Section Nine Football

By FEARLESS PHIL We all seemed to survive the Hurricane Scare. A lot of us got wet on Friday night, but it wasn't too bad, all things considered. Special congratulations go out to Monroe-Woodbury for its BIG win over highly-touted Schenectady of Section Two. That was consecutive win number eight for Pat D'Aliso and his Crusaders. This is a win streak that has its roots in soccer, of all things. Better let me explain that. I can because I was there. It was week five of the 2002 season, and Monroe-Woodbury just wasn't in a very good mood. After starting the '02 campaign 2-0 with easy wins over Valley Central and Guilderland, the 'Saders ran into a buzzsaw. On September 20th, Kingston beat M-W in a high-octane 52-30 game. The next game was against arch-rival NFA which spanked the D'Alisomen, 31-14. Now the Crusaders were 1-2 in AA and definitely not in control of their fate. October 4th was a misty night in Middletown. When the Crusader buses arrived at Faller Field, they not only noticed that the lights were glowing but that there was a crowd cheering on the end of a soccer game. In the wet conditions, the football field had just been pretty well chewed up by soccer cleats. Coach D'Aliso did not know about the soccer game. Coach D'Aliso was not a happy camper. With that extra incentive, Monroe-Woodbury came out of their yellow buses on fire and totally dismantled the Middies. It was a physical beating the likes of which I haven't seen too often on a local football field. M-W won that one, 36-0, and ran the table for the rest of the season. They finished 7-2 (6-2 in AA) but tie-breakers kept them out of the title game. So who's going to step up and eliminate them from the title game this year? AA-1 '03 looks like three teams vying for two slots: NFA, Kingston and Monroe-Woodbury. Which one will be on the outs? Don't bet that it will be Monroe-Woodbury, a team you just don't want to play right now. Speaking of teams that are on a tear, I can't leave out Class A Wallkill. Stunned in the opener by Cornwall, Wallkill has since brutalized defending B champ, New Paltz (41-15) and neighboring Valley Central (61-13). If my memory is correct, the combined scores of those two first halves was 86-0. Of course the Panthers are "playing it one game at a time," but you know they've got to be gunning for their final two opponents, both of Class A: Goshen and Port Jervis. And then for a rematch with Cornwall. There are some very important games this Thursday. The aforementioned Goshen (1-0 in Class A) and Port Jervis (1-1 in league) meet in the county seat Thursday afternoon. Port is pretty much in a must-win situation. Teams with two losses in a six-team league are really behind the old eight-ball. If Goshen can beat Port, folks will know that the Glads are REALLY for real. Their victory over Warwick was a benchmark, but the Wildcats are still winless, and Goshen's past foes sport a combined record of 2-7. Port's three prior opponents are 4-5. Of course, those stats and a buck will get you a cheap cup of coffee. Warwick may be winless, but the Wildcats aren't out of the AA-2 title chase. In fact the AA-2 season gets its big start Thursday night when Minisink Valley visits Warwick. "Losing to Kingston (the first week) really took the wind out of our sails," Warwick Coach Greg Sirico told me Saturday while he was scouting the Warriors at Dietz. "We're not a young team, but we are inexperienced. Right now we've got to find a way to stop (Minisink QB Bryan) Freeman." Warwick lost by a point (31-30) to Kingston. The next week Kingston trailed Minisink 20-0 but roared back in the second half to tie the Warriors. A Dave Null FG won it for spunky Kingston in OT. Based on these scores and the fact that these two rivals are the preseason picks to appear in the Class A title game, fans should be in for a whale of a ballgame. But don't overlook Washingtonville in AA-2. This isn't the same Wizard program. New coach Don Clark didn't leave his post at Section Four's Newfield to play patsy to anyone. Note that his squad did a heck of a job against Class A top dog Cornwall last week. "We gave Cornwall all they could handle on Friday," he said. "Unfortunately, we sputtered a little late on offense, but we'll get that handled." The Wizards open their AA-2 season this Thursday at home against winless FDR. Class B-1 features a Thursday afternoon battle between unbeaten O'Neill and homestanding Marlboro. Like Port, Marlboro, having lost to New Paltz, is almost in a must-win situation. Meanwhile O'Neill is already 2-0 in league. Overall, the Raiders have outscored their opponents 112-6 but have yet to meet a top-shelf opponent. They will Thursday. On Saturday Millbrook and Eldred meet in a key Class D showdown. Last Friday Eldred knocked Chester from the ranks of the unbeaten by beating the Hambletonians in the last nine seconds. Millbrook, playing without three of its two-way starters including defensive stud Mike Kearins, lost to Rye Neck, 16-13. Rye Neck beat Eldred in week one, 20-0. You do the math. YELLOW FLAGS This week's flags are worthy of 15-yarders and ejections. First comes, as some of you know, my pet peeve: Public Address announcers who haven't got a clue. The first rule of PA announcing at football games is DON'T RUN YOUR MOUTH WHEN A PLAY IS IN PROGRESS. There is a spreading disease. More and more of these clowns (and I call them that because they'd be laughable if they weren't so annoying) think that their job is to do a play-by-play. Why? The fans are sitting right there! They can see what's happening! Really, they aren't blind. But with some of these souped up sound systems out there, the fans CAN go deaf. If I were a coach I'd go ballistic if somebody with a microphone started yelling out over the PA as the play is in progress, "They're seting up a screen to the right!" Or "Jones fakes a handoff to Smith and gives it to -- number 37 -- that's Johnson." Would you coaches like some opposing assistant coach sitting up there in the stands with a bullhorn shouting out instructions during a play (or at all)? SHUT THESE GUYS UP!! After the play has been whistled dead, the PA announcer is supposed to name the ballcarrier, how many yards the play netted, who made the tackle, the new down and yards to go. "Jones on the carry. Pick up of three. Smith and Wesson on the tackle. Third down and two." He should have a roster in numerical order in front of him, keep a simple play chart so he can easily figure the yardage and, if he can, get a spotter to help with identifying tacklers. That's it! A little preparation goes a long way! Just stick to these fundamentals, be accurate and the fans will be most appreciative. If you want to do play-by-play, get into radio or TV (and just hope there's no big mouth PA guy yakking away and drowning you out while you're trying to call the game for people who aren't there in person and who count on you for the details as they happen). The craze a few years ago was to combine an egomaniacal play-by-play PA guy with an equally egomaniacal DJ who would blast "music" whenever Motor Mouth took a moment to breathe. BUSH LEAGUE!!! I was at one game a few years back where the section's King of the Big Mouths was at work along with his DJ compadre (who was subsequently banished, thank goodness). Of course there was no room for anyone else in the pressbox besides that dynamic duo. But that's another story. Anyway, I paid my admission and joined the other folks to watch football. The parents were there rooting on their kids, with the pops talking football and the moms screaming for their boys and socializing, just like it's meant to be. But by the second quarter the noise from the loud speakers was so overwhelming that folks in the home stands stopped talking, cheering and socializing. The cheerleaders couldn't even do their thing without being drowned out. It was amazing. The fans all gave up. They sat in a semi-dazed state just as if they were at home watching reruns on TV. Some night out. At halftime I headed for the visitors bleachers where one could almost hear the cheerleaders and think coherently. There are still some good PA guys left (like the fella at Marlboro), but the numbers are dwindling. I implore the schools to get a handle on this inappropriate annoyance. A microphone is like a gun. Don't put it in the wrong hands. Our other yellow flag for the week is thrown on poor sportsmanship and stupidity, which usually go hand-in-hand. I won't name names this week, but last weekend I again witnessed the worst student "fan" behavior in the section. It's so bad at one school that the adults won't sit anywhere near the kids in the stands. In fact most adults stay away from the games there. In a very organized way, these teens did their best to taunt the visiting team, especially when it had to march between two sections of stands, filled with more "You suck"s than you can count, on the way to the dressing room. They like to spit on opponents there as well, I'm told. And the sad thing is - these kids don't seem to know any better. To them, this is "school spirit." Duh! Amidst the jeering section are jayvee kids, wearing their jerseys and adding to the "(The other team) sucks!! (The other team) sucks!!" That was an especially stupid thing to say since the team that supposedly sucks' jayvees had just kicked their fannies, 32-0. Fortunately, that kind of fan behavior is fairly rare in this area. So throw those flags on the out-of-control, unqualified PA guys and the "You suck" crowd. Our ballfields will be far more pleasant places without them.

For what it's worth, I've compiled my first top ten lists. Yes, I've made it plural. It's not fair to mix the larger schools with the smaller ones. These lists are just for the fun of it and are apt to change suddenly (never take this kind of stuff too seriously). The lists are based upon what has happened so far, in my very humble and oft-flawed opinion. THE LARGE SCHOOL (AA & A) TOP TEN 1. Monroe-Woodbury 2. Cornwall 3. Newburgh F. A. 4. Wallkill 5. Kingston 6. Minisink Valley 7. Port Jervis 8. Washingtonville 9. Goshen 10. Warwick In this list the top five are solid for now. Numbers six through nine are all very close. Turn those four upside-down or choose their order at random, and the list would probably be just as valid. Warwick deserves the number ten slot despite its being winless. The 'Cats have played three of the top nine teams giving them the toughest schedule. THE SMALL SCHOOL (B,C,D) TOP TEN 1. Spackenkill 2. New Paltz 3. O'Neill 4. Marlboro 5. Highland 6. Millbrook 7. Pine Plains 8. Sullivan West 9. Tri-Valley 10. Eldred This list should see some big changes over the course of the season, but for now we'll hang with these teams.

MINISINK'S BIG PLAYS ON 'D' SHUT OUT GUILDERLAND The Minisink Valley defense bent, but it never broke. In fact three huge plays by the Warrior 'D' were the keys to a 15-0 victory over Section Two's Guilderland. Minisink got an early break on Guilderland's first possession. After a big third down sack of Dutchmen QB Zach Carpenter by Ben Becker and Kyle Hogan, Guilderland was forced to punt. A high snap from center ended in a safety. Guilderland got the ball back and moved from its 26 to the MV 10 on its next possession. Then on third and eight, DB Gregg Brain intercepted a Carpenter pass in the end zone to snuff the drive. Minisink's offense then zipped 97 yards on eight plays to score its first TD. A 68 Bryan Freeman-to-Kyle Roeber pass and run put the ball at the Dutchmen 29. Four plays later on fourth and nine, Tom McClintock made a one-handed catch of a Freeman bullet in traffic for a critical 17 yard gain. On the next play, which was the first play of the second quarter, Becker ran 11 yards up the gut for the score. Juan Scali's kick make it 9-0. The Guilderland offense then marched down the gridiron again. The Dutchmen drove from their 26 to the Warrior three. On fourth and one, Carpenter tried to sneak behind his right guard, but the Minisink linebackers were all over him. The measurement showed the ball to be just inches shy of a first and goal. The unproductive drive lasted 16 plays (14 rushes) and ate up nine minutes and four seconds of time. Minisink got the second half kickoff and moved to the Gildy 41. Scali's 39 yard punt gave the Dutchmen the ball at their three. Four plays later McClintock made a big hit on RB Gary Bohl, causing a fumble which was recovered by Becker at the Guilderland 16. That takeaway set up a three play scoring drive. Becker ran around the left side for 14 yards. Then after Becker lost a yard, Freeman connected with tight end Mike Hayes on a four-yard TD pass. Scali's kick failed, but MV led 15-0 with five minutes left in the third stanza. Guilderland then made one last serious bid to score, driving from its 37 to the MV 10. But McClintock intercepted Carpenter in the end zone and returned the ball 50 yards. That was late in the third quarter, and the handwriting was on the wall. The Dutchmen netted 225 yards in offense but came up empty. Minisink's Freeman completed six-of-12 passes for 146 yards. Becker rushed 15 times for a tough 47 yards. The Warrior coaches were smiling after the game. "Any win against a Section Two team is a good win," said veteran Head Coach John Bell. "We didn't play too well today, did we?" joked Defensive Coordinator Don Brain with a playful smile. The win boosted the Minisink record to 2-1. Thursday night the Warriors will open their Class AA-2 season at Warwick. Guilderland fell to 1-2. ---FEARLESS PHIL MONROE-WOODBURY POUNDS SCHENECTADY, 48-6, FOR EIGHTH STRAIGHT SCHENECTADY 0 0 0 6 6 MONROE-WOODBURY 19 7 13 7 46 1st MW 8:52 MattStack 5 yd run; Gerald Jones kick MW 6:22 Matt McCullagh blocked punt and recovered in end zone; kick ng MW 0:30 Matt O'Brien 62 pass from Stack; PAT failed 2nd MW 0:39 Ray Graziano 25 pass from Stack; Jones kick 3rd MW 8:01 Danny Lexandra 15 run; Jones kick MW 6:57 Michael Macera 18 yd fumble return; PAT failed 4th MW 7:51 Neil Ingenito Run; Jones kick Schen 7:30 Reggie Browne 54 run; PAT failed --- RICH MICHAELIS THE REST OF THE STORY: MILLBROOK jumped out to a 13-0 first quarter lead over visiting Rye Neck but then ended up losing, 16-13. Rye Neck scored in the second and third quarters and made a pair of two point conversions to give them the edge. Jeff Quirk scored for Millbrook on a 55-yard run (Mike Vaccaro converted); and Tyler Smith scored the second TD on a 10-yard pass from QB Jon Shanks. Millbrook fell to 1-2 while Section One's Rye Neck remained unbeaten at 3-0... In a game that lasted almost three and a half hours, GOSHEN remained unbeaten via a 36-18 victory over Rondout Valley in a Class A contest. Oscar Wdowiak had two TDs and rushed for 129 yards to lead Goshen (3-0, 1-0). Amaan Siddeeq also had two TDs, one on a 79-yard punt return. Joe Dembeck rushed for 96 yards. For Rondout (1-2, 0-1) freshman QB Dan Steers ran for one TD and passed for two TDs (to Phil Mason and John Carelli). He passed for 267 yards. The game was held up for close to 45 minutes with 48 seconds left in the first quarter as the teams were forced to await medical personnel. The holdup occurred after Rondout G/LB John Fanelli (broken shoulder) had to be taken off in the only available ambulance that was nearby the Kyserike school. Goshen cruised to a 23-0 halftime lead and then had to hold on for dear life in the second half... TRI-VALLEY edged Livingston Manor, 17-14, in a non-league contest at Grahamsville. A 26-yard Alan Coombe field goal early in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference. T-V QB Joe Garigliano threw TD passes to Adam Whiteman and Jim Walsh. George Thomas scored twice for LM on runs of 20 and 65 yards, the latter being the 46th TD of his illustrious career. He rushed for 165 yards on 26 carries to give him 4,160 career yards. Thomas also led his team with tackles (10). Garigliano was 10-for-15, passing for 179 yards. Tri-Valley is now 2-1. Manor is 0-2... SPACKENKILL QB Ryan Willoughby hooked up with Dave Corcoran for a trio of second quarter TDs as the Spartans (3-0, 1-0) rolled to a 37-8 win over Sullivan West (1-2, 0-1)in Class B-ll action. SPACKENKILL scored all its points in the first half... In B-1 visiting RED HOOK topped Burke Catholic, 13-8, in a B-l matchup. Burke (0-3, 0-1) recorded a safety when Andrew Jackson tackled the Raider punter in the end zone and Nick Rappa scored on a 25-yard fumble return. The two defensive plays gave them an 8-7 halftime lead. Justin Conklin scored on a three-yard run with less than three minutes left in the game to win it for Red Hook (1-2, 1-1)... O'NEILL remained unbeaten by pounding B-l foe Onteora, 43-0, at Boiceville. Ray Brown rushed for 101 yards and scored three TDs. Matt Zeilinski had 113 yards on 13 carries. Joe LaForte scored on a 32 yard fumble return and on a 51-yard TD pass from Kyle Harris who also tossed a 12-yard TD pass to Bobby Minugh. Quinton Miles added a 54-yard interception return. O'Neill is now 3-0 (2-0). Onteora is 0-3 (0-1)... Visiting PINE PLAINS whipped Ellenville, 26-3. Will Mirrer's 24-yard field goal gave the Devils an early 3-0 lead before Pine Plains took over. Bonber soph RB Jason Millius , who had 135 yards on 28 tackles, scored on a two-yard TD run. QB James Davis threw TD passes to Pat Hooks (20 yards) and Ed Casazza (17 yards) while Dan Lewis returned an interception 35 yards for the other score. Albert Mays rushed 22 times for 99 yards for Ellenville (1-2). Pine Plains is now 2-1.

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.

By DOUG MACKENZIE (Editor's Note: Doug had agreed to keep a journal reflecting his week prior to the Rondout-Goshen game. Then came his injury against Marlboro. A man of his word, Doug captured his fears, frustrations and hope in these journal entries written for us all but especially for all his fellow warriors, the football players of Section Nine.) Sunday 9-14-03 Yesterday was sure a tough day. We not only lost a close one but I injured my knee pretty badly. Tomorrow I go back to the doctor to find out exactly the problem and I'll have a better idea what the future looks like. It’s a scary thing. I’ve had all sorts of thoughts going through my head, while all I can really do is just sit here and wait. Its scary to think of the possibilities if this is really that bad. As an athlete I know a knee injury is not the kind of injury you want. It’s really frustrating to not be able to do the simple everyday things like putting on a sock, and even just walking down stairs is a struggle. I don’t even want to think of what it will be like if I have to end up watching games from the sidelines. That will hurt much more than the injury itself. Rondout will play tough, though, and no matter what, I'll be there. I just have to try and stay positive which can be rather hard. All things happen for a reason though… I’ve just got to keep faith, and pray it all works out. Monday, 9-15-03 Today I was faced with the toughest news I have ever received. I have been playing football since the 6th grade and I dreamed about playing even before then. Through hard work, I pushed myself to be the best that I could be, and just over a month ago it was time for my senior year to begin. I told myself that I was going to have a breakout year, one that I have been working toward my entire life. I knew that this was going to be my last year playing football, at least on the high school level, and I wanted to make sure I left with a bang. On Saturday against Marlboro, in just one play, all the plans that I had made changed completely. It was on just one play, nothing special, just a regular play. My knee got hit from the side and I knew something was wrong. I ended up in the hospital and they sent me home in a brace, with medicine and a doctor's appointment to follow up. Today I went back to the doctor for an MRI and after taking 60 cc’s of blood out of my swollen knee, they were able to see what was wrong. I have never been more scared in my entire life. The injury involves my ACL and MCL, not only ending my season but my high school football career. It’s devastating, it really is. I know people always say, “It just takes one play, and things could change forever.” To me that was said so often it lost its meaning. To any other guys playing out there, believe me. It's for real. I didn’t expect my season to end in week 2. The season was just beginning. Seriously, everything can change, so don’t ever give an inch. Play every play as if it's your last and don’t ever take it lightly. Right now I’m trying to stay as positive as I can. I believe, although it’s a struggle sometimes, that everything does happen for a reason, and although I may not see the reason or ever truly realize it, I believe that it is true. My situation is not the best right now, but it could always be worse. It's hard to really admit that, because all I can think about is this Saturday watching my team take the field and knowing that I should be out there, too, and wondering the real reason why I’m not. But I know two things for sure: 1) Rehab will start soon and I'll be on my way to becoming stronger, and 2) I'll be back. Realistically and obviously not for this year but at some point. Wherever or whatever the situation, I will be back and I'll be even better than what I was before. But for now I just have to keep faith, stay patient and try to heal. I don’t think I will truly understand how hard this is going to be until Saturday morning rolls around and I’m watching from the sideline. They always say it's better to have loved and lost, then to never have loved at all. I love football and I loved playing it, and I played for one of the best programs around. Now I have to deal with the injury as it is because it’s not going to change. Once I come to grips with that, I’m on my way to recovery. It will take a lot of hard work but this knee will be good as new in no time. If you focus and work harder than you thought possible, you will always get where you want to be. I’m just looking at it as an obstacle that may take some time to get over, but one that can be overcome nonetheless. -Doug Mackenzie Rondout, 25 (Doug suffered a torn ACL and a torn MCL and was scheduled for surgery in early October. He hopes to be back in time for baseball.)