By Nathan Mayberg
ELLENVILLE — September 28, 2004 – The Sullivan West Bulldogs took over in the third quarter to run away with a win over the host Ellenville Blue Devils on Sunday afternoon in Section IX Class B Division II game.
Both defenses pounded each other throughout the first half, resulting in a scoreless game at intermission.
However, Sullivan West (4-0, 2-0 Class B) proved to be the stronger and deeper team, running over a tiring Ellenville squad late in the third quarter and going on to post a 22-0 victory.
The Bulldogs allowed virtually no offense in the second half. In fact, the SW defense permitted the Blue Devils only three yards in the third and fourth quarters. For the game, the Bulldogs gave up just 65 total yards.
The Bulldogs were led by outstanding rushing performances by Scott Peters and Steve Daley. Peters led the SW offensive attack, carrying the ball 11 times for 111 yards. Daley rushed 15 times for 79 yards.
As a team, SW ran the ball 37 times for 269 yards. Orion Darder ran three times for 51 yards, Jimmy Erlwein had four carries for 28 yards and Corey Hornicek rushed twice for 10 yards.
The Bulldogs’ rushing total would have been higher, but Daley and Peters had several large runs called back because of holding penalties. On the afternoon, the Bulldogs had 10 penalties for 171 yards.
Ellenville (0-3, 0-2 Class B) kept the game close throughout the first three quarters by utilizing a punishing defense. That defense was led by Matthew Burns and Peter Williams, who continuously pressured the SW backfield. They had one sack apiece on Bulldog quarterback Joe Meyer in the second quarter.
However, the Blue Devils’ defensive exploits were met with equal intensity by the Bulldogs. Andre Trujillo was clearly the most dominant defensive player on the field. He pressured the Ellenville quarterback (Burns) often, sacking him once. Trujillo also broke up a passing play and levied several explosive hits.
Late in the second quarter, Luke Tonjes sacked Burns on an awkward tackle inside Ellenville territory.
In the second half, SW appeared to step up both sides of its game. The team’s hits looked harder, and the running game improved.
Steve Musso and Trujillo infiltrated Ellenville’s backfield on several plays, while the entire defense refused to allow the Blue Devils any big plays. The Bulldog defense was a like a solid brick wall.
SW broke the game open in the third quarter after stopping the Ellenville offense cold near its own goal line.
Ellenville was forced to punt, and the Bulldogs took over at midfield. Erlwein kicked off the go-ahead drive with 10-yard gain on a running play. Hornicek followed with a wide run, showcasing a quick turn of his feet. Daley turned up the pressure on the defense with a 16-yard gain, which set up the Bulldogs at the Blue Devils’ 20-yard line.
Ellenville was forced to call a timeout, hoping to stop the SW momentum. But it was not to be.
Daley continued to pound the ball straight through the Blue Devil defense, running into the end zone. But the touchdown was called back due to a penalty.
That infraction took the Bulldogs back to about the 21-yard line. The Bulldogs turned to Peters, who made a dazzling run before he was violently tackled near the goal line. Peters appeared to have stretched his hand that was holding the football into the end zone, but the ball was ruled down at about one foot away from the goal line.
Daley ran the ball in for the touchdown with 2:02 left in the third quarter. Ellenville’s Aaron Zimmerman blocked the extra point kick, holding the score at 6-0.
Daley appeared to be shaken up after the drive, as he did not run the ball the rest of the game. After the game, SW Coach Ron Bauer said that Daley was “banged up.”
Ellenville fought back with two strong runs by Bryan Alexander and Bryon Karrow. Alexander displayed strong determination and skill by eluding several attempted tackles and spinning for extra yardage. But those would be the last meaningful plays for the Blue Devils as their next passing play was broken up by Tonjes, which forced Ellenville to punt.
Peters took over from that point forward. He was like a wrecking machine on the field. With time winding down in the third quarter, Peters ran 44 yards for an eye-catching touchdown. Brett Youmans caught a short pass from Meyer to complete the 2-point conversion and give SW a 14-0 lead.
Ellenville went three and out once again after Trujillo and Ryan Redmond combined for a sack on Burns.
The Bulldogs started mixing it up on their ensuing drive. After a jet-like 21-yard run by Peters, Meyer completed a 12-yard pass to Daley. Erlwein ran the ball to Ellenville’s 2-yard line. He then ran those 2 yards to score the final touchdown of the game. Meyer then successfully ran for the 2-point conversion.
Afterwards, Bauer said his team took over in the third quarter through “good blocking and executing the plays.” He credited Ellenville with playing “a strong defensive game” despite being outmanned about a 2-to-1 ratio. Bauer said his team was also missing players, and some played hurt. He said his team would enjoy its bye week. (The Bulldogs do not play again until Saturday, October 9, when they play at John S. Burke Catholic School in a Class B Division II game.)
“It was a really sloppy game,” SW Assistant Coach Chris Reichmann said. “We played sloppy football for two-and-a-half quarters. In the middle of the third quarter, something clicked and we took it to them.”
Ellenville Coach Tony Borriello said his players “gave everything they had.”
“We played three hard quarters,” he commented.
Borriello said he was pleased with the way his team played together, and their defensive intensity.
Borriello added that his squad was a little short of players, and could not match the superior depth of the SW team. By the fourth quarter, he surmised that his team had run out of gas.
Ellenville will look to record its first win of the season when it meets Highland on Friday night.