Section Nine Football

PORT JERVIS DOMINATES MIDDLETOWN, 28-7, TO KEEP THE ERIE BELL MIDDLETOWN - Port Jervis coach Bob Corvino said prior to the game that he wanted "to right the ship" in the wake of last week's loss to Cornwall. Corvino made a few big changes, especially on defense, and Port went on to beat Middletown, 28-7, at Faller Field. The win was Port's seventh consecutive against its old rival. The game was the 125th between the teams and the 50th for the Erie Bell. One of Corvino's big decisions during the week was to put star junior running back Steven Stellato into the defensive secondary. "I didn't want to play him both ways, but he's our best corner and we needed him," Corvino said. The move paid off. Stellato made some big plays in the secondary including a key interception near the end of the first half. Meanwhile his playing both ways didn't impact negatively on his offense where he rushed for 122 yards (20 carries) and scored a pair of TDs. The game didn't start well for the Raiders, however. Port took the opening kickoff and drove to the Middie 43. QB Matt Semerano then started rolling right on an option when Middletown left defensive end Terric Harris grabbed him and slammed him to the wet turf. Semerano did not get up right away. He finally made it to the Port sideline and returned to the game on Port's next possession. "I don't remember a thing that happened on that play," Semerano said after the game. "I guess I hit my head." Two plays after Semerano's woozy exit, backup QB Brad Ropke fumbled the snap. Middie noseguard Rasan Brown picked up the ball and ran 34 yards to the Port 30. After a four yard run by Sammie Diaz, Middletown QB Donald Roth hooked up with Harris on a 26-yard TD pass and run. Herbie Mann's kick made it 7-0, Middies. Port Jervis finally began rolling as the second quarter got underway. The Raiders drove 57 yards in nine plays. One key play was a fourth and four conversion when Semerano fired a 10-yard first down pass to tight end Adam Decker. On the next play Kevin Butler scored for PJ on a 15-yard run. Butler's point after attempt was partially blocked by Harris, so the Middies held on to a one-point lead. But Port was just starting to get warmed up. On their next possession the Raiders marched 67 yards in five plays for a score. Semerano's 31-yard pass hookup with Chris Smith put the ball at the Middie Bear 32. Stellato then galloped around his left end and down the sideline for 29 yards and scored on a three-yard TD run on the next play. Semerano threw to Ryan Cunningham for two points after. 14-7 Port. Then came Stellato's big interception of a Roth longball at the Middie 40. Stellato returned the pick to the 12. Three plays later, the last play of the first half, he scored his second TD on a one-yard run. Butler converted to make it 21-7 at the intermission. Port salted the victory away on its first possession of the third quarter. After the Middies had been pinned deep in their own territory, Roth got off a 36-yard punt. Port promptly drove 49 yards in seven plays, sticking to the ground. Stellato and Butler alternated carries. Stellato's 19-yard lug put the ball at the Middie 6. Butler ran it in from there and again converted. 28-7. The Port Jervis defense turned in a fine performance. Shifting out of their standard 5-2, the Raiders utilized a 4-4. In doing so, they held the Middies to minus-25 yards on the ground. Roth was sacked four times, twice by linebacker Ricky Crown, for losses totaling 29 yards. Roth completed 11 of 26 passes for 149 yards. The 6'3, hard-running Harris had six catches for 127 of those yards. In the first half Port limited the Middies to only 14 offensive plays while the Raiders ran 34 plays. Banged and dazed, Semerano didn't spend much time on the bench until the fourth quarter when the backups saw some action. The senior completed nine-of-10 passes for 108 yards, all in the first half, despite taking a trio of big hits and body slams. Cunningham had three receptions for 47 yards. Butler, finally shaking off the rust from inactivity due to a preseason injury, rushed for 103 yards on 13 carries. "Tropical Storm" Isabel got in her shot about a half hour before kickoff when there was a downpour, making for slippery goings, especially for Port Jervis which ended up fumbling the ball away three times. The game was further plagued by 19 penalties, 11 by Middletown. Port boosted its overall record to 2-1. On Thursday it'll play a critical Class A game at Goshen. Middletown fell to 0-3. Thursday night the Middies will play at Valley Central. --- FEARLESS PHIL NEW PALTZ SHUTS OUT MARLBORO, 7-0, IN KEY B MATCHUP Marlboro 0 0 0 0 0 New Paltz 0 7 0 0 7 The word is that New Paltz has one of the best defenses in Class B. Well they certainly proved it tonight. Late in the half Marlboro had goal to go inside the ten. New Paltz held with the fourth down play ending at the one. The Hugies pushed the ball out a couple of yards on their first down. Because Marlboro still had a timeout left, New Paltz decided they had to run and not take a knee. The handoff was fumbled and with 42 seconds left the Dukes had the ball first and goal at the one. They managed three plays before the half expired, all to the middle of the Hugie line. The maroon held all three times and went into the locker with a 7-0 lead. Nobody really threatened until late in the game when a long run by Jeff Beck and some beautiful moves almost went for a score.Travis Garcia stripped the ball at the ten. Marlboro had one more chance with no timeouts.They decided against passing and only got two plays off. It poured in the third period with the rain blowing sideways. This the first game with only one TD that I have seen in ten years. Kevin Murphy rushed for 130 yards on 30 carries. Jeff Beck led the Dukes with 140 yards on 21 carries. Both teams are now 2-1, but New Paltz goes to the head of the class (B-1, that is) with a 1-0 record. SCORING: 2nd (NP) 10:20 Kevin Murphy 9 yd. run -- Paul Goldman kick --- RICH MICHAELIS GOLDBACKS HAND WARWICK ITS THIRD STRAIGHT LOSS The NFA Goldbacks handed the Warwick Wildcats a 28-6 loss in front of a good crowd at C. Ashley Morgan Field. Newburgh scored on its first possession on Jr. RB Jesse Callahan's 3 yard run with Paul Campos successfully converting the PAT. After Warwick turned the ball over, TE Mike Robinson caught a 15 yd. touchdown pass from Sr. QB Tim Shaw. Robinson got by two Wildcat defenders to run into the endzone after making the catch. This marks the third straight game that Warwick's defense has allowed its opponent to score touchdowns on the first two possessions. Before halftime, NFA intercepted a pass from Warwick QB Chris Radon to set up Nate Holmes' 3 yard score, giving the Goldbacks a 22-0 advantage after two quarters. Joe Williams recorded his 3rd touchdown of 2003 on a big 66 yd. run in the 3rd, which pretty much iced the game. Jr. RB Steve Prescod notched his 5th touchdown in 3 games from one yard out to account for the Wildcats lone score. On the previous play, Radon connected with SE Drew Reynolds to bring the ball to NFA's one yard line. This is a game that had many penalties on both sides, something Warwick coach Greg Sirico may attribute to inexperienced lines. NFA coach C.T. Chatham wants his program to improve to state level competitive quality, so even with the win his squad will work harder. A positive for Warwick is that QB Radon attempted several more passes in week 3, making the effort for a more diversified offense. NFA begins its AA-1 schedule Thursday at home vs. Pine Bush. Homestanding Warwick awaits Minisink Valley for a class AA-2 hookup. Notes... NFA's only other visit to Warwick back in September, 1990, was a 24-0 shutout by the 'Cats......Warwick hasn't started off 0-3 since 1983, a year where the team dropped its first 6 games. --- RICH ARNOTT WALLKILL HAMMERS VALLEY CENTRAL 61-13 The Wallkill Panthers kept the helmet as they scored 27 points in the first quarter and led Valley Central 47-0 at halftime in a 61-13 rout of the Vikings in the third Annual Battle of the Valley. J.J. Maloney scored just 4:30 into the game on a 55-yard scoring run giving Wallkill a 6-0 lead. About a minute later, Joe Truscello picked off Valley Central's Steve Toth setting up Jarred Pillitteri's 33-yard touchdown to Omari Wallace. Adolfo Rivera's extra point gave the Panthers a 13-0 lead. Pillitteri threw another touchdown pass about two minutes later, this time from 40-yards out and Rivera's kick made the score 20-0. The Vikings coughed up the football late in the first quarter and Wallkill capitalized and took a 27-0 lead when Pillitteri and Kevin Poser connected for an 11-yard touchdown strike to close the first quarter. Pillitteri threw another touchdown pass and Maloney rushed for two more scores to give the Panthers a 47-0 lead at the half. The Vikings finally got on the board with nine minutes left in the third quarter after recovering a Wallkill fumble. Steve Toth hit Jim Drury with a 30-yard touchdown pass and Joe Sollecito's kick put seven on the board. But Wallkill coach Dave Der Cola couldn't keep Wallkill from scoring if he tried as Greg Drobot broke loose for a 55-yard score. Valley Central's Drury returned the ensuing kickoff to the Wallkill 28 and the drive resulted in a two-yard touchdown run by Carl Lucas and the Vikings trailed 54-13. Maloney broke another 55-yard run to give the Panthers a 60-13 lead and Rivera's kick made it a 61-13 game. Wallkill is 2-1 and next week will play its first "home" game at Dietz Stadium Saturday night while the Vikings (1-2) host Middletown Thursday night. --- MIKE ZUMMO, Wallkill Valley Publications UNBEATEN CORNWALL SLIPS PAST WASHINGTONVILLE Despite the wet field, it looked like it might be a big offensive night, but as it turned out, unbeaten Cornwall had to wait until the fourth quarter to beat homestanding Washingtonville, 15-8. Cornwall opened the game with a 10-play scoring drive capped by big John Piascik's two-yard TD run. Rob Kirshner's kick made it 7-0. Washingtonville, also unbeaten coming into the game, answered right back. The Wizards marched 55 yards in 10 plays as Chris Castellano scored on a six-yard run. A two point conversion came on a pass play. 8-7 Washingtonville. In the second quarter the Green Dragons drove 60-yards in 10 plays. Freight Train Piascik ran it in from the four. The key play was a conversion of a fourth and nine when QB Kyle Auffray completed a pass to K.J. Gerathy. Auffray tossed to Piascik for two points after. 15-8. The wet ball gave both sides problems as there were several turnovers especially in the in the second half. Earlier in the fourth quarter Cornwall had another scoring opportunity as it drove to the Wizard seven only to fumble the ball away. It was another big night for bruising fullback Piascik who rushed for 137 yards on 19 carries. Castellano ran for 117. Cornwall is now 3-0. The Dragons will meet Section Two's Mohonasen at Dietz next Saturday. Washingtonville's record is now 2-1. Next Friday night the Wizards will host FDR in an AA-2 match. --- Information from KEN CASHMAN of the Cornwall Local THE REST OF THE STORY: With only nine seconds left in the Class D matchup, Eldred QB Nick McCormick threw a four-yard TD pass to Kyle Jasper to give the Yellowjackets a thrilling 30-28 win over homestanding Chester. Just 27 seconds earlier Chester had snatched the lead on a Mike Clavell-to-Brian Clifford TD pass that covered 37 yards. But Matt Counts' ensuing long kickoff return set up the winning score. Also scoring for Eldred were Vinnie Reilly (runs of 33 and four yards) and Counts (24-yard run). For Chester Clavell and Clifford hooked up for a 37-yard TD on the game's first play from scrimmage. John Paul Lake and Anthony Basile also scored for the Hambletonians who are now 2-1 (0-1 in D). Eldred is 1-2 (1-0 D) ... With Willis Feeeman scoring two TDs and rushing for 142 yards, Kingston remained unbeaten (3-0, 1-0 AA) with a 49-21 Class AA win over Pine Bush (0-3, 0-1 AA). QB Coleman Edmond threw three TD passes for the Tigers. Phil Novins had two TD runs for the Bushmen... Saugerties surprised FDR. The Sawyers' end zone fumble recovery in the third quarter, after a bad snap from center on an attempted punt, ended up being the winning score. Homestanding FDR took a 12-7 halftime lead as QB Cerone Hemingway scored on a 60-yard run and Mike Roche on a 45-yard punt return. QB Jay Fredenburg scored for Saugerties on a one-yard run. The Sawyers are now 1-2 while the Presidents slipped to 0-3... State-ranked and homestanding Hancock (#12 Class D) rolled to a 34-0 win over Roscoe. Evan Appley scored three TDs for the winners from Section Four while Roscoe was held to 150 net yards of offense.