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Off the leash

Ferocious SW Bulldogs devour Tri-Valley in league gridiron clash

Richard Ross - Reporter/Photographer
Posted 3/29/21

Sullivan West 16

Tri-Valley 8

LAKE HUNTINGTON -- Wins and losses and how teams deal with them going forward is apt to be a significant factor in this whirlwind eight-man football season. It …

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Off the leash

Ferocious SW Bulldogs devour Tri-Valley in league gridiron clash

Posted

Sullivan West 16

Tri-Valley 8

LAKE HUNTINGTON -- Wins and losses and how teams deal with them going forward is apt to be a significant factor in this whirlwind eight-man football season. It is likely that the six teams vying for the chance to play in the Section 9 title game will have to reckon with at least one loss along the way. Only Roscoe to date is undefeated but with three games still go, there are no guarantees that the Blue Devils will be exempt from defeat.

For Sullivan West, coming off that gruesome 38-20 league loss to Roscoe last week, a win against rival Tri-Valley was an urgent necessity. In recent years things haven't gone their way against the Bears with their last win over T-V coming in the year they were merged with Roscoe, Livingston Manor and Downsville.

But on this occasion, the celebration of senior night for Andrew Crandall, Jason Lowe, Justin LeConey, Frank Decker and Jason Gaebel, the tables were about to turn. By night's end the ferocious Dawgs had marshaled a gritty 16-8 win.

Though Tri-Valley had the better statistics in terms of overall offense, time of possession and plays run, it was the Bulldogs who capitalized on Tri-Valley's miscues to score two touchdowns and two conversions. T-V rallied late to come back with eight points and threatened with a late drive that might have tied the game had it been sustained but Sullivan West's defense was not about to let that happen.

The Bulldogs picked up two points in the Section 9 Eight-Man Football Standings. Tri-Valley has only one, a result of a Covid-canceled game against Millbrook. Their win last week against Ellenville was non-league, and as such, counted for naught.

Sullivan West looked impressive clogging up the running gaps and neutralizing the Bears running attack headed up by its sophomore quarterback Austin Hartman. Give him credit though. He was on the receiving end of a bevy of Bulldog hits, but he just kept getting up and dialing it up again.

Penalties that cost the Bears 80 yards on eight different infractions hurt their chances. Those included an untimely personal foul near the goaline with Sullivan West facing a 3rd and seven. That penalty set up a Jason Gaebel TD and conversion to give the Dawgs an 8-0 lead with 8:48 remaining in the second quarter that stood up until 4:12 of the fourth quarter when a high snap sailed over T-V Punter Thomas Lynch's head. It was pounced on by LeConey at the one. He proceeded to carry it in from there. Gaebel added the two-point conversion and SW led 16-0.

A big run by T-V's Brian Kelly and successive runs by he and Hartman netted the Bears eight points with Hartman's TD and conversion with 1:54 remaining. A SW fumble gave the Bears the ball back with 1:42 to go. They were abetted by a pass interference call but time ran out on them before they could garner another score.

In the topsy-turvy, week-to-week unfolding, T-V which had been a winner a week ago came up with a stinging loss, while Sullivan West which was victimized a week ago, celebrated a momentous win.

Sullivan West Coach Ron Bauer attributed his team's turnaround to a full week of great practices outside. Despite missing running backs Andrew Hubert and Tarrell Spencer, the Bulldogs answered the call.

“The team really stepped it up,” noted Bauer. Jason Gaebel played an outstanding game with 81 yards on 20 carries, a TD and two conversions. He led the team with 13 tackles, two sacks and three forced fumbles. Bauer credited Tri-Valley. “They fought back,” he observed, “but we kept our composure.”

Tri-Valley coach Greg Botsford was impressed with his team's defense which they had just modified this past week going from a 2-3 to a 4-2. “We made a lot of mistakes tonight. We had some opportunities against their weak side but our pass blocking and miscommunication nixed our chances. We're a young team in search of an identity.”

Austin played quarterback at the youth level, but he was the number two back last season behind two-time Sullivan County Democrat Football Player of the Year Keegan Streimer. Streimer's ineligibility thrusts the Bears into an entirely different mode.

The Bears will play at Ellenville on April 3 in a key league battle. Sullivan West travels to Eldred which has yet to play a game after Covid-related delays.

Sullivan West stats

Total offense 132 yards on 33 plays with an average of 4.0 yards per play. SW had only one penalty for 15 yards. They garnered nine first downs and converted five-of 14 third downs for 35.7% and two of three fourth downs for 66.6%. Jason Gaebel was the leading rusher with 14 carries for 93 yards (6.6 yards per carry). He had one TD and a pair of two-point conversions. Justin LeConey ran for 28 yards on ten carries (2.8 yards per carry). He had a TD. Gaebel had 13 tackles, two sacks and three forced fumbles. Jaymes Buddenhagen had 7.5 tackles and Chris Campanelli had 6.5 tackles. LeConey had 5.5 tackles and a fumble recovery.

Tri-Valley Stats

Total offense 216 yards on 62 plays with 3.5 yards per play average. Austin Hartman completed an 18-yard pass to Brian Kelly. The Bears rushed for 198 yards on 56 carries for a 3.5 yards per carry average. They had eight penalties for 80 yards. T-V had 15 first downs and converted five-of-14 third downs for 35.7%. They converted two-of-four fourth downs for 50%. Hartman was the leading rusher with 73 yards on 33 carries (2.2 yards per carry). Brian Kelly was 11/74 (67.7 yards per carry). Dylan Poley was 4/20 (5.0 yards per carry). David Allison was 7/31 (4.4 yards per carry). Poley was the Bears' leading tackler with eight tackles and six assists. Allison had six tackles and six assists.

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