’s game.

The next phases of the project will include replacing wooden seating in the home bleachers with aluminum, construction of a new press box, the addition of heated, outdoor restroom facilities and eventual replacement of the natural grass playing surface with a synthetic surface similar to the one installed this summer at Stocker Stadium.

• Steamboat Springs senior fullback/defensive end Jay Hanley said he is being actively recruited by several NCAA Division I schools.

Hanley told Rivals.com he is receiving the most interest from Kansas State, Colorado, Northwestern, Colorado State, Air Force, Hawaii and Missouri.

He included Big 12 rivals Colorado, Missouri and Kansas State on his list of top choices, but has yet to commit.

He made an unofficial visit to Missouri and has watched games at Colorado and Kansas State this fall.

Over the past two seasons, Hanley rushed for 2,112 yards and 24 TDs.

• Hanley’s high school teammate, Ben DeLine, the state’s top place-kicking recruit in the Class of 2008, has already committed to Colorado State.

He joins Durango defensive tackle Jake Landers (6-4, 270) on the Rams’ list of verbal commitments.

Other in-state commitments for CSU include Grandview linebacker Davis Burl (6-1, 193), Chatfield defensive back Andy Clements (6-1, 195) and Columbine defensive end Ben Tedford (6-6, 220).

• Grand Junction offensive lineman Isaac Valentine took in a game at Northern Colorado this fall.

He said he is in active talks with UNC and Colorado State and is getting interest from Iowa State and Kansas State.

=======================

THE DAILY SENTINEL

734 S. Seventh St.

Grand Junction, CO. 81501

North Duplin-Union outlook 07

North Duplin-Union outlook 07
CALYPSO -- Deja vu -- again.

For the second consecutive week, North Duplin is facing a regular-season opponent in the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A (small school) football playoffs. The No. 5-ranked Rebels (11-0 overall) entertain eighth-seeded Union (5-7) on Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at H.E. Grubbs Field.

Again, familiarity is good.

But when you're facing a team that's vastly improved from early September, preparation becomes more earnest. The Spartans executed their misdirection offense well and upended Hobbton in overtime a week ago.

"They didn't score a lot of points, but they kept the field position in their favor to force Hobbton to make long drives," said North Duplin head coach Hugh Martin. "They're playing really well."

The Rebels won the previous meeting 33-8 on Sept. 7. Martin said his team played solid defense and forced a few three-and-out series. On the offensive side, junior Akeem Cox got the team jumpstarted with a couple of key runs.

Senior quarterback Doug Lloyd received ample protection from the line and completed a few passes to loosen up Union's defense. Lloyd is nearing the 1,000-yard mark for the season.

Martin said the same tenacity is needed this week, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Spartans run a single-wing offense, similar to the old Notre Dame "box" scheme.

"Our people have to recognize what is happening in front of them because it's a deceptive offense," said Martin. "They're disciplined and physical up front. When they run their power (plays), we need to hold our ground and not give (up big gains). They're playing a lot of young, athletic guys.

"They get off the blocks well."

North Duplin posted its third shutout of the season last week and stopped Princeton twice inside the red zone. The Bulldawgs misfired on one series and Ryan Killette blocked a field goal attempt early in the third quarter.

Once he evaluated the tape, Martin saw the "little" things that normally pop up during a game -- missed tackles, a blown blocking assignment, crucial penalties. All those are correctable errors, which need to be minimized in order to advance in the postseason.

"You know it's happening in the game, so you just make corrections with what you see," said Martin. "Even though it's the 12th game of the season, we're constantly trying to recognize what we need to work on and improve those things."

Luckily, the Rebels have avoided any major injuries. Placekicker Junior Guzman has been lost for the season and Brad Rhodes (wrist) is questionable against Union. The remaining players, says Martin, are relatively healthy.

North Duplin has eight two-way starters.

"It's been a long season and we constantly try to be as fresh as possible ... not get worn down physically," said Martin. "We try to cut the amount of time on individual practice sessions and scale back on things that we do."

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on November 15, 2007 03:25 PM


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Single-Wing Sentinel Update!

I put a hit counter on the site 7 weeks ago and in that time over 10,000 hits. WOW!

There are over 205 articles posted.

We have 137 coaches that have signed the Single-Wing Coaches Map (guestbook)

We're showing that there are Coaches/Teams in 42 states, plus the District of Columbia and 5 other nations.

The Five countries other than the US are: Canada, New Zealand, France, England and Austria.



The States without a coach/team showing are:

1. Delaware
2. Idaho
3. Kentucky
4. Minnesota
5. Mississippi
6. Nevada
7. Vermont
8. Wyoming.
   

Have you signed? Is your state represented? If not take a second to sign below!

If you know of a team any of the States not showing a team, let me know.

Michigan's Marauding Maroons

Michigan's Marauding Maroons

Updated: Nov 13, 2007 11:12 PM CST

Michigan's Marauding Maroons

By Michelle Tuckner


Michigan's Marauding Maroons


To honor our high school athletes of the week, we head north of the border. The Menominee Maroons football team from Michigan's Upper Peninsula are ranked number-one in Division 5. On Friday they face Grand Rapids West Catholic from the lower peninsula for the right to go to State.

The Menominee Maroons are on quite a winning streak. To remember the last time they lost, you'd have to think back to the last game of the 2005 season. Since then they've won 26 games in a row, including a state championship. Now they're looking to repeat.

"It's pretty amazing. Since I was a freshman we lost one game that year, and once as a sophomore, then my junior and senior year we didn't lose any," Maroons running back Ethan Shaver said.

Running the single wing offense, they're averaging 38 points per game, and this small school has taken down opponents twice their size. They started the season by beating two Wisconsin state champions -- Wrightstown and Division 1 powerhouse Mequon Homestead.

"That's the biggest thing that prepares us for the playoffs when we play those teams," linebacker/fullback Matt Eisenzoph said.

At 73 years young, Ken Hofer has coached the Maroons for 39 seasons. Recently he got a little too close to the action and ended up with a knee injury.

"It'll be three weeks tomorrow, I got in the way when I should have been observing," Hofer said.

The injury hasn't slowed down Coach Hofer one bit, but it has made game days more difficult as he has to be carried up to the press box to coach his team.

"I've been in the press box on the phones. It's worked but I don't like the energy up there," Hofer said.

Now they're just one win away from defending their title at Ford Field.

"To win a state championship will be second to none. To win back to back would be amazing," Eisenzoph said.



WBAY-TV
115 S. Jefferson St.
Green Bay, WI 54301

Champions are made, not born

Champions are made, not born.

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Tebow: Back To The Future

Back To The Future
Dan Spain
Single-Wing Sentinel
November 12, 2007


Tim Tebow accounted for all seven of Florida's touchdowns, a school record five rushing and two passing, as the Gators kept alive their hopes of making the SEC title game.

Tebow was 22-for-32 for a career-best 304 yards and ran for 120 yards, accounting for more than three-quarters of the offense for the Gators.

“He’s sort of the quarterback of the future. He’s a guy that can run and pass,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said, before quickly clarifying himself.

“Or the quarterback of today. I should say that — today. He’s just a guy that can run around and break some tackles and still get balls off. He’s really the type of quarterback that almost everyone is looking for, as well as being an excellent passer, also.”

Some would disagree with the quarterback of the future, coaches and commentators from around the nation are starting to realize that Tebow is a throwback to a Single-Wing Tailback.

Commenting on Steve Spurrier's quarterback of the future and Tebow's comparison to a Single-Wing Tailback, coach, author and football historian, Ted Seay, said "It's more like back to the future"

Whether it's the Future, present or past, it is good to see the raw power, the deception, the ability to have an extra blocker and excitement of the Single-Wing make it's way back into the football world.


Look for the "past, present and future" at a football field near you -- Roll Single-Wing Roll!

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A Single-Wing Sentinel Salute: Concard NC

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Congratulations to Coach HOWARD RHODES and his team from the CABARRUS COUNTY BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF AMERICA in Concord, NC. This 10 & 11 year old team went 7-1-1. Unbelievable they ending up tied 20-20 in the bowl game.

Again congratulations on a great year!



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Glenwoods Closes out A Great Year!

Faith ends Glenwood's season again
Two running backs rush for over 100 yards to lead Rams into second round of AISA playoffs

BY RONALD FRAZIER --
Correspondent

------

Faith Academy used a strong ground game with two 100-yard rushers and defeated Glenwood 27-18 at the Swamp on Friday night in the quarterfinals of the AISA Class AAA playoffs.

The Rams used KeAndre Niles, who ran for 121 yards on 16 carries, and teammate Warren Collier, 103 yards on 20 tries, to win its eighth straight game.

The Rams' offense was strong enough that they punted only once in the game, that coming in the final minute of play. Both Collier and Niles ran for a touchdown.

"We knew what they were doing, but we couldn't stop them," Glenwood coach Tripp Henderson said after the game, "I didn't feel that they could stop us on offense, but they are a good team and kept attacking the outside."

The Rams used a ball control offense to keep Glenwood's offense off the field. Faith lost the ball on a Will Tanzie interception on its opening drive, but Glenwood turned the ball over on downs.

The Rams then drove for their first touchdown that ended on quarterback Raymond Cotton's 2-yard run.

Glenwood came right back with Branden Williams' 23-yard touchdown pass to Cody Pearcy, but the extra point hit the upright, making it 7-6.

Faith went ahead 14-6 at the half when Cotton passed to Tyler Richburg with only 12 seconds left before intermission.

Branden Williams struck again for the Gators with a 30-yard run to close to 14-12 in the third period, but the Rams came right back on Collier's TD.

"We just didn't get the stop when we needed it," Henderson said.

Pearcy excited the crowd after Niles' TD run in the fourth period when he returned the kickoff 85 yards for the score, but Richburg intercepted Williams desperation pass in the waning seconds to close out the Rams' win.

Friday at Glenwood Faith Academy 0-14-6-7--27 Glenwood 0-6-6-6--18

Second Quarter

FA--Raymond Cotton 2 run (Josh Moore kick), 11:56

G--Cody Pearcy 23 pass from Branden Williams (kick failed), 9:12

FA--Tyler Richburg 20 pass from Cotton (Moore kick), 0:12

Third Quarter

G--B. Williams 30 run (run failed), 7:42

FA--Warren Collier 8 run (kick failed), 1:44

Fourth Quarter

FA--KeAndre Niles 3 run (Moore kick), 4:38

G--Pearcy 85 kickoff return (kick failed), 4:23

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Ledger-Enquirer

17 W. 12th St.

Columbus. GA 31901

========================================

Glenwood Gators

P.O Box 310,

Phenix City, AL 36868

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Lawrenceville honors Keuffel with Single Wing

Lawrenceville honors
Keuffel with
Single Wing
Sunday, November 11, 2007
BY ANDREW BORDERS
Special to the Times





LAWRENCE -- Ken Keuffel's memory was served well.

His beloved Lawrenceville School football team may have fallen yesterday to rival Hill School, 14-7, but the Big Red looked to Keuffel for a little help in trying for victory.

Keuffel, who spent 41 years at Lawrenceville in various capacities, including 31 years as its head football coach, passed away on Feb. 19, 2006. His claim to fame outside the Lawrenceville gates was as a proponent of the single-wing offense, writing books on the scheme that is still in some use around the country today.

It was on display yesterday at Lawrenceville when the Big Red honored their lifelong friend with a halftime ceremony and use of a handful of single-wing plays, including two of the team's biggest gainers.

Keuffel retired from the school in 2001, but his passing 21 months ago spurred an alumnus' donation that allowed the school to renovate the football facility. Work was done on the field to grade and crown it, adding irrigation and re-sodding it for the Big Red's use. The fans benefitted from new visiting bleachers and an aesthetic upgrade with brick facade on the home side. A new scoreboard, with Keuffel's name on top, was installed and a plaque commemorating Keuffel's contributions now sits at the field's opposite end.

Only yesterday, however, was a formal ceremony held to rededicate the field.

"We wanted to wait until all the work was done," Lawrenceville athletic director John Simar said. "This rivalry with Hill meant everything to him."

The rivalry, more than 100 years old, was special to the players, too. After Hill clinched it by intercepting a pass with less than four minutes to play and all but finished the clock with a 10-play drive, the Rams celebrated before the teams stood for the awarding of a perpetual cup trophy.

The cup rode with the Rams back to Pottstown, Pa., but the feeling was there that Keuffel's spirit will always be around Lawrenceville's campus.

The Big Red started with two single-wing plays and had five plays drawn up using the formation.

"(Keuffel's day) was certainly the catalyst, but it wasn't just a token," Big Red coach Ken Mills said. "We said if we're going to do it, we're going to make it part of our attack."

Hill took a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter when Kory Kapinos, who ran 38 times for 195 yards, punched in a 1-yard run to cash in on a bad snap on a Lawrenceville punt.

A James Chiusano punt return to the Hill 16-yard line help set up two rushes by Robert Castelo, the second of which was a 3-yard touchdown run with three minutes left in the third quarter. But despite gainers like a 54-yard catch by Mike Edwards and an 18-yard rush by Brandon Rolnick on a Statue of Liberty handoff, both single-wing plays, Castelo's score was it for the Big Red.

Little more than a minute after Lawrenceville tied it, Hill quarterback Patrick Flanagan threw a 40-yard touchdown catch to Michael Howell for the go-ahead score, and Hill held on.

Hill7070 -- 14

Lawrenceville0070 -- 7

First Quarter

H--Kapinos 1 run (Wolter kick), 0:45.

Third Quarter

L--Castelo 3 run (Edwards kick), 3:01.

H--Howell 40 pass from Flanagan (Wolter kick), 1:45.

HillLawrenceville

First downs1012

Rushes-yards53-22624-22

Passing93241

Comp-Att-Int3-12-114-29-2

Punts6-31.55-22.8

Fumbles-Lost1-21-1

Penalties-Yards18-1139-71

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--Hill: Kapinos 38-195, Kelly 2-(-3), Flanagan 5-12, Brown 2-0, White 4-7, Davidheiser 2-15. Lawrenceville: Van Valkenburg 4-(-6), H.Moscowitz 5-(-4), Haywood 4-(-15), Castelo 8-39, Restaino 1-0, Rolnick 1-18.

PASSING--Hill: Flanagan 3-12-1-93. Lawrenceville: Haywood 13-27-0-215, Chiusano 1-2-0-26.

RECEIVING--Hill: Kelly 1-47, Brown 1-6, Howell 1-40. Lawrenceville: Castelo 3-51, Edwards 8-140, H.Moscowitz 1-16, Chiusano 3-34.



The Times of Trenton (New Jersey)





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Defensively, a struggle for both teams

Defensively, a struggle for both teams
Tom King

Published: Sunday, November 11, 2007

Al Neville walked off the Motta Field turf at Stellos Stadium late Saturday afternoon huffing and puffing. He didn't get feted with the Londonderry High School band playing the Notre Dame fight song the way his counterpart defensive coordinator, outgoing Lancers head coach Tom Sawyer, did.

No, Neville's reward was rest. After Nashua South's 35-31 win in the Division I semifinals, where the yards seemed easy and the defense on both teams seemed oh, so penetrable, he needed it.

"That (Alex) Theodhosi is as good a back as I've seen in New Hampshire in years," he said. "We have a couple of outstanding ones, too, but . . . we pulled out every defense we had to try to stop them and they still ran well on us . . . You couldn't slow them down. We put nine people in the box and they still ran well."

If you were a real estate agent, Stellos was the place to be as both the Panthers and Lancers were buying up property in huge chunks, mostly on the ground (a combined 739 yards). Remember when rushing for 200 yards was, well, a big deal? Theodhosi gets that in a half, it seems, as Saturday he shredded the Panthers defense for 332 yards on the ground. And for South, almost lost in the shuffle was junior back David Zocco's 201 yards. Amazing.

"You feel helpless," said Neville, speaking from the defensive side. "That's a helpless game."

If you want helpless, imagine the feeling of Sawyer as he was in the press box, watching the Lancers take not one, but two crucial 5-yard penalties in the red zone, one at the end of the first half for delay of game that turned a chance for a touchdown into a field goal, and the other perhaps the most disappointing of Sawyer's career. It was a 5-yard illegal procedure call on a first-and-goal at the 5 with just over two minutes to play and the game in the balance.

That seemed to do something the sight of Theodhosi running wild didn't do for the Panthers defense. They stuffed the Lancers on four plays to eventually preserve a four-point lead and the win.

"We didn't do anything different," Neville said. "Just a couple of kids stepping up and making huge plays. I can't even tell you who made 'em. Just a couple of kids barreling in and making huge plays."

"Penalties down there killed us," said Sawyer, right before a touching post-game scene where the band circled around him and gave him one last hurrah as he waved and took a few bows. "It's a mistake – it's high school.

"But we couldn't stop each other," laughed Sawyer. "Basically, we couldn't stop each other. That's what it came down to. You're not going to stop that (South) team, with those two kids (Zocco and Bill Ferriter) back there. And they didn't stop our two kids (Ryan Griffin along with Theodhosi). It was a slugfest."

South head coach Scott Knight always has a calm demeanor after a game when meeting with the media. How he kept his cool during it, however, had to be a question.

"Frustrating," he said. "They're running a scheme (single wing) that's perfect for that kid, much like people say we're doing for our kids. We thought we were filling the gaps. You leave one gap uncovered, and he goes. We've got some kids in the secondary who can close, but (Theodhosi's) fast. He would have busted a couple of others if we didn't have the team speed we have."

But he couldn't bust one inside the 10 when it mattered most, and that was the key. South only had two two-way players, Ferriter and Zocco, and when asked afterward if it was really tiring out there, Zocco simply answered, "Not really."

"Hey, that was a track meet," Knight said. "Every point counted. It's a football game, you know what I mean? It was more of a matter of getting frustrated. You think you've got the kid buried, and he breaks out. What was the score, they scored 31 points and they lost?"

Sawyer was right, that's high school football. It wasn't until the third quarter that both teams finally stopped the other from scoring.

But the biggest stop had to be by the Panthers in the final minutes. Theodhosi for 2 yards. Then no gain. Griffin for a 3-yard loss. Then a 4-yard pass way short of the end zone.

"We just said, 'This is our season,'," said South linebacker Mike Lefavor (also huffing and puffing), whom Neville praises as a leader of his defense. "(Theodhosi) is a tough back to stop. We pulled together, and we got the stops when we needed to, and it turned out in our favor."

Imagine what it was like for sophomore linebacker Marty Voorhis, getting his first start. Lefavor kept a close eye on him.

"It was frantic out there," Lefavor said. "We were just thinking, our season is going away right now."

But that didn't happen.

The Panthers will host Pinkerton Academy next week in what should be a doozy for the Division I crown. This is indeed a great year to be a high school football fan. But Saturday wasn't a great day to be a defensive coach.

"I would say that's the toughest one," Neville said. "I'm proud of that game. We gave up a lot of yards, but I'm proud that we beat that football team."

"Hey, we almost won the damn thing," Sawyer said. "Just a great game for everybody. They got their money's worth. These kids, I just wanted to thank them for leaving me with this memory."

A memory of yard after yard after yard . . .

"We said it going in, it would take four touchdowns to win," Knight said. "I didn't think it would take five."

That was the price of victorious real estate in a suddenly booming market, where the buyers and sellers were out of control.

Tom King can be reached at 594-6468 or e-mail at sports@nashuatelegraph.com.

============================

The Telegraph Publishing Co.

P.O. Box 1008 Nashua, NH 03061

Methodical Conway moves into semis

Methodical Conway moves into semis
BY KRISTIN MEHLER
Wichita Eagle correspondent

CONWAY SPRINGS - Conway Springs prides itself on its running game, and that's what it stuck with to get past Scott City 6-0 in the Class 3A quarterfinals on Saturday.

Nate Pauly played a key role, leading Conway Springs' single-wing offense with 85 yards on 21 carries. Quarterback Caleb Brill scored the game's only points on a one-yard run in the second quarter.

"We just chip away," Pauly said. "If we get four yards a carry, that's good. We get three carries and we have a (first) down.... As long as we keep moving, we get where we're going."

Conway Springs relied so heavily on its running offense that Brill threw just five times for 24 yards and an interception.

"The wind was picking up and when the wind picks up, you have to play the averages," Conway Springs coach Lelin George said, "and running the ball in Kansas in November is better than passing the ball in Kansas in November for us."

Brill scored on a keeper with 4:56 remaining before halftime. The Cardinals missed the extra point.

Conway Springs shut down Scott City's passing game, limiting quarterback Chance Chelemedos to 41 yards on 5 of 21 attempts. But Scott City's Calvin Hughes ran for 108 yards, giving the Beavers scoring opportunities they couldn't convert.

"We had some chances inside their 25 about three different times," Scott City coach Glenn O'Neil said. "A couple times where they made some plays, and we did not make some plays and that's what playoff football comes down to."

Conway Springs will host unbeaten Garden Plain on Friday in the semifinals. Garden Plain defeated the Cardinals 35-6 on Sept. 28.

"We proved a lot of people wrong," Pauly said. "Nobody thought we'd make it this far and we'll give Garden Plain a well-deserved rematch."


Scott City (7-5) 0 0 0 0 -- 0
Conway Springs (10-2) 0 6 0 0 -- 6
CS--Brill 1 run (kick failed)

Individual Statistics

Rushing--Conway Springs, Brill 17-31, Gerber 2-19, Pauly 21-85, Sones 4-15, Dugan 1-2. Scott City, Hughes 18-108, Flowers 6-25, McDaniel 1-11.

Passing--Conway Springs, Brill 3-5-24-1. Scott City, Chance Chelemedos 5-21-41-1

Receiving--Conway Springs, Blaine 1-8, Mercer 1-9, Pauly 1-7. Scott City, Swan 2-6, Kuntzsch 3-35.

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The Wichita Eagle

825 E. Douglas

P.O. Box 820

Wichita, KS

67201-0820

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Housatonic Mountaineers Looking Strong

Win snaps Mountaineers' four-game losing streak
11/11/2007


By PETER WALLACE
Register Citizen Staff

FALLS VILLAGE - Housatonic High School's football team celebrated Senior Day and their final home game of the season with a 49-22 whipping of defending Uncas Division Champion Windsor Locks.

The Raiders (0-9) started the season banged up and nothing has improved - particularly against the Mountaineers.

"We knew they were really physical," said veteran Windsor Locks coach Pat Scelza. "With their play variations, you can't stunt, so we decided we had to go physical to physical. They were just too big for us."

Housatonic, 4-4 with two winnable games left on their schedule, exploited their advantages all game.

"We added a few plays to keep the kids interested, but basically, we just ask them to execute on offense," said Mountaineer coach Deron Bayer.

Oh, baby.

That meant eight points in the first quarter, 14 in the second, six in the third and 21 in the fourth. By the final period, the size and strength discrepancy was overwhelming and Housy, trying to run out the clock, just couldn't quit scoring.

Jameson Martin had 73 of his team-leading 121 rushing yards just that way. With a 36-14 lead, six minutes left in the game, Martin got loose around the left end and dashed into the end zone 31 yards away. It happened again with two minutes left, from 42 yards away.

Before that, the gains were steady, but smaller, with Mountaineer lines in charge on both sides of the ball. Opting to kick off, the Mountaineer defense took over the ball quickly, then the offense took off on a five minute scoring drive, with Tom Kennedy (18 carries, 107 yards) squeezing in the final two yards. Martin ran in for the two-point conversion.

Housy scored twice more, in the second quarter, before Windsor Locks made a first down for the first time, midway through the second period.

The Mountaineers thrive on the ground with their shotgun, no-huddle multiple option lineup [Single-Wing]. In the second touchdown, Tom Kennedy finished another series of steady chips upfield on a two-yard run for 14-0. Then Will Kennedy flipped a pass to Charlie Horowitz for a stunning route to two more points.

Not to worry. Ben Wilbur stayed on the ground for the next one, though a 24 yard scoring run, untouched, is better than most passes.

Down 22-0, the Raiders started their engine. A first down was followed by two more as they, too, stuck to the ground. Sophomore Colin McGhee bulled in for a two-yard touchdown and quarterback Isaac Jiminez passed for two more points.

Then, with the taste of paydirt in their mouths, the Raiders almost scored again. They recovered an onside kick and sat on the Housatonic 11 yard-line with two seconds left in the half. It was enough for a pass attempt, or, as it turned out, a sack by Charlie Horowitz.

Assistant coach Steve Kelleher designed a defensive personnel shift that included Horowitz at defensive end for the first time. The 6-foot-6 205-pound senior thrived.
Housy's 22-8 halftime lead invited lots more Mountaineer runners to try the turf. Jon Habacker had all four of his carries after the break, including the final 10 yards for Housy's first second-half touchdown.

Windsor Locks had no such fresh-leg luxury, as Jerome Hill (23 carries, game-high 163 yards) and McGhee (11 carries, 88 yards) shared the duties that brought Locks to the Housatonic two at the start of the fourth quarter. Quarterback Jiminez snuck across the line, but that may have taken all the energy the Raider linemen had.
Tom Kennedy burst through for a 25-yard score before Martin's "accidental" bursts surrounded one more Raider score - a 26-yard run by Hill.

Is it time for Mountaineer fans to think "winning season"?
Maybe them, but not the coaches or team.

"We have to get ready to play Stafford (2-6)," said Bayer. "That's all we're thinking about."

Naw; they'll think about Saturday's win, too.


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The Register Citizen

190 Water Street

P.O. Box 58

Torrington, CT 06790