By Jeanne Sager
JEFFERSONVILLE — October 14, 2003 – It’s good to be home.
After a bye, and a loss in Pine Plains, the Sullivan West Bulldogs (2-3, 1-1 Class B) returned to Jeffersonville Saturday for their homecoming match-up against the Ellenville Blue Devils (1-5, 0-2 Class B).
Despite the distractions surrounding them – with members of the Eddie Adams photography workshop running around snapping pictures and a halftime show set up to celebrate school spirit – the home team got off to a good start.
Junior end Orion Darder recovered a fumble only four minutes into the game and returned it for a 46-yard touchdown.
The Bulldogs followed it up with an attempt at an extra point kick and were given an inadvertent boost by the Ellenville team who bedeviled themselves, sending 12 men onto the field and incurring a half-the-distance-to-the-goal penalty.
The resulting two-point conversion added to the Bulldogs’ early lead.
Ellenville took its only chance to get on the board minutes later – this time when a Sullivan West player fumbled the ball.
Taking advantage of the turnover, the offense took the field and sent David Valdez into the end zone on a 36-yard run.
But that was the last of the good news for the Blue Devils.
The home team built up a commanding lead, recovering several more Ellenville fumbles and intercepting the ball to bring the score to 28-6 by the end of the first half on the legs of junior running backs Scott Peters and Scott Forster.
Peters had 52 yards for the day, scoring on runs of 7 and 10 yards, and Forster added a 1-yard touchdown during the half.
Corey Hornicek added another score to the Bulldogs’ total in the third quarter, bringing the score to 35-6 and securing the Section IX Class B victory.
Quarterback Joe Meyer completed five of six passes, and John Glassel had 16 tackles for the Bulldogs.
“They got it all together and played good offense and good defense,” noted SW Coach Ron Bauer.
“This is probably the best we played all season,” he continued. “They’re playing good, they have to keep it up.”
The Bulldogs face Tri-Valley’s Bears this Saturday, Oct. 18 at 1:30 p.m. in Grahamsville, and they’re looking for some fierce competition from Highland the following Friday (Oct. 24).
“They have to beat Highland if they want to get to Dietz [Stadium],” Bauer noted Bauer, referring to the Class B championship game next month in Kingston.